From being informed of the program's imminent suspension because of budget cuts to starting the season 3-9, the Moorpark College baseball team faced atypical obstacles this spring.

Yet the Raiders persevered to clinch a share of the Western State Conference title in the program's final scheduled game April 28.

Moorpark coach Mario Porto was rewarded for that run by being named Southern California Coach the Year by the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association.

"I've known Mario forever and quitting isn't part of his makeup," said Ventura coach Don Adams. "They had the (budget decision). That puts you behind the eight ball. Then came the bad start and it's getting worse, but he somehow kept them together and guided them to that championship."

Porto ended his tenure as Moorpark coach the same way he started it in 1990, with a WSC North title.

"Mario has always said it's about the kids," said Adams. "The kids did a great job, but they had to have a leader to guide them. He kept the team together. That was his part."

Porto, who is spending the summer coaching the Bethesda (Md.) Big Train of the Cal Ripkin Collegiate Baseball League, said the honor was special because of who bestowed it.

"When your peers give you something like that, it means something," said Porto. "I feel good because they did that. As I told them, I just did what anybody else would have done. Regardless of the situation, you coach baseball."

Moorpark won 10 of 12 games from March 23 to April 17 to chase down first-place Cuesta and earned a share of the title with a come-from-behind 6-5 home win over Hancock April 28.

"Coach Porto is tough as nails," said sophomore Matt Toczynski. "He convinced us that we had a season to play and we came together... All we could do was battle and we started putting things together.

"This was probably one of the best teams I've ever played on, just because of that feeling."

Moorpark freshman Nick Rogowski joined Porto on the honor roll. The Virginia native, who led the Raiders in both hitting (.336) and pitching (3-5 with a WSC-best 1.65 ERA), was named to the CCCBCA All-American team.

Moorpark College freshman Nick Rogowski was voted Player of the Year in the Western State Conference's North Division.

The freshman from Woodbridge, Va. led the WSC with a 1.65 ERA in 11 starts and also led the Raiders by hitting .336 with 11 doubles and 20 runs scored.

After guiding the Raiders to a share of the WSC North title, Moorpark coach Mario Porto was voted Coach of the Year for the second time.

The All-WSC North first team also included sophomore outfielder Taylor Kahanowitch and sophomore pitcher Michael Coates of Moorpark; sophomore first baseman Dewey Gratton and freshman second baseman Jared Patterson of Ventura; and sophomore
outfielder Wesley Wright.

The second team included freshman catcher Alex Bishop, sophomore designated hitter Matt Toczynski and sophomore pitcher Kevin Brown of Moorpark; freshman outfielder Tim Ginther, sophomore shortstop Scott Zeman and pitcher Dustin Babola of Ventura; and freshman pitcher Casey Rodriguez and sophomore pitcher Sheldon Ekstrand of Oxnard.

Honorable mentions included freshman first baseman Brady Conlan, freshman infielder Jeff Bezjian, freshman pitcher Zach Mercer of Moorpark; freshman catcher Matt Burke of Ventura, freshman pitcher Joey Contreras, freshman pitcher Jacob Murray of Ventura; and freshman first baseman Jose Hernandez, sophomore shortstop Kevin Minjares, sophomore pitcher David Barroso of Oxnard.

WSC North Gold Glove winners included Bishop, Conlan and Coates of Moorpark; Minjares and Wright of Oxnard; and Ginther of Ventura.

Michael Coates' entire sophomore season played out over nine innings Tuesday afternoon.

Down early, toughing it out through the middle innings and ultimately prevailing for his teammates, the Cal State Northridge-bound pitcher from Thousand Oaks High put the Moorpark College baseball team into first place with two games to play with a 5-3 complete game victory at Ventura College.

"He bulldogged it," Moorpark coach Mario Porto said. "He just got better as the game went on. That's the type of guy you want out there right now."

Coates (4-5) shut out the Pirates for the final five innings to pick up his fourth straight win after starting the season 0-5.

"This is amazing," said Coates. "We have everything against us. It's just exciting to be in the race."

The win, combined with Cuesta's 9-8 loss at Santa Barbara City in 10 innings, put No. 20-ranked Moorpark (17-17, 11-7) even with No. 5 Cuesta (22-12, 11-7) in the Western State Conference's North Division with two games to play.

Third-place Santa Barbara (17-17, 10-8) is just one game behind, which will make the final two days of the regular season even more enthralling, considering only the top two teams will earn automatic postseason berths and the tiebreakers will be a mess since all three teams split their four-game season series against each other.

Moorpark has won 10 of its last 14 games to put itself in this position.

"It's surreal," said sophomore outfielder Taylor Khanowitch. "We've been the underdogs all season. We don't just have something to prove to the other teams, we have something to prove to ourselves."

Moorpark hosts fourth-place Hancock today at 2:30 p.m. in the program's final scheduled home game. School administrators have decided to shutter the program after the season due to budget cuts.

Former coaches Gil Mendoza and Jerry White are scheduled to throw out the first pitch. The school has invited all former Moorpark College baseball players to attend.

The suspension of the Moorpark College baseball team means that Tuesday's 5-3 Raiders win will be the final game between cross-county rivals Moorpark and Ventura for some time.

The two schools split the season series, 2-2, meaning Ventura will hold a slight 61-59 series edge going forward.

Porto and Ventura coach Don Adams go back decades, to when Porto was a VC player on the 1974 WSC title-winning team.

Before the game, Adams presented Porto with his 38-year-old No. 9 Ventura College jersey. After, he seemed optimistic that the Raiders could prolong their final run.

"With the pitching that he has," Adams said, "his team could get into the tournament and do some damage."

The spring season has arrived. The Ventura and Moorpark colleges softball teams opened their seasons a combined 4-2 at the Glendale tournament last weekend.

The Ventura College tennis teams started its season Thursday at Cerritos.

"Everything's rolling," said Ventura athletic director Will Cowen.

The Moorpark College baseball team opens what may be its last season, due to budget cuts, today at the Bakersfield tournament.

The Oxnard College baseball team, ranked No. 20 in the Southern California preseason poll, opens at College of the Desert this morning. The Ventura College baseball team hosts No. 4 Palomar in its opener Saturday.

Five local stars filled out this spring's All-Western State Conference North Division baseball first team.

Oxnard College second baseman Jake Mahan, the sophomore from Camarillo High who led the state with 66 hits, was named to the first team for the second straight season.

Oxnard freshman Jesus Valdez, who starred as a pitcher and a third baseman, was 6-1 with a 2.80 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 61 innings in 10 starts on the mound. The Hueneme High graduate also slugged three home runs.

Moorpark College ace Landon Hunt, a second-team selection as a freshman, was promoted to the first team as a sophomore. The Moorpark High product was 2-4 with a 3.43 ERA, holding opposing hitters to a .212 batting average.

As a Ventura College sophomore, Ryan Jones transformed himself from a role player into a first-team All-WSC North performer. The Buena High graduate hit .379 with 11 doubles and 24 RBIs.

Ventura sophomore Allen Gwynn starred at third base and was the Pirates' most reliable starting pitcher. The Santa Paula High product hit .324 with 26 RBIs and lead the team with five wins and a 4.22 ERA.

The All-WSC North second team was dominated by Moopark. The Raiders had four selections, including freshman infielder Austin Mascorro, sophomore outfielder Bryce Dailey, and the starting pitching tandem of freshman Mike Coates and sophomore Tyler Karp.

The second team also included the Oxnard duo of sophomore catcher Mario Landeros and freshman shortstop Kevin Minjares.

All-WSC North honorable mentions included freshman first baseman Travis Keppel and freshman closer Sheldon Ekstrand of Oxnard; sophomore catcher John Travnick, sophomore infielder Tyler Wirth and freshman outfielder Taylor Kahanowitch of Moorpark; freshman first baseman Andy Yingling, sophomore infielder Trevor Duffy and sophomore outfielder Joseph Luna of Ventura.

The spring season arrived last week with the first softball games of the year. Baseball arrives today as the defending WSC champion Oxnard College baseball team visits East Los Angeles, Ventura travels to Porterville and Moorpark is at Bakersfield.

Moorpark College pitcher Landon Hunt has signed a letter of intent to play for Long Beach State.

The sophomore from Moorpark High provided three of the Raiders' nine wins last spring, striking out 61 in 64 2/3 innings. Hunt also led Moorpark in batting average, collecting 17 hits in just 47 at bats.

Oxnard third baseman Bryan Willson was named the Player of the Year of the WSC's North Division. The sophomore from Camarillo High hit .331 with five home runs and 35 RBIs. He also was 7-3 with five saves and a 2.57 ERA as a pitcher.

Oxnard's Justin Bricker was named the co-Pitcher of the Year. The sophomore from Camarillo High was 7-1 with a 3.84 ERA.

Oxnard's John Larson was the Coach of Year as the Condors edged Hancock for its first WSC North title since 2005.

The All-WSC North first team included Willson, Bricker, catcher Zack McDonell, first baseman Jonathan Erb, second baseman Jake Mahan, and pitcher J.C. Aguayo of Oxnard; first baseman Dewey Grattan and outfielder Joseph Luna of Ventura; and outfielder Robert Toczynski of Moorpark.

The All-WSC North second team included shortstop Brad Greve, outfielder Harper White and outfielder Juan Reveles of Oxnard; second baseman Derek Ring, outfielder A.J. Gallardo and third baseman Adam Barry of Ventura; and infielder Michael Bonenfant and pitcher Landon Hunt of Moorpark.

Honorable mentions included first baseman Scott McNally, third baseman Blake Adame, pitcher Santos Reyes of Oxnard; catcher Ricky Lipman, utility Allen Gywnn and pitcher James Pinto of Ventura; and catcher Ryan Cobb, outfielder Brett Hockenberry and pitcher Matt Montgomery of Moorpark.

Oxnard catcher McDonell, Ventura center fielder Luna and Oxnard right fielder Aguayo won gold gloves.

Round 15 Scores, Tue., April 20
Hancock 9, Cuesta 4
Ventura 5, Santa Barbara 0
Oxnard 10, Moorpark 5 (played Friday, April 23)

Round 16 Scores, Thu. April 22
Hancock 11, Cuesta 10
Oxnard 6, Moorpark 5
Santa Barbara 4, Ventura 2

Round 17 Scores, Sat. April 24
Ventura 6, Oxnard 4
Cuesta 5, Moorpark 3
Hancock 7, Santa Barbara 6

Standings after Round 17, Sat. April 24
Conference Overall
Team W-L GB W-L
Oxnard 13-4 -- 23-10
Hancock 13-4 -- 21-11
Santa Barbara 9-8 4.0 19-14
Cuesta 7-10 6.0 16-17
Ventura 7-10 6.0 15-17
Moorpark 2-15 11.0 9-22-1

Round 18 Schedule, Tue., April 24
Oxnard at Ventura
Cuesta at Moorpark
Hancock at Santa Barbara City

Round 19 Schedule, Thu., April 24
Oxnard at Hancock
Ventura at Moorpark
Santa Barbara City at Cuesta

Round 20 Schedule, Fri., April 30
Hancock at Oxnard
Moorpark at Ventura
Cuesta at Santa Barbara City

Bryan Willson hit his fifth home run of the season and Justin Bricker pitched his fourth complete game of the season as the Oxnard College baseball team maintained their one-game lead in the WSC North with a 10-5 win over visiting Moorpark Friday afternoon.

The game was a makeup of a Tuesday rainout. Oxnard (23-9, 13-3 WSC North) opens a two-game series with Ventura today.

The Oxnard College baseball team, hanging on to its WSC North lead over Hancock by a half game, hosts Moorpark today at 2:30 p.m. in a makeup of Tuesday's rain washout.

Round 14 Scores, Sat., April 17
Oxnard 3, Cuesta 0
Hancock 6, Ventura 3
Santa Barbara 19, Moorpark 4

Round 15 Scores, Tue., April 20
Hancock 9, Cuesta 4
Ventura 5, Santa Barbara 0
Moorpark at Cuesta (ppd. to Friday, April 23)

Round 16 Scores, Thu. April 22
Hancock 11, Cuesta 10
Oxnard 6, Moorpark 5
Santa Barbara 4, Ventura 2

Standings after Round 16, April 22
Conference Overall
Team W-L GB W-L
Oxnard 11-3 -- 21-9
Hancock 11-4 0.5 19-11
Santa Barbara 8-7 3.5 18-13
Cuesta 6-9 5.5 15-16
Ventura 6-9 5.5 14-16
Moorpark 2-12 9.0 9-19-1

Today's Round 15 Makeup, Fri., April 23
Moorpark at Oxnard

Round 17 Schedule, Sat., April 24
Ventura at Oxnard
Moorpark at Cuesta
Santa Barbara City at Hancock

Non-conference Scores, Tue., April 6
Oxnard 8, Santa Ana 0
Cuesta 1, Orange Coast 0

Round 10 Scores, Thu., April 8
Ventura 6, Moorpark 3
Oxnard 7, Hancock 6
Santa Barbara City 3, Cuesta 2

Round 11 Scores, Sat. April 10
Oxnard 24, Santa Barbara City 9
Cuesta 8, Ventura 7
Hancock 11, Moorpark 1

Standings after Round 11, April 10
Conference Overall
Team W-L GB W-L
Oxnard 9-2 -- 19-8
Santa Barbara 7-4 2.0 15-11
Hancock 7-4 2.0 17-10
Cuesta 5-6 4.0 14-13
Ventura 4-7 5.0 12-14
Moorpark 1-10 8.0 8-17-1

Round 12 Schedule, Tue., April 13
Cuesta at Ventura
Santa Barbara City at Oxnard
Moorpark at Hancock

Round 13 Schedule, Thu., April 15
Oxnard at Cuesta
Hancock at Ventura
Santa Barbara City at Moorpark

Round 15 Schedule, Sat., April 17
Cuesta at Oxnard
Ventura at Hancock
Moorpark at Santa Barbara City

Anthony Martinez improved to 4-3 with his first complete game of the season, striking out 13 and allowing just seven hits and a walk as the Ventura College baseball team beat visiting Moorpark, 6-3, Thursday afternoon.

Dewey Gratton was 2 for 5 with an RBI and Joseph Luna reached base five times on two walks, two hit by pitches and a rally-starting bunt single in the two-run sixth as Ventura (12-13) improved to 4-6 in the WSC North.

Josh Gray tripled and Alexander Birgel doubled for Moorpark (8-16-1, 1-9)
Records: Ventura 12-13, 4-6 WSC North; Moorpark 8-16-1, 1-9.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE BASEBALL

Oxnard 7, Hancock 6: J.C. Aguayo went 2 for 3 with a walk, run and an RBI at the plate and pitched into the eight inning for his fifth win of the season as Oxnard stayed alone atop the WSC North with a win over second-place Hancock.

Brad Greve, Blake Adame,Harper White, Juan Reveles all had two hits for Oxnard (18-8, 8-2), which used a single run in the seventh inning to break decide a 6-6 tie.

Trailing 9-2 after four innings, Brystal Hood spurred a nine-run fifth inning with a two-run home run as the Oxnard College softball team came from behind to beat host Santa Barbara City College, 13-9, Thursday afternoon.

Priscilla Garcia (3-2) earned the win with six strong innings after starter Michelle Getman left with a leg injury.

Lindsey Herrera was 4 for 5 for Oxnard, which leapfrogged the Vaqueros (17-12, 5-6) into fourth place in the Western State Conference's Gold Division.

Ventura 14, L.A. Pierce 0:Ashley Dasnoit went 2 for 3 with two RBIs, Shiane Sharpe was 3 for 3 with two RBIs, Vannessa Barretto was 3 for 3 with an RBI and pitcher Jenn Jurarez pitched a two-hitter as first-place Ventura (22-10) improved to 9-2 in WSC Gold play.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE BASEBALL

Ventura 8, Los Angeles Valley 7: Derek Ring was 2 for 5 with a run scored, A.J. Gallardo was 2 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored and Jeremy Dann hit a home run for the host Pirates (10-12).

Moorpark 8, Porterville 0: Brett Hockenberry went 4 for 5 with an RB, Michael Bonenfant went 3 for 5 with three RBIs and Rob Toczynski went 2 for 4 for the host Raiders (8-16-1).

The Moorpark College baseball team snapped its eight-game losing streak with an 8-3 win over visiting Cuesta March 25.

The Raiders (6-13-1, 1-7) finally showed some fight two days after being pummeled 16-1 in San Luis Obispo.

"That's exactly what a couple of the players said," said Moorpark coach Mario Porto. "The frustrating thing is that's how we should have been playing all along."

Freshman pitcher Landon Hunt pitched a complete game and freshman outfielder Robert Toczynski cleared the loaded bases with a three-RBI double to give Moorpark a 5-1 lead through four innings.

"Landon Hunt pitched very well," said Porto. "He's a bulldog kid and he loves to be out there.

"When your offense and defense sees a guy like that doing what he's doing, they take it up a notch."

After Cuesta pulled within 5-3, Moorpark tacked on three runs in the eighth to allow Hunt to finish it out easily.

"Those were things we hadn't been doing, coming up with those big hits," said Porto

The Moorpark College baseball team snapped its eight-game losing streak with an 8-3 win over visiting Cuesta March 25.

The Raiders (6-13-1, 1-7) finally showed some fight two days after being pummeled 16-1 in San Luis Obispo.

"That's exactly what a couple of the players said," said Moorpark coach Mario Porto. "The frustrating thing is that's how we should have been playing all along."

Freshman pitcher Landon Hunt pitched a complete game and freshman outfielder Robert Toczynski cleared the loaded bases with a three-RBI double to give Moorpark a 5-1 lead through four innings.

"Landon Hunt pitched very well," said Porto. "He's a bulldog kid and he loves to be out there.

"When your offense and defense sees a guy like that doing what he's doing, they take it up a notch."

After Cuesta pulled within 5-3, Moorpark tacked on three runs in the eighth to allow Hunt to finish it out easily.

"Those were things we hadn't been doing, coming up with those big hits," said Porto

Last week's baseball results underscore the strength and depth of the WSC North this season.

The two bottom teams, who had combined to win just one of their first 13 WSC North teams, beat the division leader (Oxnard) and powerhouse (Cuesta) that has won 12 of the past 14 division titles.

"That tells you how good our conference is," said Moorpark coach Mario Porto. "It really does."

The RPI figures show that the WSC North is on the Orange Empire's heels as SoCal's top conference. And Ventura and Oxnard still have games remaining against OEC leader Santa Ana.

Round 7 Schedule, Tuesday
Oxnard 4, Ventura 3
Cuesta 16, Moorpark 1
Santa Barbara 13, at Hancock 3

Round 8 Schedule, Thursday
Ventura 13, Oxnard 12
Moorpark 8, Cuesta 3
Hancock 4, at Santa Barbara 3

Standings after Round 8, March 25
Conference Overall
Team W-L GB W-L
Oxnard 7-1 -- 15-6
Hancock 5-3 2.0 12-9
Santa Barbara 5-3 2.0 12-9
Cuesta 4-4 3.0 11-9
Ventura 2 6 5.0 7-10
Moorpark 1 7 6.0 6-13-1

Round 9 Schedule, Saturday, 1 p.m.
Oxnard at Hancock
Santa Barbara at Cuesta
Ventura at Moorpark