GLADS POWER TO THREE-PEAT!

By Phil Jensen
Special to Chabot Athletics
The Chabot College baseball team clinched a tri-Coast Conference-North title with a powerful 12-8 victory over visiting Skyline on Thursday.
The Glads have won or shared three consecutive Coast-North championships.
"They were aggressive early," said Chabot interim head coach Bryce Mendonca, whose team scored nine runs in the first three innings. "Offensively we were willing to take the outside fastball and drive it that way, which kind of set the tone for the whole day."
Entering the final day of the regular season on Thursday, Skyline had a one-game lead on both Chabot and the College of San Mateo. But Chabot and CSM won their regular-season finales on Thursday, and all three teams finished 15-5 in the CC-North.
Chabot, which has a 27-12 overall record, now looks toward the NorCal Regional playoffs, which will start next week. Seeding will be decided on Sunday, and Chabot has a good chance to host the first series.
On Thursday, Chabot led 9-0 after three innings to take control.
"If we play like that, we're going to do some damage in the playoffs," Mendonca said. "We have a lineup that has some very powerful guys in it."
One of those powerful guys is freshman Terrel Romain, a San Leandro High School graduate. The right fielder slammed home runs in the second and third innings and finished 3 for 5 with four RBI.
"From the get-go, I just had my sights on an outside pitch and I got it," said Romain. Chabot has scored 10 runs or more in 18 games this season. "We all think the same in the box. We're all situational hitters and we're just eager in the box. We always feel like we can produce for the team any way," Romain added.
Chabot, which has a rich baseball tradition, won the 2023 conference baseball title outright and shared the title with Skyline last year.
On Thursday, Chabot jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first on an RBI single by Tyson Brown and two-run double down the right-field line by Jonathan Sheppard, who finished 2 for 4 at the plate. The Gladiators tacked on another run in the second on a solo home run by Romain.
Chabot really took charge in the third inning, sending eight to the plate and scoring five runs, including Romain's three-run blast over the left field fence. Brown was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to drive in the first run of that inning. Chabot starter Eli Gennis threw three innings of shutout ball to open the game, and the only hit he allowed occurred in the first inning.
In the fifth, freshman outfielder Cole Jones hit an RBI sacrifice fly. Nico DeFazio produced an RBI double in the seventh, and Juan Pablo Manzo smashed a solo home to left in the eighth. Chabot led 12-3 at the end of eight innings. Manzo also walked three times and scored three runs.
Chabot had a number of players who ranked high in the Coast-North batting statistics this season. TJ Costello finished second in batting average (.388) while Daniel Behrmann was third (.385). Costello and Romain were fourth and fifth in RBI with 38 and 37 respectively. Romain was third in home runs (11) and Pablo Manzo was fourth (10). Behrmann also finished third in stolen bases (22).
Note: Chabot head athletic trainer Dan Miller, who is retiring, was recognized for his 34 years of service to the Gladiators before the game.

Athletic Trainer Dan Miller