Baseball's Guardado, Trabbie Commit To NCAA D-1 Universities

Six Pasadena City College baseball players have signed scholarships to attend 4-year universities, including NCAA Division I transfers in South Coast Conference MVP Jakob Guardado and All-SCC First Team first baseman Jake Trabbie.

Guardado has committed to University of Pacific, a member of the Western Coast Conference, while Trabbie is headed to the University of Central Arkansas, a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference. 

Guardado, the PCC Men's 2022-23 Athlete of the Year for all sports, was one of the state's top 2-way players. The sophomore right-handed starting pitcher and left-handed hitting rightfielder batted .305 with three home runs, 10 doubles, and 34 RBI while compiling a 6-6 record on the mound in a team-high 83 innings. He struck out 65 batters with a 3.80 ERA and pitched three complete games.

After earning top honors from the SCC, Guardado was later named All-State First Team at utility and then ABCA/Rawlings Pacific Association Division All-American Third Team. 

Trabbie was the PCC President's Award winner and was a model 4.0 GPA student in both of his seasons at PCC. The slick-fielding conference Gold Glove selection batted .343, hit a team-high four triples, led the SCC with a school-record 20 doubles while topping the conference in RBI with 46 and hits with 59. His 41 runs scored was second in the SCC to teammate Aryonis Harrison (52). In 687 career fielding chances over two seasons, Trabbie performed at a .993 fielding percentage. 

All-SCC First Team third basman Toshiki Kuriya and 2-time, all-conference choice and starting pitcher Coleman Mitchell are each on scholarship to attend NAIA Cumberland University (Tennessee). Kuriya led PCC in batting with a .347 average, tied for team high in home runs with six to go with 38 RBI. His .468 on-base percentage also led PCC hitters. Mitchell led the SCC in wins with eight (8-4 record) with a 3.10 ERA in 81.1 innings pitched. 

All-SCC honorable mention catcher Matthew Delgado (.271, 19 RBI this past season) has committed to D2 Rogers State (Oklahoma) while fellow catcher Matt Rice, who batted .347 as a freshman in 2022, is headed to D3 University of La Verne. 

PCC head coach Pat McGee said the Lancers transfer machine is still moving forward as several other sophomores are making decisions on their 4-year university destinations. This group includes Harrison, the team's Gold Glove, All-SCC First Team leftfielder who played in three different seasons 2020, 2022-23, All-SCC Second Team centerfielder Tommy Castillo, starting pitcher Kyle Noell, All-SCC First Team closer Rider Gardner, who led the conference in saves with nine, and outfielder Damien Ureta.

Other than Castillo, a transfer from Cal State Long Beach who played just this past season for PCC, the rest of the Lancers sophomore group played their freshman and sophomore seasons as Lancers.

"This group of outstanding young men have lived up to the standards that define our program," McGee said proudly. "Like last year, we sent two to the D-1 level. The sophomores were responsible for 53 wins over the last two years and kept our streak going to the playoffs to now five straight seasons. To get to see them continue their playing careers at the next level is especially gratifying."