Ceres High’s baseball team needed to sweep Livingston and get help from Pacheco and Beyer during the final week of the Western Athletic Conference season to keep its slim Sac-Joaquin Section playoff hopes alive.
The Bulldogs took care of business against the Wolves before being eliminated from postseason contention.
“As soon as we saw Pacheco and Beyer win, we knew we were going to be in trouble,” head coach Bret Durossette said. “It’s sad we didn’t make playoffs. I thought our kids deserved to make it.”
Ceres High posted a 14-10-1 overall record and finished in fourth place in the WAC standings with a 9-5 mark this spring.
The conference’s top three teams qualified for the section playoffs, including Central Valley (14-0), Pacheco (10-4) and Beyer (10-4).
“We’re a very young team,” Durossette said. “We only had one senior. To have a winning season is a tribute to the kids. We were one win away from being in second place.
The Bulldogs closed out the season with a 9-3 win versus the host Wolves on April 30.
“We knew we had to win to maybe make playoffs,” Durossette said. “Our kids showed up and played.”
Ceres High spoiled Livingston’s Senior Day.
The Bulldogs edged the visiting Wolves 8-7 on Senior Day at Art McRae Field on April 28.
Ashton Urena had a productive game while competing at home for the final time.
The senior batted 2-for-3 from the plate with three RBIs, one run and two walks.
He was also the winning pitcher.
Urena (5-4) gave up one earned run and four hits with six strikeouts and four walks in five innings while starring at pitcher.
Anthony Trevino picked up the save while tossing two innings of relief.
He allowed no earned runs and two hits with four strikeouts and one walk.
Trevino batted 1-for-3 on offense with one double and one run.
Mario Vargas batted 2-for-3 with one RBI and two runs.
Steven Burciaga batted 2-for-3 with one RBI and one run
Gabe Malagon batted 1-for-2 with two RBIs.
Isaac Moreno batted 0-for-2 with one RBI and one run.
Isaiah Reyes and Junior Sombrerero scored once.
Jose Ortiz doubled.
Ceres High opened WAC play with five consecutive wins.
Hurt by a lack of depth, the Bulldogs lost five of their final nine league games
Jake Oliver suffered a season-ending collarbone injury while trying to make a play on defense in the outfield against the Pacheco Panthers on March 26.
“We started the season off hot,” Durossette said. “We had a two-week stretch where we didn’t play very good baseball. Sometimes, we only had one player on the bench. That hurt. Our kids battled. They tried really hard.”
Ceres High will lose just one player to graduation.
Urena was a three-year varsity standout.
He was named the WAC’s Utility Player of the Year as a junior.
“That’s a huge loss,” Durossette said. “He’s one of our better players. He has a future in baseball. I think he can play at the college level.”
Malagon (Jr.), Trevino (Jr.), Sombrerero (Jr.), Vargas (Jr.), Moreno (So.), Oliver (So.), Ortiz (So.), Reyes (So.), Burciaga (Fr.) and Malyki Reedy (Jr.) could return to the team next season.
“We’re young,” Durossette said. “We want them to have success and be happy. We’re in a good league that fits our abilities. We’ll see what happens next year.”
