Baseball: Pirates move on

First-team All-Orange Empire Conference honorees Zach Nehrir and Danny Jiminez are among eight Orange Coast College baseball players who have secured futures at four-year schools.

Nehrir, who batted .318 with 21 runs batted in as a sophomore outfielder in 2013, is bound for Houston Baptist, while Jiminez, who hit .307 with 24 RBIs, will continue his career at St. Catherine College, an NAIA school in Kentucky.

Kyle Dowdy, a bounce-back pitcher from the University of Hawaii, will join fellow Hawaii transfer David Longville at the University of Houston, while third baseman Manny Argomaniz is bound for Fresno State.

Austin Saenz, an outfielder and designated hitter, is bound for Houston Baptist also, while Ricky Navarro, the Pirates second baseman as a sophomore, will play for Cal State San Bernardino.

Evan Porcella, a pitcher for the Pirates, is ticketed to George Mason University.

Dowdy was 6-3 with one save and a 2.38 earned-run average as a sophomore for the Pirates. He struck out 62 in 75 2/3 innings.

Argomaniz hit .306 with 21 RBIs, while Navarro hit .304 with 14 RBIs.

Saenz, who spent the 2012 season at Cal State Fullerton, hit .281 with 21 RBIs.

Longville was went 1-1 with one save and a 5.55 ERA in 24 1/3 innings in 2013, while Porcella was 3-2 with a 3.15 ERA in 34 1/3 innings for the Pirates, who finished 23-16 and advanced to the Southern California Regional playoffs.

— From staff reports