Butte Valley >> The Butte College baseball team closed its regular season with 12 victories in 14 games on the way to a playoff berth.
The Roadrunners had another double-digit finish in seeing 10 of their sophomores move on to four-year programs, the third time coach Anthony Ferro has had that many in his 12 seasons.
“We’re really fortunate,” Ferro said. “We came across a lot of kids who wanted to move on to the next level.”
Ferro pointed to that desire as a “direct reflection” why Butte finished with such a flourish that ended up with another playoff appearance and a 23-13 regular-season record.
“Anytime you’ve got guys who want to move on and play, it’s always good for the program,” Ferro said. “For us, it’s all about helping the kid get to the next level where they’re going to be happy athletically and academically.”
The group of 10 includes one who won’t be moving far. Evan Sinclair, a Red Bluff High graduate who played in the outfield and infield for the Roadrunners, is headed to Chico State.
“That was his No. 1 school,” Ferro said, “and athletically and academically that’s where he wants to be so we’re really happy to help him do that.”
Here’s a look at the 10 players moving on, starting with Sinclair:
Evan Sinclair >> Versatile in the field, the sophomore was a fixture in the lineup, leading off every game for the Roadrunners in 2015. He hit .305 with three doubles, three triples, and a home run while his 20 stolen bases led the team.
Justin Beatty >> After posting a .325 batting average, the catcher received a scholarship to the University of Pikeville in Pikeville, Kentucky, an NAIA school. He saw action in 35 of Butte’s 38 games this season.
Nick Carney >> He will be attending York College, a NAIA school in York, Nebraska. A first baseman from Pleasanton, Carney battled injury in his sophomore campaign after earning All-Golden Valley Conference honors as a freshman.
Sean-David Clark >> The Foothill High graduate will be heading to Southern California to continue his playing career. A capable catcher at Foothill, Clark saw most of his playing time at designated hitter this year and posted a .247 average with 10 doubles and two home runs. Clark will be attending Hope International University, a NAIA school in Fullerton.
Brandon Facha >> Providing an impact on the mound, Facha is headed to Biola University, an NAIA school in Southern California. As a sophomore, Facha was 4-2 with three saves with a 4.17 ERA while striking out 34 batters and walking 14 in 58.1 innings.
Bryce Gieseke >> He was one of five Roadrunners who played in all 38 games in 2015. The sophomore batted .315 with five doubles and was third on the team in at-bats. Gieseke also had 16 stolen bases and drove in 26 runs. He accepted a scholarship from the University of Antelope Valley, an NAIA school in Southern California.
Latrell Harris >> The speedster was seen as one of the best defensive outfielders in the GVC. Harris had twice as many putouts as games played this year and did it without committing an error. An All-GVC pick as a freshman, Harris is headed to Odessa, Texas, to play for the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, a D-II program.
Anthony Roberts >> He was another Roadrunner who received a lot of hardware in 2015. Roberts was a unanimous All-GVC player and joins teammate Ryan Rodriguez as a Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association All-American, marking the first time the Roadrunners have had two All-Americans in the same season. He finished the year leading the team in batting average at .417 and doubles with 14 as well as leading the state in hit by pitches, getting hit 20 times. Roberts is off to Cal State Monterey Bay next year, another D-II team in Chico State’s California Collegiate Athletic Association.
Ryan Rodriguez >> A 2015 Rawlings/ABCA All-American, Rodriguez hit .416 to finish among the top five in the state and added two home runs, two triples and nine doubles and totaled 43 RBIs. He was a unanimous selection to All-GVC, GVC All-Defensive Team as well as the Academic All-American Team. He chose to attend Dixie State University, a Division II program in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
Keifer Sivret >> The left-handed pitcher out of Livermore received a scholarship to attend San Francisco State, another D-II school in the CCAA. Sivret posted an ERA of 3.19 in 59.1 innings this year on his way to amassing more than 100 strikeouts in his Butte career.
Looking ahead >> All these sophomores mean the Roadrunners don’t have great numbers coming back.
“For any incoming freshmen, it’s a great opportunity here because we only have got two guys coming back who were starters last year. For anybody coming in, it’s a great opportunity,” Ferro said.
Outfielder Travis Anderson was leading the state in both batting average at .471 and on-base percentage at .570 before being sidelined with an injury just short of the minimum standard for qualifying for the batting title. Shortstop Alec Barba had the game-winner in the regular-season finale by hustling his way to first base for an infield walk-off hit.
Add in Tevin Cadola and Justin McMurtrey and the foundation of a pitching staff is there.
“McMurtrey and Cadola are two pitchers we’re really excited about coming back,” Ferro said. “We’re going to be building around them.”
Connect with Sports Writer Joseph Shufelberger at 896-7774.
