
Submitted photo – Nick Parker is starting at third base for Ohlone College.
By Ray Hamill — The California community college baseball playoffs got under way on Friday with a number of former H-DN players in action.
Arcata’s Nick Parker has quickly adapted to the college game this spring and is starting at third base for the Ohlone College Renegades.
The 2022 Arcata graduate is batting .311 with five doubles, including a .386 average in conference.
The No. 15 seeded Renegades (29-11-1) got the postseason off to a winning start with an 8-4 win at No. 10 Los Medanos on Friday.
Ohlone tied Mission for the best record in the Coast South Conference at 14-4.
McKinleyville’s Cameron Saso, meanwhile, is back in the playoffs this year with the Folsom Lake Falcons after he helped them reach the state championship tournament a year ago.
And he’s joined on the team this year by 2022 St. Bernard’s graduate Aidan Dorsch, who was a part of the Crusaders NorCal state championship team last year.
The Falcons are seeded No. 3 and opened with a 15-4 win over No. 22 College of Marin.
Saso pitched 6.1 innings in the playoff opener, allowing one earned run on four hits and no walks and striking out 12.
The two-way player has also appeared in 27 games at shortstop for the 31-9 Falcons and is batting .236 with 10 RBIs.
He has made 14 appearances on the mound and is 4-0 with a save, while striking out 55 in 44.1 innings and posting an ERA of 3.65.
Dorsch has made 13 appearances, mostly out of the bullpen, and has pitched 15.1 innings as he adjusts to the collegiate level.
Former Eureka Logger Keenan Morris also is in action with the No. 1 seeded Santa Rosa Bear Cubs, who opened with a 6-1 over No. 24 Lassen on Friday.
Morris, who plays third base, finished 1-for-2 with a pair of walks.
He has appeared in 26 games for the 29-10 Bear Cubs, who tied San Joaquin Delta for the best record in the Big 8 Conference, and he is batting .290.
Another former Logger, Hayden Bode, is also in the playoffs with Butte College, along with Ferndale’s Landon Gomes.

Submitted photo – Cameron Saso
The No. 7 Roadrunners dropped their opening game to No. 18 Consumnes River, losing 3-2.
Gomes has appeared in 37 games for the Golden Valley Conference champs, who are now 33-7.
For the season, the left fielder is batting a very impressive .364 with 11 doubles and 28 RBIs, and he has 12 stolen bases.
Bode has appeared in 12 games out of the bullpen and is 1-1 with 19 strikeouts in 20.1 innings.
Categories: Arcata, baseball, Eureka, Ferndale, McKinleyville, St. Bernard's