Chapman Baseball Team Hits Road

The Chapman and Southern California College softball teams won their regionals last week to reach the national finals, but the Chapman baseball team doesn’t begin postseason play until today in Texas.

Although Chapman is top-seeded in the NCAA Division III West Regional, the Panthers must play in Abilene, Texas, where second-seeded McMurry is the host. Chapman opens the double-elimination tournament against Cal Lutheran. McMurry plays Southwestern of Georgetown, Texas.

Although Chapman Coach Rex Peters said he was mildly surprised that the Panthers earned the region’s top seeding, he wasn’t too surprised that his team was sent packing. He said Chapman’s home field, Hart Park in Orange, doesn’t have facilities suitable to host a regional.

“It’s difficult because the only facilities locally that are suitable for hosting a regional are being used,” Peters said. Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State’s Blair Field are sites for the Big West tournament, and Saddleback College is hosting its state regional tournament.

Chapman (29-11) is favored to return to the NCAA finals, and with good reason: The Panthers averaged eight runs and hit .328. Aaron Rifkin (.421 batting average, 10 home runs, 51 runs batted in), Robert O’Brien (.368, nine homers, 51 RBIs) and Luis Garcia (.385, eight homers, 30 RBIs) lead the lineup that made it a little easier for an untested pitching staff.

But Peters credits the rapid growth of that staff for the Panthers’ success.

Junior Jeff Blitstein (12-3, 2.29 earned-run average) developed into a consistent pitcher. Clint Blevins (5-0, 2.94), Rich Torres (4-3, 4.56) and Jim Brewer (3-3, 5.55) give the Panthers some depth.

Chapman won nine of its last 10 games heading into the regional.

“I think we’ll play well,” Peters said. “Whether that’s good enough, you never know. You have to be good and you also have to have some luck to win one of these things.

“All I can ask of the guys is that they leave everything on the field. I think we’ll do that.”