2007 Poets Baseball Recap
The 2007 Whittier College baseball team finished the season
17-23, and 11-10 in SCIAC play. The 11-10 conference record
left the Poets in 5th place. The Poets season was
marred by numerous injuries, most notably, the loss of Jr.
centerfielder Charles Acker, who tore his ACL six games into the
season.
The Poets started the season with a strenuous non-conference
schedule, facing nationally ranked top ten opponents Chapman
University and the University of North Carolina-Greensboro before
traveling to Anthem, Ariz., for an annual tournament.
Whittier went 2-2 in Arizona, picking up wins against Whitman and
Pacific Lutheran Universities. The Poets returned to Southern
California to start their SCIAC schedule by going 3-3 in a pair of
series against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and the University of La
Verne. Whittier picked up three non-conference wins as they
hosted the mid-season California Classic and California
Invitational. The Poets ended the season with a thrilling
3-2, 11-inning victory over rival La Verne, ending the Leo's
post-season hopes.
Whittier will return 30 lettermen next season, and that will
certainly lend optimism as the returning players start to prepare
for the 2008 campaign. For the graduating seniors, the
victory over La Verne was a fitting way to end their collegiate
careers.
Top performers for the Poets in 2007 were Sr., Matt Morgado
(.395-4-25, 12 2B's, 1 3B, 6 SB's), Jr., Ryan Martin (.367-4-21, 15
2B's, 1 3B, 10 SB's), So., Robbie Smith (.346-2-24, 9 2B's, 1 3B),
So., Robert Pachuca (.346-1-9, 2 2B's, 1 3B,), So., Bobby
Wooldridge (.309-0-8, 3 2B's, 4 SB's), and Sr. Ty Crawford
(.271-5-20, 6 2B's). On the mound, the Poets were led by So.,
Thomas Phelps (6-4, 3.12, 51 K's), Jr., Scot Kakuk (1-3-1, 2.10, 16
K's), Fr. Kevin Chapman (2-2-4, 1.93, 20 K's) and Sr., Matt Schwarz
(0-3, 3.66, 30 K's). Martin and Phelps each earned first team
All-SCIAC honors while Morgado was named to the all-conference
second team and the All-West Region third team.
