Baseball: Key players return for San Rafael Pacifics’ title defense
Austin Fitzpatrick returned to his field of dreams with the San Rafael Pacifics for Thursday’s home debut at Albert Park.
In 2023, his first season as manager, Fitzpatrick constructed a championship Pacifics team. This season, he’s building a team to defend that title.
“For this year’s team, we want to build a clubhouse with high-class players and personalities,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think we have a good group of players who can compete for a championship.”
Veteran Pacifics ace Alex Valasek got the start for the 2024 season opener Wednesday as San Rafael began its quest for a second Pecos League pennant with a 9-4 victory over the host Martinez Sturgeon. The Pacifics returned to Albert Park on Thursday to host Marysville then host Dublin on Friday and Vallejo on Saturday.
Blake Diggle was 3 for 4 with two home runs and three RBIs against Martinez on Wednesday, while Beau Dorman clobbered a three-run homer and rookie Mark Hernandez was 2 for 5 with a home run. Valasek, pitcher of the year in the Pacific Division of the Pecos League in 2023, went 4.2 innings, giving up five hits and three runs. Rookie Xavier Stewart earned the win in relief.
After three seasons in the Pecos League Pacific Conference, San Rafael won its first Pecos League crown last year. Eric Parnow pitched a complete-game shutout in a 2-0 victory over the visiting Tucson Saguaros in the third game of the best-of-three championship series.
The San Rafael Pacifics have won six championships in three different leagues since the club was founded in 2012. The Pacifics won the 2012 North American League title, then went on to win four pennants in the Pacific Association of Professional Baseball Clubs.
“We have a good core of returning pitchers, and that’s going to be big for us,” Pacifics manager Austin Fitzpatrick said.
Valasek helped College of Marin’s baseball team reach the Super Regionals earlier this month as the Mariners pitching coach. Now he helps anchor a Pacifics rotation that includes returning veterans Josh Idell of Novato, Parnow, Chris Johnson, Jayson Summers and Kohto Hasegawa.
The Pacifics added three rookie hurlers from the junior college ranks, including Vallejo native Karon Casey, who last pitched for Solano College. He joins Mission College’s Jason Hartwick and Stewart out of Compton College.
Dorman will be back behind the plate for a fourth season with San Rafael, with rookie Jakob Bouhuys out of San Francisco State backing him up.
Braxton King, who played for the Vallejo Seaweed last season, adds some power and speed to a lineup that includes returning players Jake Dent, Diggle, Dan Crossan and John Bicos, along with rookies Christopher Blyskal and Hernandez — both from Sonoma State — Telly Hill of University of the Pacific, and Washington’s Akiyoshi Buckson, who played at Vanguard University in Southern California.
“We want guys who can play the right way, who can play Pacifics baseball,” Fitzpatrick said. “We play clean, smart, hard-nosed baseball, with smart, situational hitting and good pitching. … Each season is different. I’m excited to see how the group meshes.”
Meanwhile, former Pacifics outfielder Kevin Johnson is playing in the Pioneer League with the Idaho Falls Truckers. Former Pacifics star Jonathan Weight is now in the Atlantic League with the Long Island Ducks.
“A majority of our players put up good stats, good enough to open the door for a promotion,” Fitzpatrick said.
The San Rafael Pacifics announced on Tuesday that Soren O’Connell has been promoted to general manager for the 2024 season. O’Connell has worked with the team since 2019, serving as broadcasting director and ticketing manager.