Six Panthers recognized as All-SCIAC
ORANGE, Calif. – Six members of the Chapman University baseball team earned All-SCIAC honors this afternoon after their stellar performances this season. Senior Gavin Blodgett along with juniors Matt Mogollon and Tristan Kevitch headlined the awards with First Team selections. Senior Conner Larkin and juniors Tyler Peck and Jarod Penniman earned Second Team honors.
This is Blodgett's third consecutive All-SCIAC honor after being selected to the First Team in 2016 and the Second Team in 2017. The veteran played in every game this season, tallying 31 hits, 19 RBIs, five doubles, three home runs and 20 runs scored against SCIAC opponents. He also led the Panthers and ranked second in the conference with a career-high 40 RBIs overall. The Fullerton native posted a .362 batting average and a team-high on-base percentage of .465.
Mogollon earned his first career postseason recognition after leading the Panthers on the mound. The right-handed pitcher led the squad and ranked second in the conference with a career-low 1.54 ERA. He also tied for best in the conference with eight wins after posting a career-best record of 8-2. In his 12 appearances this year, the South Torrance native led the SCIAC with 86 strikeouts and four complete games, three of which were shutouts against conference opponents. Mogollon pitched three 10-plus strikeout games, including an 11-strikeout complete-game shutout against Occidental in the Panthers' final regular season series.
This is Kevitch's first All-SCIAC selection after a breakout junior season. The outfielder led the Panthers this season with 58 hits, 41 runs scored and 12 doubles. He also posted a team-high 37 hits, 21 runs scored, 22 RBIs and nine doubles against SCIAC opponents. The Ardmore, Pa. native led Chapman and ranked third in the conference with a career-best .389 batting average while also ranking fifth in the conference with 38 RBIs this season. The junior ranked third with seven home runs this year, four of which came against SCIAC opponents.
Larkin is no stranger to All-SCIAC selections as this is his third consecutive year earning Second Team honors. In his final season as a Panther, the outfielder led the team in triples, all of which came against SCIAC opponents. In 137 at-bats the San Diego native tallied 39 hits, 31 RBIs, 29 runs scored, 10 doubles and a career-best four home runs. He led the Panthers and ranked eighth in the conference with 10 stolen bases and was never caught stealing. As the starting center fielder for Chapman, Larkin posted a career-best .986 fielding percentage after committing just one error with three assists this year.
Peck's first All-SCIAC award comes after a junior season in which he boasted career numbers with a 6-2 record in 11 appearances. The right-handed pitcher ranked third in the SCIAC behind Mogollon with a career-low 2.60 ERA. He also ranked second in the conference and on the squad with a career-best 82 strikeouts, 53 of which came against SCIAC opponents. The Corte Madera native pitched four 10-plus strikeout games this year, including a 12-strikeout game in which he pitched six innings. He also combined with junior Mason Collins for a no-hitter against Whittier in which he struck out 10 batters in 7.1 innings pitched. Peck currently ranks seventh in the country allowing less than five hits per nine innings.
Penniman was a constant force in the lineup for the Panthers, posting a career-high .371 batting average that ranked him seventh in the SCIAC. He boasted a team-high .408 average with 31 hits and 16 RBIs against SCIAC opponents. The junior hit his first career triple this season while also recording 39 hits, 26 RBIs, seven doubles and 14 runs scored. The shortstop helped Chapman rank first in the nation Division III in double plays, posting a .937 fielding percentage with 98 assists and 36 put-outs.
by Katie Bell
Sports Information Assistant
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