Playoff Race Tightens Entering Final Week

With one week left in the regular season, Benedictine Mesa and Westcliff have secured two of the five postseason berths in the California Pacific Conference Baseball Championship.  BENU (18-2), which moved up to No. 15 in the most recent NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll, and WU (14-4) have clinched spots in the three-day tournament, which begins May 3 and runs through May 5 at HoHoKam Stadium in Mesa, Ariz., but the tournament seeding and final three spots in the postseason are yet to be determined.  Antelope Valley (12-9), Embry-Riddle (11-9), Simpson (11-10), Park-Gilbert (9-12), and Saint Katherine (5-10) are looking to fill those spots.  For ticket information about the tournament, click here.

Because of the erratic weather that created scheduling conflicts throughout the spring, not every team was able to complete the 24-game schedule, so the conference will employ the selection method used during the pandemic to deal with the impact of unequal games.  A Selection Team made up of conference administrators will review the involved teams and make a recommendation to the Executive Council of the Athletic Directors.  The conference will announce the seeds and pairings following the conclusion of all league games on Sunday, April 30.

• Simpson's push to the playoffs was highlighted by a nine-game win streak to close out the regular season.  The Red Hawks swept La Sierra, Saint Katherine, and Providence Christina to keep them in the thick of the race for the final three postseason berths.  In the series finale with the Sea Beggars, Logan Gomes drilled a 3-run homer to set the program record for home runs in a season with 11.  Earlier this year Gomes broke the career home run record, now sitting at 24.

RECENT RESULTS

Tuesday, April 18

No. 6 Hope International 13, Saint Katherine 2 | Box Score

USK: 12-19

Antelope Valley 16, Bethesda 1 | Box Score

UAV: 20-13

Embry-Riddle 14, Ottawa (Ariz.) 0 | Box Score

ERAU: 16-20

No. 15 Benedictine Mesa 5, (RV) Arizona Christian 4 | Box Score

No. 15 Benedictine Mesa 9, (RV) Arizona Christian 3 | Box Score

BENU: 25-8

Thursday, April 20

LA SIERRA 12, WESTCLIFF 7 | Box Score

LSU: 6-12, 12-21

WU: 12-4, 20-13

Friday, April 21

SIMPSON 12, PROVIDENCE CHRISTIAN 5 | Box Score

SU: 9-10, 16-20

PCC: 0-16, 5-26

SAINT KATHERINE 8, EMBRY-RIDDLE 1 | Box Score

USK: 7-10, 13-19

ERAU: 10-8, 16-21

PARK-GILBERT 8, No. 15 BENEDICTINE MESA 7 | Box Score

PARK: 9-10, 12-24

BENU: 16-2, 35-9

WESTCLIFF 11, LA SIERRA 6 | Box Score

WESTCLIFF 25, LA SIERRA 5 | Box Score

WU: 14-4, 22-13

LSU: 6-14, 12-23

Antelope Valley 15, San Diego Christian 5 | Box Score

San Diego Christian 4, Antelope Valley 2 | Box Score

UAV: 21-14

Saturday, April 22

No. 15 BENEDICTINE MESA 7, PARK-GILBERT 2 | Box Score

No. 15 BENEDICTINE MESA 6, PARK-GILBERT 1 | Box Score

BENU: 18-2, 37-9

PARK: 9-12, 12-26

SIMPSON 5, PROVIDENCE CHRISTIAN 2 | Box Score

SIMPSON 12, PROVIDENCE CHRISTIAN 7 |Box Score

SU: 11-10, 18-20

PCC: 0-18, 5-28

EMBRY-RIDDLE 7, SAINT KATHERINE 3 | Box Score

SAINT KATHERINE 12, EMBRY-RIDDLE 0 | Box Score

ERAU: 11-9, 17-22

USK: 8-11, 14-20

Antelope Valley 11, San Diego Christian 1 | Box Score

Antelope Valley 8, San Diego Christian 4 | Box Score

UAV: 23-14

UPCOMING GAMES

Tuesday, April 25

Bethesda at Antelope Valley

Wednesday, April 26

No. 15 BENEDICTINE MESA at LA SIERRA

Saint Katherine at No. 13 Vanguard

Thursday, April 27

No. 15 BENEDICTINE MESA at WESTCLIFF

ANTELOPE VALLEY at PROVIDENCE CHRISTIAN

EMBRY-RIDDLE at LA SIERRA (DH)

Friday, April 28

No. 15 BENEDICTINE MESA at WESTCLIFF

EMBRY-RIDDLE at LA SIERRA

PARK-GILBERT at SAINT KATHERINE (DH)

ANTELOPE VALLEY at PROVIDENCE CHRISTIAN (DH)

Saturday, April 29

No. 15 BENEDICTINE MESA at WESTCLIFF

PARK-GILBERT at SAINT KATHERINE

Oregon Tech at Simpson (DH)

END OF REGULAR SEASON