Athletics

2012 WESTERN REGION CHAMPS!!!

The Raider Baseball team swept the Tacoma CC Titans, at Tacoma, to earn the 2012 Western Region Title!  Both games of the doubleheader sweep took extra innings, showing the incredible resolve and determination of the Raiders, as they won their second consecutive region title.  The Raiders improved their league record to 20-2, with two games remaining on Saturday, when the Raiders host the Titans at Mt. Tahoma High School.  Game time is 1:00 p.m.

The Raiders back-to-back titles are also the only two region titles in the program’s 40 year history.   The team is currently ranked #2 in the NWAACC Coaches Poll, and #11 on the West Coast in the ABCA Coaches Poll.  The Raiders earned the #1 seed from the West to the NWAACC Championship Tournament, hosted at Lower Columbia College over Memorial Day weekend.  This will mark the Raiders third trip to the NWAACC Championships in the past four years.

Coming off the most successful season in the history of the Pierce College Baseball program, the 2012 Raiders picked up where last year’s squad left off.  The Raiders opened West Division play with a series sweep of Clark College.  The Raiders finally found their offense, following a less than stellar pre-season, which saw them hit @ .250 as a team for the month of March.  The bats came alive in the home opener against the Penguins, knocking out a season high 16 hits, and coasting to a 19-4 victory.  DJ Gee led the assault with 3 hits, including 2 HR’s, while driving in a team-high 4 runs.  Brian Corliss and Devin Kaaiwela also had 3 hits for Pierce.  Des Santos and Josh Potter each had 2 hits; Potter slapped a double and a triple, while Santos swiped 2 stolen bases.  Starter Ryan Schmitten picked up the win, going 6 full innings, giving up 3 runs on just 3 hits.  He also collected 7 strikeouts.

Game two of the twinbill was a pitcher’s duel, as the Raiders used only 3 hits, combined with 2 Clark errors to post a 5-3 win.  d’Aundray Van Slyke was the hero of the day for Pierce, as his 2-run single in the top of the 6th inning, proved to be the difference maker.  TJ Horsfall threw a gem through 6 full innings, giving up 3 runs (3 earned), on just 3 hits, while striking out 4.  Josh Potter picked up the save for the Raiders.

The second half of the  Clark series was played in Vancouver (WA), on Monday, April 2.  The Raiders won the opener with another offensive outburst, 11-7.  Miles Nagel brought the big bat, popping a 2-run HR, and adding a double.  Des Santos has a double and single, scored 3 runs, and drove in 4.  Josh Potter also had 2 hits and added 3 RBI’s.  Elliot Morris continued his re-hab from Tommy John surgery, throwing one inning as the starter, and retiring the three batters he faced.  Jacob Phillips threw 6 innings in long relief and collected the win.

The Raiders completed the series sweep with a 6-4 win in the nightcap.  d’Aundray Van Slyke hit a 2-run HR in the sixth for what proved to be the difference maker, as the Raiders wrapped out six extra base hits.  Devin Kaaiwela had a triple and a double, and scored twice.  Josh Potter had a 2-run double, and Des Santos had his second 2 steal game in as many days.  Miles Nagel threw 4 1/3 innings for the win, giving up just 2 runs on 3 hits, and striking out 5.  Josh Potter came in for Nagel and held on to complete the Raiders series sweep of the Penguins.

The wins make Pierce a perfect 4-0 to start the 2012 West League schedule, and improves the Raiders to 24-4 in league going back to 2011.

Despite a less than stellar 6-10 pre-seaason record

The 2011 Raider Baseball team continue to add to the list accomplishments that will ultimately make this year’s team the best in Pierce College history.  The Raiders survived a rain delay for the second straight day, and this time came out on the winning end, taking a 7-4 victory over Everett CC, and moving on to the second round of the loser out bracket of the tourney.  Sophomore standout Nathan Bunch gave a warriors effort on the mound, going 6 1/3 innings, giving up four runs (2 earned), while scattering just 4 hits, to pick up the win.  Brian Corliss came on in relief of Bunch, and shutdown the Trojans bats, giving up just one hit over the final 2 2/3 innings to earn the save.

The Raiders bats got off to a hot start, scoring one in the first, putting up a huge 4-spot in the second, and then one each in the third and fourth.  Derek Voigt led the way with a perfect day at the plate, going 4 for 4, including a solo home run in the 3rd.  Des Santos and Jerett Hardy add 2 hits apiece, and Zach Corpuz was the big run producer driving in 3, with a 2-run single, and a sacrifice bunt.  Jacob Phillips reached base 3 times and scored twice.

The victory was the first ever for Pierce, who had gone winless in three previous tournament appearances (1981, 1982 & 2008).  The 1980 Ft. Steilacoom CC Raiders qualified for the tournament, but didn’t play a game, as the tournament was cancelled with the aftermath of the eruption of Mount St. Helens.

The Raiders play again tonight at 7:35 p.m. (weather permitting), against the loser of today’s 12:35 game between Bellevue vs Lower Columbia.  Follow the action at www.kltv.org

The best season in Raider Baseball history got even better Wednesday, with the announcement of the NWAACC All-Star teams.  The West Division Champs dominated the 2011 selections, led Brian Corliss and Mike Nadeau.  Corliss, the freshman secondbaseman from Todd Beamer High School, was named the West’s Most Valuable Player.  His .410 batting average led the West, and was 4th best in the NWAACC.  Corliss led the Raiders in nearly every offensive catergory; hits (43), doubles (12), triples (4), RBI’s (30), and slugging percentage (.629).  Head Coach Mike Nadeau, in just his second year at the helm of the Raiders was the unanimous choice for Region Coach of the Year.  Nadeau guided Pierce to the program’s first-ever West Division Championship, with a regular season record of 20-4, an overal record of 31-7, and a #1 seed to the the NWAACC Championships.

The West Region All-Stars were filled with Raiders!  First Team selections include, sophomore pitcher Nathan Bunch (5-0 record, with a 1.60 ERA and a team best 82 strikeouts), sophomore firstbaseman Jerett Hardy (.365 average), freshman shortstop Des Santos (.326 avg., and a team best 33 runs scored, with 35 stolen bases), freshman leftfielder Colton Nash (.337 avg., and a team leading 4 home runs), and freshmann relief pitcher Jacob Phillips (6 saves, with a 1-1 record, and a 2.71 ERA).  Three Raiders were named to the Second Team, rounding out the best showing ever by a Raider squad in the post season awards.  Sophomore pitchers Andrew Jacobsen (7-2, 1.82 ERA, and a team high 61 2/3 innings pitched) and Drew Staples (7-1, 2.96 ERA, and a team high 44 strikeouts) were joined by freshman firstbaseman Josh Potter (.316 avg., .463 slugging percentage, and 9 doubles).

The NWAACC also announced the winners of the West’s Gold Glove Team, recognizing the top defensive players in each region by position.  The selections of infielders Des Santos (SS) and Jacob Phillips (3B), and outfielder Derek Voigt, marked the first time that 3 Raiders have earned Gold Glove recognition.

The Raiders opened the NWAACC Baseball Championship Tournament with the looks of a team on a championship run — and then the rains came.  Leading 5-0 after 3 innings of their first round game against Columbia Basin, the East Region co-champs, the rains came to Story Field, forcing a 1 hour rain delay.  After the downpour stopped and the field tarps were removed, the game resumed.  Unfortunately for Pierce, the delay put a cold, wet stop to the momentum that seemed to have the “Beasts from the East” through the 1st three frames.  Raider sophomore standout, and 2nd Team All-Star selection, Andrew Jacobsen threw a gem for four innings, shutting out the Hawks on 4 hits. 

The Raiders drew first blood, scoring 1 in the bottom of the 1st, and added 4 more in the bottom of the fourth inning, when it looked like the wheels were coming off the CBC pitching staff.  The rain delay chased Hawks starter Kody Young, after the Raiders scored 5 runs, with little help from his defense who committed 3 errors.  Jacobsen gave up 2 runs in the 5th inning, and 1 more in the 6th.  The Raider bullpen, whose reliability throughout the season helped the team to the program’s first ever West Division title, and best-ever overall record in school history (31-7), failed to hold the line against the Hawks, who went on a scoring binge over the final two innings — sealed by an 8-run outburst in the 8th inning. 

The Raider offense was held in check for most of the final 6 innings, scoring a single run in the 7th inning, while managing just 2 hits.  The final score on the day — CBC – 14, Pierce 6.

The loss drops the Raiders into the loser-out leg of the tournament bracket against Everett CC.  The Trojans lost their opening round match-up against Lane CC, 9-4.  The Raiders’ Nathan Bunch is set to take the mound, starting at 9:35 a.m.  Look for the Raider bats to heat up tomorrow, as the team start the uphill battle to the championship game, with no room for error.

For the first time in the 36 year history of the Raider Baseball program, the 2011 Raiders have won the West Division title!  The Raiders completed their record-setting league season with a record of 20-4, and an over all record of 31-7.  Both win totals are single season records for Pierce Baseball, as are the league and overall winning percentages.  The Raiders dominance of the West included season sweeps against Centralia, Clark, Grays Harbor, and Tacoma, and series splits against Green River and Lower Columbia. 

Second year Head Coach Mike Nadeau and his staff have put the Raider Baseball program on the map of the baseball world.  The Raiders were ranked as high as #3 in the NWAACC Coaches Poll during the 2011 campaign, finishing at #5 in the final poll, of May 9.  The team is currently ranked #15 in the ABCA Pacific Division Association Poll, which ranks all community and junior college baseball programs on the West Coast. 

Dating back to the team’s 1975 inaugural season, the program has experienced limited success, the most recent of which was the 2008 Raider team that was the first team to qualify for the NWAACC Tournament for the first time since 1985.  Although the team didn’t win the championship, it did send a message to the rest of the NWAACC that the the status of Raider Baseball was changing, and the team was becoming a force to be reckoned with.

The Raiders enter the NWAACC tournament as the #1 seed from the West, and will open play against the #2 seeded team from the East Region, on Thursday, May 26, hosted at Lower Columbia College, in Longview, WA.  Game time TBD.

The first perfect Spring day of the season, brought out a record crowd to Thunderbird Field at Mt. Tahoma High School, for the battle for first place in the Western Division.  The 8-0 Raiders hosted the 8-0 Red Devils in the first of two crucial doubleheader match-ups, before an estimated crowd of 175 fans, in what could be the fight for the Western Division title and the #1 seed into the NWAACC Tournament.  After taking an early 3-1 lead, behind the pitching of Andrew Jacobsen, the Raiders gave up 3 runs in the 4th inning to LCC, and could never get the offense going, losing the opener 8-3.  Pierce was eld to just 3 hits on the game – 2 singles by Zach Corpus, and a single by Derek Voigt.  Jacobsen threw 6 innings, giving up 5 runs (4 earned), on just 6 hits.  Drew Staples came on in relief and gave up 3 runs on just 3 hits, over the final three frames.

Game 2 was a battle of the aces, as the Raider’s Nathan Bunch, matched pitches with Red Devils standout Jeff Ames.  Bunch held Lower Columbia to just 4 hits scattered over 7 innings to pick up the complete game shutout, and his 4th win on the season.  Bunch’s stellar performance lowered his team-leading ERA to .098.  Bunch worked his way out of a bases loaded jam in the 3rd inning, and escaped with runners on third base in the 5th and 6th inings as well.  The Raider offense made good use of the 3 hits they collected in game 2.  Des Santos worked a leadoff walk in the bottom of the 1st inning, was sacrificed to 2nd base by Zach Corpuz, and scored on a 2-out single by DH Miles Nagel.  In the 5th inning, Josh Potter started things off with a double to left, then was moved to 3rd base on a sacrifice bunt by JR Camacho.  Jacob Phillips brought a sliding Potter across the plate for the Raiders second run of the game with a sacrifice squeeze bunt.  The 2 run cushion was all Bunch needed to close things out in the 6th and 7th innings.

The two teams go at it again this Wednesday, as the Raiders travel to Longview for the second doubleheader in the season series.  First pitch at Storey Field is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.  The Raiders return home on Saturday when they host the Green River Gators at 1:00 p.m.