APTOS — Sliding into first base is, according to baseball purists, almost always the wrong move — science be damned.
But with the season on the line, Cabrillo College sophomore Digger Gugale did just that. The Seahawks’ star first baseman left his feet in a full Superman-esque dive to the bag and into the dirt.
His Herculean effort, however, wasn’t rewarded. He was called out, the last in a heartbreaking 5-2 loss to Ohlone College in Thursday evening’s Coast Conference Pacific division game.
“That was a great representation of our season,” said Cabrillo head coach Bob Kittle. “Sloppy play, really emotional to the scoreboard and not playing the game. That’s how we’ve been all year. It’s been unfortunate, because I think we’re talented enough but we just don’t perform.”
He added: “They’re desperate.”
At this point of the season, desperation might have to do.
With 10 games to go, Cabrillo is eight games under .500 and is danger of missing the postseason for the first time in seven seasons.
Kittle said the only true way to keep the program’s playoff streak alive is to run the table. That will no doubt be a massive challenge.
Cabrillo (10-18, 3-5) finishes off its three-game series against Ohlone, which leads the CC-Pacific with an undefeated 8-0 record, today in Fremont. The Seahawks also have three-game series against Hartnell College, Gavilan College and Canada College still left on the docket.
“I’m always hopeful,” Kittle said. “We need to have a game where the past doesn’t affect us and we do stay present. If we can get that on Saturday, then hopefully we can turn it around and build off of that. We haven’t had a lot to build off of.”
The Seahawks began the season ranked No. 6 in Northern California, but have not been able to turn their talent into consistent success.
Cabrillo has wins over four teams ranked in the top 15 in Northern California, including No. 1 San Joaquin Delta, but has also had losing streaks of six and five games that have puzzled both coaches and players.
“We haven’t really been playing our game, I would say,” said Cabrillo freshman catcher/outfielder Jake Keaschall. “I feel like we can change that. We don’t have much time, but if we want it, we can do it.”
When the Seahawks have had success, it’s come from the top of their youthful lineup.
Keaschall, who has settled in as the team’s leadoff hitter, has the fifth-best batting average in the CC-Pacific (.347), and is tied for sixth in hits (34) and doubles (7).
Freshman second baseman Jonah Shabry, who has hit second in the lineup throughout the season, is tied for second in the conference in batting average (.363) and hits (37), while also having the seventh most RBIs (19).
Batting No. 3, freshman shortstop Kai Moody leads the conference in hits (38) and has the ninth best batting average (.325).
Cabrillo, however, has had trouble bringing runners home. In Thursday’s loss, which dropped the Seahawks into a tie for fifth in the CC-Pacific with Skyline College, they stranded 11 base runners.
It won’t be an easy fix, but Keaschall and Kittle both agreed that it is possible. A win today would go a long way.
“Time’s running out. We don’t have much left,” Keaschall said. “We just got to win, and we have to play as a team.”
Cabrillo last year had one of the program’s most talented teams in recent memory.
Outfielder/pitcher Clayton Andrews and starting pitcher Brett de Geus were both drafted, and several others moved on to four-year programs, including catcher Nick Ciandro, a St. Francis High alumnus who now plays for NCAA Division I Cal State Fullerton.
With 16 freshmen on a roster of 34, the Seahawks are younger than they’ve been in the past, but Kittle didn’t want to give his team a pass because of its youth. The talent is there, the coach said.
“We’ve had a hard time being present,” Kittle said. “We let things that have already happen affect our future and I can’t stop it right now. I’m trying everything I can, but it hasn’t happened. Obviously, I didn’t prepare them well enough for this.”
Redshirt sophomore pitcher Josh Rodriguez is one of only a handful of holdovers that contributed to last season’s team, which advanced to the CCCAA NorCal Super Regional for the fifth straight season.
The 6-foot-5 St. Francis alumnus has the fifth lowest earned run average (2.49) in the conference over 50 2-3 innings.
Freshmen Matt Robustelli (4.22, 14th) and Greg Neiger (2.51, 6th) are the only other pitchers on the team ranked in the top 25 in the conference in ERA.
“We’re definitely a young team this year and it’s been tough getting all of our gears firing at the same time,” Rodriguez said. “We’ve had a lot of stretches of doing things right, but we haven’t been all the way there for most of the year.”
Added Rodriguez: “We know that it’s been time and now we really have to make a push at the end here to get something going. We’re feeling it. Time’s running out. We got to do something different.”
