Jack Fishel Breaks All-Time Hits Record; Beavers Battle CMS

Caltech Baseball welcomed in the No. 11-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags to North Field Friday afternoon for the first game of a three-game set.

Senior outfielder Jack Fishel (Baltimore, Md. / Boys’ Latin School of Maryland) was the story in this game. For a quarter of a century, Beaver alum Greg Fricke stood alone at the top of the all-time hit charts with 150, but with just a few games left in his senior season, Fishel broke the record. His two hits on Friday makes his tally 151 in his Caltech career and counting.

“Breaking the record is incredibly special as my career comes to an end, it feels like a great culmination of years of hard work,” said Fishel. “As a senior, I’ve seen how much this program has grown over the past four years and I’m honored to be a part of the success we have had. I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to play baseball at Caltech; it’s been one of the most meaningful and rewarding parts of my college experience.”

As for the baseball game, junior pitcher Brendan Flaherty (Narragansett, R.I. / Lake Forest Academy) got the nod to open up the three-game series, and he was lights out at the start. For an offense that averages almost nine runs a game with over 11 hits, Flaherty kept them in check early. The Beavers’ starter breezed through the first three innings, just allowing two hits while striking out four.

In the top of the fourth, the Stags would strike first. First baseman Alex Henderson got the action going with a double, followed by designated hitter Andrew Mazzone, who singled to score Henderson. This gave the Stags a 1-0 which they would build upon in the away half of the fifth inning.

CMS went on to score five runs in the top of the fifth from a combination of good hitting and forcing patient walks. Heading into the bottom of the fifth, the Beavers trailed 6-0 but didn’t go down without a fight.

Left fielder Levi Alderete (Murrieta, Calif. / Murrieta Mesa) got the inning started with a single, and after back-to-back walks to second baseman Garrett Knuf (Laguna Niguel, Calif. Dana Hills) and catcher Edward Speer (Austin, Texas / Leander), the Beavers had the bases loaded with only one out. First baseman Quinn Hartman (Huntington Beach, Calif. / Marina) popped out to the shortstop, and now with two outs, Fishel came up to the plate and delivered. His 151st hit of his collegiate career was a 2-RBI double to left center field, which brought the Beavers back to within four.

Unfortunately for Fishel and the Beavers, they couldn’t manage to get more runs across the plate thanks to a dominant relief effort from Parker McGraw. McGraw pitched three no-hit innings en route to the Stags’ win. CMS added on three more runs in the top of the seventh, and that’s how the game would shake out.

Head Coach Kevin Whitehead and his Beavers will finish the remaining two games of this series tomorrow for a doubleheader. Action is set to get underway in Claremont at 11 a.m., with an anticipated start time for game two being 2 p.m.

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