Gauchos look to shoot down Comets
The Saddleback baseball team will open the second round of the CCCAA Southern California Regional Playoffs on Friday as they host Palomar College in a three-game series. The winner will advance to the regional finals next weekend.
Saddleback and Palomar have both been successful programs over the years and have met 79 times in the past with the Gauchos holding a 46-30-3 advantage. The last time the two programs met was in the regional finals in 2015 when the Comets swept past the Gauchos in two straight games at Palomar (6-1, 4-3) to advance to the state tournament.
Palomar (28-15) was the champions of the Pacific Coast Conference after going 17-7 in PCC play. The Comets advanced to the second round of the playoffs by beating College of the Canyons two-games-to-one, scoring a run in the bottom of the ninth inning on Saturday for an 8-7 win in game three. Palomar has one of the better offenses in the state, ranking No. 2 in the state in batting average (.329). The Comets are also solid on the mound, ranking No. 17 with a 3.63 team ERA.
Saddleback (30-12) finished in second place in the Orange Empire Conference with a 13-8 record. The Gauchos advanced in the playoffs by beating East Los Angeles College in two straight games, including an exciting 7-5 win in 11 innings on Saturday. Saddleback is led by a solid pitching staff that ranks No. 6 in the state with a 2.85 team ERA. The Gauchos don't have as lofty of a batting average as Palomar, but does rank No. 9 in the state in runs-scored (329) while ranking No. 17 in the state in on-base percentage (.397).
In terms of common opponents, Palomar was 5-3 against other programs from the Orange Empire Conference while Saddleback was 5-0 against programs from the Pacific Coast Conference. The Comets were 2-0 versus Golden West College, 0-2 versus Riverside City College, 2-0 against Orange Coast College, 1-0 versus Cypress College and 0-1 against Irvine Valley College. Conversely, Saddleback was 2-0 versus San Diego City College, 2-0 versus Southwestern College and 1-0 against San Diego Mesa College.
The three-game series starts on Friday at 2:00 PM at Doug Fritz Field. Game two is scheduled for Saturday at 1:00 PM while game three will be played on Sunday at 12:00 PM, if necessary. Despite all three game scheduled to be played at Saddleback, Palomar will be considered the home team for game two.
In terms of California and Southern California rankings, Palomar is ranked No. 17 in California and No. 9 in Southern California by the California Community College Sports Information Association (CCCSIA) while being ranked No. 24 in the state and No. 13 in Southern California in the Massey Ratings. Saddleback is ranked No. 7 in California and No. 4 in Southern California by the CCCSIA while being ranked No. 3 in the state and No. 1 in Southern California by the Massey Ratings.
Tickets for this weekend's Southern California Regional Playoff games are: $12 general admission; $8 for students and staff with current ID, seniors 60-and-over, and children 12-and-under.