College Baseball

COLLEGE BASEBALL Glendale Community College 6, LA Valley College 2: Keaton Leach picked up the win on for the host Vaqueros on Thursday in a Western State Conference South Division contest at Stengel Field. The freshman threw seven innings without giving up an earned run and also struck out three batters. Michael Robinson picked up the save, his first of the season. Offensively, Glendale was led by Justin Jones, who went two for four with two runs batted in. Julian Jarrard also had a two-RBI double in the game for the Vaqueros, who improved to 16-5, 11-2.

The following are updates on local athletes at the collegiate level. Scott Hong (Glendale Community College, 2011) Occidental College baseball senior: With the Glendale Community College baseball team having clinched its third consecutive Western State Conference South Division title Tuesday, plenty of former Vaqueros who helped lay the foundation for current success are excelling on the collegiate level. Not the least of which is Hong, who's achieving success with his arm, legs and bat. Hong leads the Southern California Interscholastic Athletic Conference with 28 stolen bases, 16 more than the second-best total and more than two teams in the conference have swiped overall.

TODAY GIRLS? BASKETBALL ?Holy Family vs. Los Angeles Sacred Heart of Jesus at San Gabriel Mission High, 7 p.m. ? MEN?S GOLF ?Glendale Community College vs. Rio Hondo College Invitational at California Country Club, 10 a.m. ? COLLEGE BASEBALL ?Glendale Community College at Rio Hondo College in Rio-Mar Tournament, 2 p.m. ? GIRLS? SOCCER ?Westridge vs. Flintridge Prep at Glendale Sports Complex, 3:15 p.m. ?

The following are updates on local athletes at the collegiate level. Garrett Salzman (St. Francis High, 2008) senior, Macalester College baseball: A hot start to the season continues for Salzman, who went two for three with his first home run and two runs batted in out of the designated hitter spot to help the Scots open a doubleheader on Tuesday with a 6-5 win over Bethel. He returned to go two for three with a run and a RBI in the nightcap, a 5-4 win. With the sweep, Macalester (16-11)

Looking to jump start his career, Angel Rodriguez left Cal State Northridge for an opportunity to join the Glendale Community College baseball team. Rodriguez, who spent last season as a redshirt at CSUN, sought the chance to receive more individual attention while looking to improve his overall pitching skills. Turns out things worked fine for Rodriguez, who helped the Vaqueros win their third Western State Conference South Division championship in a row and was tabbed the division's pitcher of the year.

FULLERTON - Timely hitting throughout the order and reliable relief pitching have been staples of Glendale Community College baseball success this season. On Friday afternoon, however, they were the Vaqueros' undoing. GCC stranded 13 base runners and its bullpen allowed two runs, as the Vaqueros lost to Palomar, 3-2, in the opening game of the Fullerton Super Regional of the CCCAA tournament at Fullerton College. "We really didn't play our game," said Vaqueros Coach Chris Cicuto, whose team will now play either El Camino Compton Saturday morning at 10 a.m. at Santa Ana College, hoping to move on and into another elimination game Saturday afternoon at Fullerton.

Success is quickly becoming synonymous with the Glendale Community College baseball program in its current three-season run to unprecedented heights. For a third year in a row, the Vaqueros will ride into the super regionals and for a second straight year, that journey will take them south to Orange County. "Guys are excited. Guys are less nervous than they were this time last week," said Vaqueros Coach Chris Cicuto, whose squad opens up play at the Fullerton College Super Regional at 11 a.m. Friday against Palomar.

The following are updates on local athletes at the collegiate level. Scott Hong (Glendale Community College, 2011) Occidental College baseball senior: With the Glendale Community College baseball team having clinched its third consecutive Western State Conference South Division title Tuesday, plenty of former Vaqueros who helped lay the foundation for current success are excelling on the collegiate level. Not the least of which is Hong, who's achieving success with his arm, legs and bat. Hong leads the Southern California Interscholastic Athletic Conference with 28 stolen bases, 16 more than the second-best total and more than two teams in the conference have swiped overall.