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Baseball Season Preview: Coaching Changes, Schedule Announcements, & Season Pass Info
Posted: Jan 11, 2024

Baseball Season Preview: Coaching Changes, Schedule Announcements, & Season Pass Info

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - The official start of the 2024 campaign for the baseball program at Allan Hancock College is right around the corner and the Bulldogs will look to build on the success of last year's veteran team. 

SNAPSHOT

  • 2023 record: 27-15 (16-8 WSC North, 3rd)
  • Participants returning/lost: 18/14
  • 2023 athletes competing at the next level: 9
  • Notable losses: 
    • Brayan Nunez (.459 OBP, 3 HRs, 52 hits, 29 RBIs, First Team All-Conference)
    • Keelor Loveridge (.303 Batting AVG, 36 hits, 11 2Bs, Second Team All-Conference)
    • Elijah Pascual (.365 Batting AVG, 62 hits, 13 2Bs, First Team All-Conference / WSC Gold Glove)
    • Anthony Lopez (5-1 record on the mound, 54 Ks, 1.36 ERA, Second Team All-Conference)

THE COACHES

Chris Stevens will enter his 23rd season at the helm of the program this season. During his time with the Bulldogs, Stevens has led the program to six postseason appearances and one conference title while working towards an overall record of 416-431-2. 

Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, Dom Sebastiani, will begin his first season as a member of the coaching staff at Hancock. Prior to joining the Bulldogs, Sebastiani spent two seasons as the hitting and infield coach at Murray State College, where he oversaw one of the best offenses in the country as they worked their way to the NJCAA World Series in 2022. 

Nick Harlow also joins the coaching staff as a newcomer this season. Harlow, who spent two seasons in a Bulldogs uniform in college, has served as an assistant coach at Ernest Righetti High School for nearly a decade.

Santa Maria Valley baseball fixtures - Scott Nickason (15th season) and Eddie Garcia (5th season) - and Nik Cardinal (2nd season) also return to serve as assistant coaches for the program this season.

KEY RETURNERS

Gavin Long ranked third on the team last season with a .347 batting average and led the team with 34 RBIs. He finished his freshman campaign with 59 hits, which included 12 doubles, three triples, and two homers. The First Team All-Conference selection also tallied 10 stolen bases and recorded 121 putouts and two assists on 125 chances in centerfield.

Tommy Kendlinger was a Gold Glove honoree for both the Western State Conference (North) and the national ABCA/Rawlings list after a stellar collegiate debut. The Ventura native produced a spotless fielding record after handling all 105 defensive chances cleanly while leading the team with six outfield assists and aiding in one double play. He also led the team with 15 stolen bases.

Nick Brown finished his freshman season with a 6-2 record on the mound, including one complete game shutout, while starting in 12 of his 15 appearances. Brown struck out 50 batters through 68.1 innings and was named to the Second Team All-Conference list and was selected as a WSC Gold Glove honoree.

Jeremy Camarena closed out the spring with a .338 batting average and recorded seven doubles while picking up an All-Conference Honorable Mention tab. 

Niko Pecskovszky was a WSC Gold Glove recipient for his work at first base. The product of Texas also notched 41 hits and a .301 batting average en route to an All-Conference Honorable Mention nod. 

Cooper Bagby was also an All-Conference Honorable Mention selection for the Bulldogs on the mound. He secured seven wins and one save while starting in 14 of his 15 appearances on the bump. The Ernest Righetti High School alum closed the season with 57 strikeouts (7.03 per game) through 73.0 innings. 

NEWCOMERS TO WATCH

Notable Transfers:
  • Blake Edgmon - Spent one season at Waubonesee Community College where he led the team with 14 stolen bases. He finished the season with 35 hits, which included two home runs and 13 doubles, and tallied 17 RBIs. 
  • Stephen Espinoza - Spent one season at San Jose State University 
Top Freshman:

THE SCHEDULE

The upcoming schedule features 16 non-conference events and 24 games against Western State Conference (WSC) foes. | FULL SCHEDULE

The Bulldogs will open the season at home with a four-game homestand, beginning with games against College of the Sequoias on January 26th and 27th.

Conference action will once again feature a three-game series during round one before teams match up for single-game showings in round two. Hancock will open the WSC North slate on the road at LA Pierce College on February 20th and will close the league slate at Ventura College on April 25th. The final regular season home game will take place on April 20th against Oxnard College. 

Baseball season pass packages, which are offered in three different tiers and grant access to all home baseball events during the regular season, are now available for purchase at ahcbulldogs.com/ticketing. Single-game tickets will also be available for purchase prior to the start of the season. As a reminder, cash will not be accepted at the ticketing gate or the concession stand. Fans who are not purchasing a season pass are strongly encouraged to purchase single-game tickets prior to arrival, but will also have the opportunity to pay for a ticket on-site with a credit or debit card at the gate.