It was recently announced by the South Coast Conference (SCC) that nine members of the Long Beach City College baseball team earned All-SCC-South honors after hauling in a SCC-South Co-Conference Championship. Freshman starting pitcher Josh Agnew (Long Beach, CA), freshman starting pitcher Jacob Gregg (Long Beach, CA), freshman utility player Chase Ambrose (Long Beach, CA), sophomore first baseman Vincent Byrd II (Sacramento, CA), and sophomore shortstop Antonio Monroy (Maywood, CA) all received First-Team All-Conference recognition, while sophomore starting pitcher Schuyler Hill (Long Beach, CA), freshman catcher Robbie Barham (Long Beach, CA), sophomore designated hitter Jared Mayeda (Cypress, CA), freshman third baseman Reese Berberet (Long Beach, CA), and freshman outfielder Val Stammler (Long Beach, CA) earned Second-Team All-Conference laurels. Additionally, Head Coach Casey Crook was named SCC-South Coach of the Year for the third-consecutive season.
Crook, the winningest coach in LBCC baseball program history, earns his seventh Coach of the Year award of his career and it is the third-consecutive time he has received the honor. Crook helmed a squad to an overall record of 26-13-1 with an impressive conference mark of 17-5. The Vikings ended the season on a six-game winning streak that included a conference series sweep of the top-ranked El Camino College Warriors to earn a share of the SCC-South title. He coached his team to a 12th ranked position in the final California Community College Sports Information Association (CCCSIA) regular season poll and the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association (CCCBCA) poll.
Agnew burst on to the season in his inaugural season for the Vikings and acted as the team's ace on the mound throughout the year. In conference action, the righty went 5-1 in eight starts while amassing 61.2 innings and fanning 27 batters. Additionally, he held a lowly 1.61 ERA that included four complete games. In every victory he pocketed, he traveled the distance highlighted by a complete-game shutout against top-ranked El Camino where he did not allow a run while scattering five hits. He threw the most conference innings out of any pitcher in the SCC-South as well.
Gregg was a key part to the Vikings' success down the stretch as he earns All-Conference recognition in his first season for Long Beach. The freshman right hander posted a 1.80 ERA leading to a 3-1 record in seven games started. He utilized his defense to the tee by striking out just 18 batters in 35 innings pitched. Gregg's performances were highlighted by eight shutout innings in a 1-0 victory over EC-Compton Center. He scattered just five hits and struck out three batters. He followed that outing with a victory over top-ranked El Camino by holding them to three runs through six innings of work.
After holding numerous roles throughout the season, Ambrose earns his first All-Conference nod in his final season with the Vikings. The utility player acted as the teams closer throughout the majority of the season by slamming the door for four saves en route to a 3.44 ERA. His strikeouts-per-nine innings is very impressive as he boasts an 8.35 mark. Offensively, Ambrose has seen time at third base and in the outfield while earning a .250 batting average with a pair of RBI and six hits.
Byrd II was one of the most potent offensive weapons for the Vikings as he hauls in his first-career All-Conference award in his final season for Long Beach. He posted an impressive line reading at a .373 batting average, .500 on-base percentage, and .653 slugging percentage. Byrd II squared up 28 hits with four of them going as round-trippers and nine going as doubles. He was a clutch hitter with runners in scoring position by driving in 19 RBI while scoring 15 times as well. The power-hitting first baseman recorded a season-high six RBI in a season-finale victory against top ranked El Camino to highlight his efforts.
The sure-handed Monroy reels in First-Team All-Conference accolades in his final season as a Viking after holding it down at shortstop for the majority of the season. Monroy was the most consistent hitter for the Vikings throughout conference play by posting a .430 batting average leading to 40 hits – eight going as doubles and a pair going as triples. Additionally, her swiped four bags after earning a .495 on-base percentage. In the two-hole position, he drove in 30 RBI and scored 30 times in 93 at-bats. He ended the regular season on a five-game hitting streak where he went 11-for-22 with three doubles, seven RBI and nine runs scored. Defensively, he boasted a .952 fielding percentage that included 125 total chances, 34 putouts, and 85 assists.
After returning from injury, Hill earned his second All-Conference selection of his career in his final season for the Vikings. In seven conference starts, Hill earned a record of 4-2 that featured a strong 41 strikeouts leading to an 8.52 strikeouts-per-inning mark. He amassed 43.1 innings pitched and tossed one complete came that came in a 4-3 victory over EC-Compton Center where he fanned nine batters.
Berberet gains All-Conference honors in his first season for LBCC and did so by holding down the hot corner. He tallied a team-high 31 RBI in conference in a spurt where he drove in nine RBI in the final five games – seven coming in the season finale against top-ranked El Camino. In that game he went 4-for-6 with the seven RBI, four runs scored and blasted two home runs. He barreled eight double and one triple leading to 16 runs scored and a .358 on-base percentage.
Stammler ignited in the latter part of the season to earn All-Conference recognition in his first season. He played various positions in the outfield, but found a home in center field towards the middle of conference play. He worked towards a .311 batting average that included a .386 on-base percentage and a .444 slugging percentage. He squared up 28 hits that included four doubles, one triple, and two homeruns. He crossed home 21 times and drove in 10 RBI. He utilized his speed to swipe six bags as well.
Mayeda finds the All-Conference list in his final season for the Vikings after acting as the designated hitter for the majority of the season. He boasted a .288 batting average that included seven RBI and six runs scored. He launched his first-career homerun in an 8-4 victory over top-ranked El Camino in the opening game of the series. He barreled 23 hits as well.
Barham rounds out the All-Conference selections for the Vikings as he earned a conference batting average of .304 that included 14 hits – a trio going as double and one going as a triple. Additionally, he earned a .360 on-base percentage and a .413 slugging percentage.
The Vikings will host Saddleback College in the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Southern California Regional Playoffs for a three-game series beginning Friday, May 4th at 2 p.m.