A quick glance at the scoreboard Friday was enough to merit a double-take. Surely this wasn’t a baseball game. It looked more like a lopsided basketball shootout.

University of Redlands looked like they left their pitchers at home and substituted them with a tee, as they were blown off 28-9 by the Panthers in game one of the series Friday.

The sixth-ranked Chapman University baseball team concluded the 2010 regular season with a series win, taking two of three games against the Bulldogs, and splitting a doubleheader Saturday afternoon.

The Panthers picked up another win in game two behind a complete game performance from junior pitcher Jordan Sigman.

But the Panthers failed to sweep the series and dropped the finale 8-1.

“It was good to get two big wins and it was nice to get the offense going,” junior Adam Kordich said. “Our pitching was there, too. It’s a really good way to go into the postseason.”

Following a complete game from Chapman pitching, Redlands responded with one of its own as sophomore Derek Johnson held the Panthers to just one run on seven hits while striking out six.

After scoring 40 runs against the Bulldogs in the previous two games, the Panthers’ offense was shut down by Johnson in the series finale.

“We just didn’t do a very good job of squaring up balls. Their pitcher did a great job,” Sigman said. “There’s not much to say except he threw a great game.”

Johnson’s counterpart was Chapman freshman Travis McGee, who was saddled with the loss.
McGee struggled with command as he allowed four earned runs on five hits and walked five in four innings.

Base-running blunders also hurt the Panthers, who were picked off or caught stealing four times in the final game.

Second baseman Tyler Hadzinsky put up the only run in the loss with an RBI single in the third inning.

Hadzinsky led the offense for the day, as he finished five for nine with two runs and two RBIs. The redshirt sophomore is now nine for his last 13.

The three-game set concluded the Panthers’ regular season, and the team can now look ahead to the postseason and try to return to Appleton, Wis., for the sixth consecutive year and ninth time in 11 years.

“We’re a solid team, but we still have room for improvement,” Sigman said. “Hopefully, we can improve on some things in this week of practice before Regionals and eventually win the World Series.”

With just a week before regional play in McMinnville, Ore., the Panthers are almost a lock as the No.1 seed in the West, but will have to wait until Sunday to find out, said Brian Foley, editor of TheCollegeBaseballBlog.com.

“Chapman is one of the Division III powerhouses. Every year they dominate the West, and this year is no different,” he said. “Guys like [Ryan] Prechtl, [Matt] Luzar and Hadzinsky have really solidified that offense, and freshman [Brian] Rauh has been an extremely powerful addition to that team. If we don’t see them in Appleton again this year, I’ll be shocked.”


Contact this reporter: casey.hull@thepantheronline.com