Baseball Earns Six All-Conference Selections

The Riverside City College baseball team capped regular season action after placing third in the Orange Empire Conference (OEC) and earning a bid to participate in the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Southern California Playoffs. Amidst all of the success, the Tigers earned six all-conference selections after the season. Sophomore shortstop Shane Martinez earned first-team recognition, while sophomore pitcher and infielder Daniel Martinez, sophomore pitcher David Barela, freshman pitcher Alexander Salazar, freshman right fielder Junior Coleman, and freshman second baseman Jacob Rodriguez hauled in second-team all-conference laurels.

S. Martinez participated in 20 conference games and captained the infield at shortstop. He was a sure hand with the leather by boasting a .917 fielding percentage which included 74 assists and 25 putouts. He was a part of seven double plays as well. Offensively, he hit .269 with 21 hits. Of those 21 hits, nine went for doubles. He drove in eight RBI and scored eight times as well. Furthermore, he owns an on-base percentage of .313 and a slugging percentage reading .385.

D. Martinez was arguably the backbone of the batting order and the rotation for the Tigers. On the mound, he earned two wins and fanned 33 batters in six game started. He boasted a 6.23 strikeout-per-nine innings ratio and only issued 12 walks. He chucked an even 40 innings and boasted an ERA of 3.82. Offensively, he led his team in round trippers with three that attributed to his slugging percentage of .466. He posted a .301 batting average and a .453 on-base percentage. He barreled 22 hits with eight going for extra bases.

Barela, a southpaw with a strong arsenal of pitches, earns his recognition after recording three wins in seven starts. He tossed 43.1 innings and recorded 28 strikeouts to attribute to a 5.82 strikeouts-per-nine innings mark. He reigned supreme in two of his last three starts and only issued nine walks to prove his strong command.

Salazar, a native from Ohmi, Japan, settled in nicely to his role as he wore numerous hats throughout the season. In conference, he led his squad with four wins, 47.2 innings pitched, and was tied for first with D. Martinez in strikeouts with 33. He held an ERA of 3.21 and a 6.23 strikeouts-per-nine innings ratio. He appeared in 11 games while starting in six of them. He tossed 8.2 innings against top-ranked Orange Coast and allowed just one run. Additionally, he recorded one save on the year.

Coleman participated in all 21 conference games and held down right field with ease. He was a terror on the base paths after swiping nine bags to rank second in the conference. He worked towards a .304 batting average with an on-base percentage of .398. He squared up 21 hits with a pair acting as two-baggers. Furthermore, he drove in 13 runs and scored 10 times.

Rodriguez rounds out the award winners after playing in 20 conference games primarily at second base. He was third on the team in at-bats while he notched a team-pacing 23 hits to earn a .307 batting average and a .372 on-base percentage. He slapped two doubles and swiped two bags as well.