Nine Hancock Baseball Players Collect All-Conference Recognition

Nine Allan Hancock College baseball players have scored postseason accolades from coaches in the Western State Conference. Third baseman Ryan Bendele and pitchers Nathan Thompson and Ryan Bower were named to the All-Conference First Team. Infielders Angel Guillen and Felipe Gonzalez, and pitcher John Drury earned spots on the All-Conference Second Team. Catcher Ryan Welker, shortstop Jacob Witkowski and pitcher Zack Skipper were honorable mentions.

Bendele and Bower were unanimous selections to the First Team. Benedle, a sophomore and Righetti High School graduate, hit .325 with 19 RBI during the regular season. Bower, a sophomore right-hander, led the Bulldogs in wins with seven. He went 7-4 in 11 starts with two complete games and a 2.17 ERA. The Lompoc High School graduate struck out a team-high 68 in 78 2/3 innings during the regular season.

Thompson became a two-time First Team pick. The left-handed pitcher went 6-2 in 13 starts with a 1.79 ERA. He allowed just 46 hits in 80 2/3 innings with 62 strikeouts.

Gonzalez, a sophomore first baseman, received Second Team honors for the second straight year. He hit .328 with a team-high 25 RBI to go with a .436 on-base percentage. Guillen, a Pioneer Valley High School graduate, earned valuable playing time down the stretch and hit .338 with 7 RBI in 25 games as a freshman. Drury was one of the most valuable relievers out of the bullpen for the Bulldogs. The St. Joseph High School graduate appeared in 16 games and went 1-2 with two saves. He struck out 21 in 23 innings with a 3.91 ERA.

Welker led the Bulldogs with a .478 on-base percentage. The sophomore also led the team with 34 runs and 10 stolen bases. The Santa Ynez High School graduate finished the regular season with a .341 batting average and 18 RBI. Witkowski, a sophomore shortstop, posted a .268 batting average with 28 runs and 20 RBI. Skipper, a sophomore left-handed reliever, was a valuable member of the bullpen. The left-hander pitched in 14 games and recorded a 2.29 ERA in 19 2/3 innings with 17 strikeouts.

Four Bulldogs also received Gold Gloves for defensive excellence at their positions. Welker, Gonzalez and Thompson, three Santa Ynez High School graduates, along with Witkowski were honored by the conference with Gold Gloves. Welker, Witkowksi and Thomson received Gold Gloves for the entire division.

Hancock finished the regular season 22-13-1 and received the No.13 seed in the Southern California Regionals. The Bulldogs open a best-of-three-game series at No.4 Palomar on Friday.