By Jason Reed
Sports Editor
After a 17-4 start to the season, the Bakersfield College Renegades baseball team finished the regular season 7-8 in its final 15 games of the season and will be headed to the postseason on a four game losing streak.
BC will enter the playoffs as 14 seed out of 18 teams that will be in the Southern California playoffs.
BC (24-12, 16-8) finished in third place in the Western State Conference, despite controlling first place throughout most of the season.
Glendale College (25-11, 19-5) clinched its third straight WSC championship after completing a two game sweep over the Renegades April 16 and April 18.
With the losses, BC was still in control of second place, before losing two straight games to last place West L.A. College (8-25, 6-18).
In the latest game between BC and West L.A., the Wildcats defeated the Renegades 6-3 on April 26 at Bakersfield College. BC jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but the Wildcats wouldn’t go down easy as they played spoiler for the second straight game against BC.
West L.A. tied the score at 2-2 and never trailed in the game again.
Infielder Cole Hallum hit a one-run homer in his first appearance at the plate. He finished the game 3-for-4 batting and was able to reach base on all but one at bat.
Hallum grounded out in the ninth inning with one out and two runners on base, with the West L.A. leading 6-3.
Pitcher Justin Kelly took the mound in his final game at BC. He pitched seven innings allowing seven hits, three strikeouts and two earned runs.
Kelly finished 5-5 on the season and will be attending Virginia Tech University in the fall of this year.
BC will take on number three seed Saddleback College in a three game series.
“I feel like we deserve to be where we’re at,” Painton said on his team making the playoffs.
“Every time you have the opportunity to get in the postseason, it’s a brand new season and what you have to do is get hot for about two weeks to get to the final four.”
Saddleback defeated BC 1-0 back on March 28, in a game that Painton described as “playoff atmosphere.”
BC pitcher Darion Nunn and Saddleback pitcher Evan Manarino took the mound for their schools in the meeting and didn’t disappoint.
Nunn pitched seven innings, and gave up only one earned run and struck out four batters.
Manarino pitched a complete game for the Gaucho’s; he struck out five batters and surrendered only one hit.
Painton expressed on the difference a three game series will make this time around against Saddleback. “It certainly will be different over a three-game series,” Painton said.
“The pitcher they threw that day [Manarino] is probably the best guy in the state from the win lost record, the ERA and those types of things and a three game series he can throw one game.”
Painton said he is looking forward to taking on Saddleback.
He said he believes his team matches up well with them. He also added that in the game against them earlier in the season, both teams had their number one starting pitcher.
He believes it will be interesting to see what the number two and three guys can do in the three game series.
The teams will start their series May 3, at Saddleback, game two will be held May 4.
Painton said he is not sure on the pitching rotation.