Garcia set for another pitching season at Hancock after truncated 2020 campaign
By Kenny Cross
Santa Ynez Valley News
SANTA YNEZ - The COVID-19 pandemic truncated his sophomore season at Hancock College, so Trevor Garcia will get another go-round for the Bulldogs.
The right-handed Santa Maria High School graduate was mainly a pitcher for the Bulldogs in 2019.
He was also mainly a pitcher for Hancock in 2020 too when, with the Bulldogs sitting at 11-9, including 6-4 in the Western State Conference North Division, the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the rest of the season.
Hancock is a member of the California Community College Athletic Association. After the pandemic caused the cancellation of the rest of CCCAA 2020 spring sports, the organization decided to restore that season of eligibility for athletes at its member schools.
That is, as long as the athletes were in good standing with their respective teams when the rest of the 2020 campaign was scrubbed. Garcia fit that criteria and, "I will come back for another season of eligibility at Hancock," he said.
Garcia was in the starting rotation for the Bulldogs in 2019. In 2020, Garcia said, Hancock approached things differently.
"This year they tried to do what was called an opener, that is (someone who is typically a reliever) would start the game, go as long as they could go then I'd come in and try to finish it," Garcia said.
He was having a big year when the rest of the 2020 season was called off. Garcia was 5-0 with one save and a 2.95 ERA in 42.2 innings pitched.
At the plate Garcia, an infielder when he wasn't pitching, was hitting .378, with two home runs and nine RBIs.
Garcia said he would like to pitch for a four-year school after he is done at Hancock.
"I see myself mostly as a pitcher at the next level. I would like to try both," pitching and hitting.
When it comes to his pitching role at the four-year level, "At that point whatever they say, I'll do, but I'd rather be a starter," then come out of the bullpen, Garcia said.
Though he said his arm is just fine, Garcia has not been throwing much during this time of individualized workouts. Team workouts were cancelled in March as the rest of the CCCAA spring season disappeared.