ROCKLIN, Calif. - Jessup university baseball team honored its 2026 senior class during a day of reflection, celebration, and gratitude at McBean Park on Saturday.
Despite a hard-fought effort, the Warriors dropped both games of their final home doubleheader of the regular season to the PacWest-leading Point Loma Sea Lions, falling 2-1 and 6-2.
Before the first pitch, the Warriors took the field alongside their families to celebrate 15 seniors who have left an indelible mark on the Jessup baseball program. The decorated 2026 senior class includes Tony Otis, Diego Chavez, Hunter Hirayama, Cody Antone, Cole Hazel, Quinton Hall, Jordan Cezar, Joey Miller, Eric Vasser, Justin Tsukada, Noah Souza, Chris Albee, Ryan Irvine, Riley Houghtby, and Jason Riviello.
Game One: Point Loma 2, Jessup 1
Game one was an absolute pitchers' duel, with senior ace Diego Chavez taking the mound for the Warriors. Chavez delivered a phenomenal performance in his final home start, tossing seven innings and allowing just two hits while keeping a potent Sea Lions lineup off-balance.
Despite outhitting Point Loma 10-3 in the contest, the Warriors struggled to capitalize with runners in scoring position, stranding 11 on base. Point Loma struck first in the top of the fifth with an RBI single, but Jessup answered immediately in the bottom half of the frame. Senior Hunter Hirayama stepped to the plate and crushed a solo home run to left field, tying the game at 1-1 and sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
Senior Cody Antone was a spark plug for the offense, collecting two hits, while fellow seniors Tony Otis and Matt Gonsalvez also contributed to the hit column. Unfortunately for Jessup, a costly error in the seventh inning allowed Point Loma to push across an unearned run, which proved to be the difference in a heartbreaking 2-1 loss.
Game Two: Point Loma 6, Jessup 2
In the series finale, Point Loma's offense woke up early, tagging Jessup starter Loren Iwata for four runs in the first two innings. Down early, Head Coach Trevor Paine turned to his veteran bullpen to stabilize the game.
It was a parade of seniors taking the mound in their final home appearances. Joey Miller ate up crucial innings in relief, tossing 3.1 frames and allowing just one run. Noah Souza followed with a flawless, scoreless inning, while Jordan Cezar and Chris Albee combined to get the final outs of the seventh inning. Behind the plate, senior catcher Justin Tsukada guided the pitching staff through the gritty relief effort.
The Warriors' bats started to show life late in the game, engineered by the veteran core. In the bottom of the sixth, Antone ripped a triple to right-center and was immediately brought home by a sacrifice fly off the bat of Otis, cutting the deficit to 5-1. Senior Quinton Hall also had a multi-hit performance, securing two knocks and swiping a bag.
In the final frame, senior Cole Hazel delivered a pinch-hit double to spark a late rally, eventually coming around to score on an RBI single by Jayden Montero. However, the Sea Lions' early lead was too much to overcome, as Point Loma secured the 6-2 victory to complete the doubleheader sweep.
While the results on the scoreboard weren't what the Warriors hoped for, the day belonged to the seniors who have poured their hearts into the Jessup uniform. The program thanks Otis, Chavez, Hirayama, Antone, Hazel, Hall, Cezar, Miller, Vasser, Tsukada, Souza, Albee, Irvine, Houghtby, and Riviello for their dedication, leadership, and contributions to Jessup Athletics.
***
About Jessup University Athletics Jessup University is a member of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division II and the PacWest Conference. For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Instagram & X).
