The Fresno City College baseball team advanced to the Super Regionals of the Northern California playoffs after defeating Canada this past weekend. The Rams eliminated Canada with a sweep in the best of three series.
The Rams earned the victory thanks to their strong all around game. Michael Tittle, Jack Karakker and Bryce Barger recorded three hits for the Rams in the second game of the series. Matt Telesco drove in two runs whileSean Silva struck out eight batters in five innings and James Brager tied an FCC record with his ninth save.
“We hit really well, and we pitched well. We were a little shaky on defense but we did what we had to do to get the win,” said head coach Ron Scott.
Scott has seen an improvement in his team over the course of the season. “We have come together as a team and we’re doing all the little things it takes to win,” said Scott. “They play well together and they concentrate. I think we can win very game we play.”
As the Rams now head into the Super Regional to face No.5 Merced (27-11), they will be counting on a strong performance from their pitching and defense. They also hope to see another stellar performance from second baseman Bryce Barger.
Barger is confident that the Rams will take the victory this weekend. “I expect to win three games in a row and go to the final four,” he said.
Looking back at the season, Barger believes it’s the chemistry that has helped the Rams get this far.
“We have really good chemistry. Everyone comes out here everyday and works really hard. Every guy wants to play for the guy next to him,” said Barger.
The sophomore adds that the team has come a long ways since last season. “We play really solid defense compared to last year’s team. We take away a lot of hits and make the routine plays,” said Barger.
As the injuries mounted last year, several players played out of position. Two catchers played short stop and second base resulting in a hole in the defense.
“This year we have guys that play exceptionally well in their position,” Barger said. “Our coach has a lot of confidence in us. I think we can win it all.”
The Rams have been led all season long by consistent hitting from Barger, Brent Bishop, Matt Telesco, and Jack Karraker.
Karraker is tied for first in the Central Valley Conference with 33 RBIs. Bishop, Telesco, and Barger are also in the top ten.
The pitching has been solid thanks in large part to Drew Merlo, James Brager, Andrew Wild and Sean Silva. Merlo recorded seven wins this season and had an ERA of 1.85, the second best in the CVC. Silva and Wild each had six wins on the season.
