Nine Hancock Baseball Players Earn All-Conference Recognition, Shusterich and Curiel Named to First Team
Highlighted by the selection of freshman Jake Shusterich and sophomore Daniel Curiel to the All-Western State Conference First Team, nine Allan Hancock college baseball players have earned all-conference recognition. The Bulldogs finished 10-10 and tied for third place in the conference standings and ended 21-19 overall. Sophomores Cordell Bowie, Brendan Gomez and Dylan Maiden, as well as freshman Zach Torra were named to the All-Conference Second Team. Sophomore Chad Jones, Nik Cardinal and Quinntin Perez received honorable mention.
Shusterich finished his freshman season with a .384 batting average, seven home runs, 39 RBI and 11 doubles. The Arroyo Grande High School graduate led the Bulldogs and ranked among the top-three in the conference in all four categories. He scored 26 runs and led the team with 48 hits. Shusterich also went 1-0 with one save and a 4.76 ERA on the mound. He threw 17 innings over 10 appearances on the mound.
Curiel earned a spot on the first team with a .331 batting average, three home runs, 30 RBI and 10 stolen bases. He ranked second on the team with in runs batted in. The Righetti High School graduate drew 15 walks to post a .401 on-base percentage.
Bowie picked up his production at the plate his sophomore season to earn a spot on the second team. He hit .331 with 10 doubles, one home run and 28 RBI. He led the team with 27 walks to push his on-base percentage to .450.
After missing the first nine games of the season, Gomez ended the season with a .336 batting average and .403 on-base percentage. The Santa Ynez High School graduate drove in 16 runs, stole seven bases and led the team with four triples. He hit one home run and scored 22 times.
Maiden earned a place on the second team for the second year in a row. The Cabrillo High School graduate hit .328 with 17 runs scored, 8 RBI and six stolen bases. He finished his Hancock career with a career .292 batting average. On the mound, Maiden went 3-3 with a 6.47 ERA this season. He pitched in 13 games, including eight starts.
Torra, a Santa Ynez High School graduate, went 3-3 and a 4.89 ERA his freshman season for the Bulldogs. He struck out 67 and walked 33 over 57 innings. The left-handed pitcher averaged 10.58 strikeouts per nine innings. Torra struck out a season-high 10 hitters over six innings in his collegiate debut, a 6-1 win over Cabrillo.
Jones provided a solid bat for the Bulldogs all season posting a .304 batting average with 10 doubles, 24 runs scored and 21 RBI. He drew 21 walks to finish with a .425 on-base percentage.
Perez received honorable mention for the second straight season. The St. Joseph High School graduate ranked second on the team with a .367 batting average, three home runs and 26 walks. He scored a team-best 35 runs and led the team with a .514 on-base percentage despite missing the team's final eight games due to an injury. In two seasons with the Bulldogs, Perez finished with a .377 career batting average, which ranks No. 6 in program history.
Cardinal started 14 games for the Bulldogs this spring. He went 4-4 with one save and a 5.79 ERA. The right-handed pitcher struck out 72 over 84 innings of work, leading the Bulldogs in both categories. Cardinal struck out a season-high 11 in eight innings to help Hancock defeat Santa Barbara back in March. Cardinal also received a Gold Glove for being the conference's best fielding pitcher.
With 21 wins, the Bulldogs reached the 20-win mark for the first time since 2014.