Pirates capture honors

Orange Coast College sophomore Luke Beck and Pirates Coach John

Altobelli have been named Orange Empire Conference Co-Player of the

Year and Co-Coach of the Year, respectively, after helping lead the

school’s baseball team to a share of its first conference title since

1987.

Conference coaches selected seven Pirates to the first and second

teams, the most for the squad since six players were chosen in 2002,

the last time Coast reached the Southern California regional

playoffs.

Beck, an outfielder and the team’s closer, led the Pirates (24-14,

15-6 in the OEC) with a .407 batting average in conference play. In

21 conference games, he had 10 doubles, two triples and three home

runs and 22 RBIs, while scoring 23 runs.

He also posted six of his seven saves in OEC play (17 1/3

innings) and didn’t allow an earned run all season (21 1/3 innings).

Altobelli shared the top honor for the third time after earning a

share of his first OEC crown in his 13th season at the helm. The

Pirates went 18-7 to close the regular season, tying Santa Ana for

the conference title.

Shortstop Matt Cline and designated hitter Stephen Schneider

joined Beck on the first team while catcher Josh Banda, reliever

Daniel Cooper, first baseman Robbie Blauer and outfielder Stephen

Cope each garnered second-team recognition.

Coast, the No. 4 seed, opens the playoffs against No. 13-seeded

San Bernardino Valley at 1 p.m. Saturday in the first game of a

best-of-three series.

Game 2 is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday with the third game (if

necessary) to begin 30 minutes after the second game.

Beck shared Co-Player of the Year honors with Santa Ana’s Jacob

Vasquez while Dons’ Coach Don Sneddon was also named Co-Coach of the

Year.