OCC baseball players choose new programs

A handful of former Orange Coast College baseball players have lined up futures at four-year programs, Pirates Coach John Altobelli announced.

Brandon Dixon, an All-Southern California performer for the Pirates as a sophomore last season after going 10-5 with a 3.23 earned-run average, will play next season at Point Loma Nazarene. Dixon, who transferred to OCC from Cypress College helped Altobelli’s squad finish 32-15-1 and reach the Southern California Super Regionals.

Dixon, a left-hander who was 4-3 with a 2.16 ERA through Sunday in 41 2/3 innings with the Peninsula Oilers in the Alaska summer league, was a first-team all-conference honoree last season at OCC.

Wes Kartch, a second baseman for the Pirates, is also bound for Point Loma, a Golden State Athletic Conference rival of Vanguard University. Kartch hit .313 with one home run and 30 runs batted in as a sophomore.

Chris Fung, a sophomore outfielder for the Pirates last spring, is bound for UC San Diego. Fung led the Pirates with a .355 batting average with one home run and 19 RBIs in 2008.

Mike Ferraro, who started 44 games as a freshman but made just 27 starts as a sophomore outfielder and designated hitter, is headed for the University of San Diego. He hit .273 with no homers and 14 RBIs as a sophomore. He hit .339 with two homers and 30 RBIs as a freshman in 2007.

Serrin Jarvi, a second-team all-conference relief pitcher as a freshman in 2007, will continue his diamond career at Concordia University in Irvine. Jarvi was 1-2 with a 5.46 ERA for the Pirates last season.

The aforementioned former Pirates join a trio of former Orange Coast standouts who had earlier committed to their future collegiate homes.

Cory Olson, a sophomore outfielder who recently was selected to play in the Cape Cod League All-Star Game, is ticketed for UC Irvine.

Matt Hauser, a sophomore pitcher out of Corona del Mar High, will continue at San Diego, while Gabe Cota, a backup catcher the last two seasons, will walk on at UC Santa Barbara.

— From staff reports