LINCOLN, Calif. – The Warriors began their 2020 season at McBean park facing off against the Corban University Warriors for the third year in a row. Jessup baseball looks to earn a three-peat GSAC conference title and earn their way to the program's first NAIA World Series appearance. Jessup starts the year ranked 14th overall in the NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 preseason poll and first in the GSAC preseason poll.
Game 1: Jessup 6, Corban 1
The first game started strong for the Warriors. A lead-off triple by Kawaiola Takemura and a fielder's choice got Jessup on the board early. Then, Mike Shoenberger hit a three-run homer to give Jessup a 4-1 lead. Corban answered with one run in the bottom of the second. The next three innings were quiet on both sides as the pitchers battled it out. In the bottom of the fifth, Jesus Duran hit a sacrifice fly to left-center to score Shoenberger. Jessup was up, 5-1.
The pitchers shut down momentum on both sides until the bottom of the eighth when Anders Green and Shoenberger hit back-to-back doubles to secure the final score, 6-1.
Marlin Brucato started on the mound for the Warriors' and went six innings giving up six hits, one run, four walks, and five strikeouts. Brucato earned the win for the Warriors ended his outing with a 1.5 ERA. In the seventh inning, Brett Wetteland came in to close out the game. Wetteland allowed one walk and earned three strikeouts in his time on the mound.
Game 2: Jessup 9, Corban 0
Game two had a familiar start as Takemura hit a lead-off double to center field. He was immediately brought in by a single off the bat of Kevin Jordan Jr. In the next two at-bats, Green and Shoenberger hit back-to-back singles, loading the bases. Jacob Gribbin was hit by a pitch to bring in Jordan, Jr., and the Warriors were up 2-0. In the next play, Joseph Luevano reached on a fielder's choice which would give both Green and Shoenberger a chance to score, 4-0. Kreighton Tsuruda-Gaspar continued the first inning momentum with a sacrifice fly that brought in Luevano. Jessup ended the first inning with a 5-0 lead on the board.
In the second inning, the Warriors extended their lead as Shoenberger scored on an error, 6-0. The Warriors bats slowed down for a few innings until Shoenberger hit a home run in the bottom of the sixth. Then, Max Modeste came in as a pinch hitter and hit a two-run homer to give Jessup a nine-run advantage. Corban was unable to answer in the top of the seventh and the Warriors won game two, 9-0.
Ricardo Torres Jr. started game two for the Warriors and went three innings with three hits allowed, two walks, and three strikeouts. Justin Culligan took the mound for two innings allowing no hits, no runs, and allowing just two walks before Nolan Murphy came in. Murphy went three-up-three-down and earned a strikeout before Josh Hook came in to close.
Shoenberger led the team at the plate going 6-for-9 on the day with six hits, five runs, five RBIs, and two home runs.
Jessup and Corban face off at McBean again on Saturday, January 25, before the Warriors meet Lewis and Clark State College for a midweek game on January 28th at McBean Park at 1:00 PM.
