Jeremy Balan, Sports Editor

PCC baseball’s Head Coach Evan O’Meara summed up this season with one word.

“Disappointing,” O’Meara said. “This team was the most talented team I’ve had in [my] four seasons.”

O’Meara’s talented group finished with a 7-36 record going 7-17 in South Coast Conference (SCC) play, to finish seventh out of nine teams.

The Lancers’ biggest problem was fielding, as they were in the bottom of the conference in errors (128) and fielding percentage (.921).

“We averaged just under four errors a game,” O’Meara said. “You can’t win games getting six outs an inning.”

The Lancer fielding woes led to a league leading 337 runs allowed, with only 221 earned. The biggest victim of the fielding troubles was starting pitcher and second team All-SCC selection Michael Frisina, who led the team with a 2.90 ERA and four wins. Of the 45 runs Frisina allowed, only 23 were earned.

After Frisina, the Lancer pitching staff struggled, combining for a team ERA of 5.53.

The other two regular starters, Sergio Guzman and Eisen Castro, combined for a 2-17 record with ERAs of 4.93 and 5.43, respectively.

Despite allowing opposing batters to hit .291 against him with a conference leading 10 losses, Guzman finished fifth in conference strikeouts (68).

While the pitching and defense struggled, the Lancer offence excelled. Four players hit over .300 and two others hit above .290.

PCC was an aggressive hitting club, finishing fifth in conference with 17 home runs and 512 total bases, but first in strikeouts (344).

The Lancers also showed aggressiveness on the bases stealing 92 bases, good for second in conference.

The leaders at the plate were first baseman Lee Pope and third baseman Adrian Martinez.

Pope led the team with a .373 average, good for seventh in conference. Pope also led the team in hits (57) and RBIs (38) and finished in the top five in conference slugging percentage (.575) and doubles (14).

“Pope has the most extraordinary work ethic,” O’Meara said. “He’s not a [vocal] leader, but he leads by example.”

Martinez led the team with eight home runs, tied for second in conference behind East L.A.’s Pete Lavin.

O’Meara stood by Martinez even during an early season slump.

“Even when [Martinez] wasn’t doing well, he didn’t quit,” O’Meara said.

Both Pope and Martinez were selected second team All-SCC along with Frisina.

Other Lancers also named All-SCC Honorable Mention were Tyler Craig, Brian Ladeira and Kevin Dultz.

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