Cerritos' Fernley directs rare coaching feat - 2 straight SCC baseball titles, 2 different schools
PASADENA - After winning the 2023 South Coast Conference baseball title at El Camino College, head coach Nate Fernley made the bold move to leave the Torrance campus for another conference member Cerritos College, taking over a Falcons' program that finished eighth place a year ago.
Fernley sprinkled his magic dust on the Cerritos diamond and turned the Falcons into the 2024 SCC champions, directing them to a 19-5 conference finish and the #1 seed in the upcoming Southern California Regional Playoffs. It was sixth time that Fernley coached a South Coast champion squad.
Cerritos (32-8 overall) ran off a remarkable 13-game winning streak during conference play and performed 3-game sweeps this season over LA Harbor, El Camino, Mt. San Antonio, and Compton.
It's the first SCC baseball title for Cerritos since 2018 and 27th as part of the conference beginning with a championship in 1970.
The Falcons reaped the reward of winning the title as Fernley was named SCC Coach of the Year for the second straight season while his sophomore southpaw Derek Valdez was selected SCC Pitcher of the Year. Long Beach City sophomore catcher Luke Davis was picked as the SCC Most Valuable Player. The All-SCC team was officially selected at the SCC coaches postseason meeting held Monday night at LBCC.
COMPLETE 2024 ALL-SOUTH COAST CONFERENCE BASEBALL TEAM
Long Beach and Mt. San Antonio finished tied for second place in the conference with 16-8 records while Pasadena City placed fourth at 13-11, but was the only team to beat Cerritos in a series, winning 2-of-3 April 16-20.
Five SCC teams advance to the postseason led by Cerritos, and other first round hosts in #7 Mt. SAC and #8 Long Beach. On the road will be Pasadena at #16 and fifth-place El Camino at #19. The opening round takes place May 3-4.
Valdez was one of four Cerritos pitchers on the First Team after tying for the state lead in regular season victories with 11 (just one loss). His 1.41 overall ERA was third in the state while All-SCC teammate Franky Lopez was fifth with a 1.79 mark and a sparkling 9-0 overall record. In conference play, Valdez was 6-1 with a microscopic 0.92 ERA and 0.85 WHIP in 58.2 innings pitched.
Cerritos closer Calix Armijo leads the state in saves with 10 and was an All-SCC First Team reliever while third starter Myles Johnson (5-1 in SCC games) also made the First Team.
Long Beach's Davis hit .410 in SCC play and led the conference in the 24-game season in home runs (eight), doubles (10), walks (39), on-base percentage (.605) and slugging percentage (.846). Mt. SAC leftfielder Joey Rosetti was the conference-only batting champ with a .461 average. Rosetti and Long Beach shortstop Olin Snakenborg both were All-SCC First Team for the second straight year.
Cerritos and Pasadena, paced by SCC hits leader and shortstop Jack Esguerra, each had six First Team selections.
(Robert Lewis, South Coast Conference)