Garcia siblings win semi-pro baseball crown

Former CNMI National Baseball Team member Jester Garcia and brother, Jesse, brought their winning ways to the Pacific Coast Baseball League, helping the SCV Raiders to a victory in the 2011 Spring Wood Bat Championships late last month.

The Raiders shut out the Reds in the finals, 10-0, avenging their lone loss of the season. The eventual champions dropped their opening game of the season and swept their last nine to advance to the winner-take-all finals.

“We played the team that gave us our only lost of the season. We knew coming into game that they are one of the best teams in the league. The championship was only one game. You lose, you go home there’s no tomorrow so everyone has to bring their A game, and thankfully we did. Our pitching, defense, and clutch hitting were the keys in the win. Everyone contributed in some way,” Jester Garcia said.

Jester went 1-for-2 at bat in the Raiders’ victory and had a double, one run, and one hit-by-pitch.

Brother Jesse hit 2-for-4 and made one single, one double, an RBI, and one run. Other top performers for the Raiders were J.C. Collins (2-for-4, two singles, one RBI, and two runs); Roger Acuna (1-for-3, one single, one sacrifice fly, and two RBIs); Adam Geery (2-for-4, two singles, and two runs); and Brandon Loomis (2-for-4, two singles, and one RBI).

Winning pitcher and eventual Finals MVP Icezak Fleming allowed no runs and only three hits. He had nine strikeouts and six base on balls.

The wood bat championship was played at the El Cariso Park in San Fernando Valley, California. The wood bat competition is one of the three events in the PCBL calendar every year. PCBL is an adult, amateur, semi-pro baseball league based in San Fernando Valley.

The league is now on its summer season and the Garcia siblings are hoping for back-to-back titles.

“We also play on Sundays with the Canejo Angels in the LA Summer PCBL. That league has 14 teams and 21 games per season. So far we’re on the top of our division and hopefully we get to the championship game,” said Jester, who played for the CNMI in the 2006 and 2010 Micronesian Games.

“We are considering coming back to represent CNMI if given the opportunity,” Jester said. “A couple of teams also have invited us to play with them for the MSBL-MABL World Series tournament in October in Arizona. This tournament is one of the biggest in the nation.”