A pesty Tigers offense rode a seven-run 6th inning en route to a 17-4 victory on opening day.
The Riverside City College baseball team welcomed Cuesta College to the Evans Sports Complex to kick off the 2025 campaign. The Tigers gave the starting nod to Vista Murrieta product true freshman lefty Jorge Rodriguez on the mound.
Despite some early defensive errors Rodriguez remained undeterred going 5.2 innings with five strikeouts while only allowing one walk and no earned runs.
“Everything felt good,” Rodriguez said. “I was able to command all my pitches and attack all the hitters.”
Tigers head coach Rudy Arguelles gave credit for Rodriguez’s “outstanding” performance in game one of the year.
“He wasn’t fearful of pitching to contact, he was seeking it,” Arguelles said. “He minimized his mistakes and kept the pitch count low.”
Rodriguez was unphased by the new pitch clock which has found its way to California Community College Athletic Association baseball for the 2025 season. Rodriguez relied on his internal clock to keep hitters off balance with his tempo.
“I was able to do my thing and not really worry about it,” Rodriguez said. “Once I started throwing, I got in a grove and started rolling from there.”
The Tigers’ offense utilized small ball and took advantage of Cuestas’ five errors on defense totaling 13 hits on offense with only two extra-base hits.
“Overall, offensively the at-bats were competitive,” Arguelles said. “We stayed with the plan and executed our swings with runners on third with less than two outs. If we can continue with that approach, I like what we can do offensively.”
Leading the charge on offense was sophomore first baseman Dylan Nelson who went 3-4 with a triple and an RBI. He also scored twice batting out of the eighth spot in the lineup.
“Cuesta is a heavy slider fastball team,” Nelson said. “We were looking to pick up sliders out of the (pitchers) tunnel, get in good counts, and do some damage.”
Freshman second baseman Bubba Heidler also tallied a multi-hit game along with sophomore right fielder Marc DiCarlo Jr. who led the team in RBIs on the day with three.
“We can’t take at-bats off and need to stay locked in the whole game,” Nelson said on the offense approach moving forward.
The Tigers’ pitching staff was given lofty expectations heading into the season with Arguelles saying it could be the best in school history.
“Opening day is a huge way to set the tone for not only the series but for the rest of the year,” Rodriguez said. “Statement made on the first day.”
Riverside flexed their deep bullpen with relievers sophomore Jake Khasaempanth and freshman Jacob Jacome who were making their first appearances since recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Also coming out of the bullpen was freshman righty Diego Martinez who became the youngest player in school history to make an appearance at 17 years old. The Colony High product arrived on campus at Riverside at 16 years old last Fall.
“Don’t fall into the trap,” Arguelles’s message to his team was as they run it back with Cuesta in a traditional double header tomorrow Jan. 25.
