Baseball's 2014 Campaign Had OEC Title Share, a Return to Postseason and Seven Dons on All-OEC Team
With a 28-13 record and a share of the Orange Empire Conference title, the Dons enjoyed another successful season to add to their illustrious history.
Despite an up-and-down start to the season, the Dons used a strong run late in the season to turn in a 28-13 overall record while claiming a share of the Orange Empire Conference Championship with a 14-7 mark in conference.
After wrapping up the season on an eight game winning streak, the Dons were rewarded with the #3 seeding in the playoffs and quickly moved through the first round with a sweep of Long Beach City College.
The Dons then hosted Southwestern College in the Super Regionals, but dropped a 6-5 decision in the first game. The second game went the way of the Dons with a 6-4 victory before Southwestern won the deciding third game by a score of 6-2, ending the Dons season.
But the Super Regional appearance was the Dons 26th in 27 seasons, and their first after missing the playoffs entirely last season.
To go along with the Dons impressive run were five players being named First-Team All-Orange Empire Conference with another two being named Second-Team All-Orange Empire Conference. A.J. Franks, Joshua Vargas, Daniel Martinez, Jr., Garret Brown and Ryan Aguilar were each named First-Team.
For Vargas, Martinez and Aguilar, it was their second selection on the All-OEC Team with Vargas repeating as a First-Teamer while Martinez and Aguilar were named Second-Team as freshman.
On the 2014 Second-Team All-Orange Empire Conference Team was Cody Bistline and Alex Mascarenas. Joinng the players were Co-Head Coaches Bryan Harris and John Bryant who were named the Co-Coaches of the Year for the Orange Empire Conference, sharing the honors with John Altobelli of Orange Coast College.
Finally, the Dons saw seven SAC records tied or broken this season, with Franks accounting for six of them. The freshman pitcher set new records for fewest runs allowed in a season (6), fewest earned runs allowed in a season (4) and lowest earned run average (0.73) while also tying the marks for fewest hits allowed in a season (32), fewest triples allowed in a season (0) and fewest home runs allowed in a season (0).
Joining him in the record books was Aguilar who set a new SAC record for most sacrifice flies in a season with 7.
