The Los Medanos College baseball team is heading into the playoffs on fire after putting together one of their most complete seasons in recent years.
LMC enters postseason play with a 26-13 overall record and a 14-7 mark in conference, backed by an explosive offense that has been among the best in Northern California. The Mustangs have scored 394 runs in 39 games, averaging about 10 runs per game, while posting a .335 team batting average and a .438 on-base percentage. For first baseman Brendan Lister, that production isn’t a coincidence .
“We are able to be fundamentally strong when it comes to scoring runners in scoring position with less than two outs,” Lister said. “This has aided us to average 10 runs a game (394 R in 39 games).”
Offensive depth shows up all across the lineup. Nate Liddicoat leads the team with a .403 average and 60 hits, as well as leading the state with a staggering 40 stolen bases, while Carlos Garcia (.370, 43 RBI) and Chris Olsen (.373, 37 RBI) have been key run producers. Lister has also been a major power bat, hitting .350 with a team high nine home runs and a .608 slugging percentage.
But for the Mustangs, the success goes beyond numbers. It starts with chemistry. “The energy of our team is great. We’re all boys, and a lot of us have been around each other since we were little,” Liddicoat said. “The chemistry kind of comes naturally.”
That connection has translated into results, especially late in the season. LMC won nine of its last 10 games before the regular-season finale, putting itself in position for a conference title. Head coach Bob Ralston said the team’s late surge was driven by its offense.
“We’ve swung the bat really well, and we played well,” Ralston said. “Offensively, we were better than anybody in the conference when we pitched well. To go along with that hitting, we could beat anybody.”
The Mustangs now turn their attention to the playoffs, which begin Thursday, April 30, at 11 a.m. at Skyline, where they’ll face tough competition, including West Valley, a team that has eliminated LMC the past two seasons. That history isn’t lost on the players.
“Getting one last shot to bring down the team that’s gotten the best of us,” Liddicoat said. “Knowing we got knocked out by West Valley two years in a row, makes it all the more crazy that we get to play them again.”
For a roster that has faced adversity both on and off the field, the playoffs represent more than just baseball.
“Our toughness as a team makes us built for the playoffs,” Lister said. “We were able to get to this point with extremely limited resources compared to the teams we are playing against.” Still, the approach remains simple.
“Nothing changes within our preparation,” Lister said. “Every day we prepare to play baseball at the highest level through focus and effort.”
If the Mustangs want to make a deep run, it will come down to execution, both early in games and in key moments. “If we can attack early and put runs on the board in the first couple innings that will set the tone,” Liddicoat said.
Ralston echoed that mindset, emphasizing consistency on both sides of the ball. “I think if we just keep swinging the bat like we’ve been doing, and we pitch well, I mean, I think we could do real well in the series,” he said.
For the Mustangs, the opportunity is clear. Now it’s about finishing the job.
