‘Heart & Soul’ Rivero Comes Up Clutch for Warriors Once Again

By Brandon Petersen

Eddie Rivero is a baseball player who exemplifies what's best about the 5Cs culture of Westcliff Athletics. 

Rivero is a humble, selfless, vocal leader who plays through significant physical pain with the highest amount of effort that could be asked of a college student-athlete.

Rivero's leadership was on full display Saturday at Long Beach City College, where he not only secured the two-game sweep ( 13-3, 2-0) of Cal Tech with a clutch, pinch-hit single in the bottom of the eighth, but also did every other added task leaders must accept with his trademark smile and energy. 

Dylan Hoffman secured the first and second wins of his brand-new head coaching career.

His postgame interview started with a question about how that felt, and ended with his thoughts about Eddie Rivero.  

"Rivero is one-of-a-kind," Hoffman said. "He is the heart and soul of this team. 

"I've known this since I first saw him in summer ball way back in 2016. He is a really special talent, and a really special person to have on this team. 

"On and off the field, he is a leader for us. He's ready. When and where he is called upon, he will get the job done, just like he did for us today."

Rivero (2-for-3, 3R, BB) plus the middle of the lineup just trounced the Beavers in Game 1. 

Caleb Castanchoa (3-for-5, 3 RBI, 2R) from the three-hole, then Ian Avalos (2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2R), Kolby Wagatsuma (2-for-4, 2 RBI), Micah Wallette (2-for-4, RBI, R), Jakob Taylor (2-for-3, 2 R, RBI) and Oscar Juarez (3-for-4, RBI, R) all had multiple-hit games.

After plating a pair in the first, the Warriors (2-2) scored eight in the second, the big knock coming courtesy of Castanchoa, who drove in two on a double to left. 

Avalos recorded a highlight play at the plate when he was caught in a run-down, but knocked the ball from the catcher's mitt on his dive for home. 

It was an instructive play for Hoffman to point to when preaching his philosophy of creating chaos on the base paths. 

The Warriors did just that. 

Rivero had a pair of steals in Game 1. Avalos swiped second. As did Brady Villegas. 

In Game 2 Miguel España (2-for-4, R), Wallette (2-for-3) and Quinton Knight all recorded stolen bases. 

Speaking of Game 2, it was a pitcher's dual. A lone run was scored in the first when España took home on a passed ball, and that mark stood until the eighth, when Daniel Esqueda led off with a double, and Rivero hit him home with two outs two batters later. 

"It's a great feeling," Hoffman said. "It's the first of many in our mindset, in our philosophy, and how we're going to play. A lot of chaos. A lot of pressure on the bases and on the offensive end. Pitching is going to come around too, we're showing sparks of it already.

"It's going to take all of us though. It's going to take all 54 of us."

It was important for the Warriors to respond Saturday after being swept by No. 11 Hope on Friday.

That was especially true for the catching staff, which surrendered a number of miscues at Amerige Park. 

Wagatsuma was special in Game 1, both behind the dish and at the plate, and Ryan Naranjo gunned down a would-be base-stealer in Game 2. 

"Yesterday was just about getting their feet underneath them," Hoffman said of his catchers. "They were playing against a World Series-caliber team. Today, they were able to come back and show what they're made of. It's promising. They did their best today. 

"Wagatsuma did a great job in Game 1, and Game 2 with Naranjo, he really bounced back."

Last, but certainly not least, the pitching was phenomenal Saturday at Long Beach City College. 

It was an uncharacteristically hot winter day, and the pitchers were snapping off crisp fastballs, while their off-speed stuff had nice movement. 

Camden Cooper got the win in Game 1, recording five innings of three-run ball, scattering nine and striking out seven. 

Austin Brown closed out the mercy-shortened contest with two complete, striking out a pair. 

In Game 2, Chance Shipley clocked the win on five full, striking out six. Shipley allowed exactly no hits.

Sergio Cazares was equally fantastic to close it out, allowing just one hit and sending one down by strikes. 

"Camden Cooper did a great job," Hoffman said. "He set the bar high. We have a lot of work to do, but for right now, that's exactly what we're asking of him.

"Game 2, Chance Shipley, through the innings, he just got stronger. Velo was up, command was strong. The end of the game with Sergio Cazares was really special. He's a big lefty out of the pen for us."

Westcliff will now prepare for a series with Bethesda starting Friday. 

To contact Brandon Petersen, e-mail brandonpetersen@westcliff.edu.