San Marcos, Calif. – The defending state champion Mt. SAC Baseball Team saw their 2026 campaign come to an end in the first round of 3C2A SoCal Regionals. It was a three-team double-elimination bracket including No. 24 seed Mt. San Jacinto and top-seeded Palomar. The Mounties close out the season 24-19, while the Palomar Comets move onto the next round of playoffs.
GAME 1:
Friday's opener had all the excitement and anticipation you'd expect from playoff baseball.
Mt. SAC came out ready to go, grabbing a 2-0 lead in the second inning behind RBI singles from Ryan Castro and Tyler Primanto.
The Eagles responded with a run in the top of the fifth, but the Mounties answered right back when Nick Mejia doubled to bring in Frankie Brazil for an insurance run. Things were looking good as Castro delivered again in the seventh, pushing the lead to 4-1.
But the Mt. San Jacinto fought back adding two runs in the eighth and tied things up in the top of the ninth at 4-4. It was anyone's game.
With the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, Froilan Serna was hit by a pitch – bringing Mejia home for a 5-4 walk-off win. Not the most exciting ending, but in playoffs, they all count the same.
Tomas Bilvado set the tone on the mound, going 7.2 strong innings while allowing just two earned runs and striking out four.
GAME 2:
The Mounties knew the series against Palomar would be tough – and it certainly was.
The Comets exploded for seven runs in the first two innings, putting Mt. SAC in an immediate uphill climb. To their credit, the Mounties fought back.
A two-run homer from Andrew Alva highlighted a four-run fourth inning that cut the deficit to 7-5. They clawed their way back into it – but Palomar responded like a top seed does, piling on five more runs to pull away for a decisive 12-5 win.
Mt. SAC ace and South Coast Conference pitcher of the year struggled on the mound, going only 1.1 innings and giving up seven runs while striking out zero. The Mounties cycled through six pitchers, making it rough on the bullpen for Sunday's game.
GAME 3:
Since this was a double elimination round, the Mounties would face Palomar one more time in hopes of forcing a game three. Things got off to a promising start as Alva's sacrifice fly game them an early lead and a bit of momentum.
But that momentum didn't last long.
Over the middle innings, the Comets took control – scoring 14 runs to break things wide open. Mt. SAC showed some fight late, adding three runs in the ninth thanks to hits from
Alva, AC Nieto and Hudson Karczynski, but the gap was simply too great to overcome.
And that is how the Mounties' season came to a close.
SEASON RECAP:
Even if the postseason didn't go as hoped, there's still a lot this team accomplished.
After a slow start, Mt. SAC found their groove and finished as co-conference champions with a 19-5 record. Offensively they were consistent – batting a .322 as a team with 345 runs scored and 489 hits.
The pitching staff had an average ERA of 4.94, while combining for 263 strikeouts, 208 earned runs, 445 hits and 6.25 strikeouts per nine innings. Although they had their ups and downs, they helped the Mounties stay competitive in one of the toughest conferences in the state.
Individually, there was plenty of standout moments. Hudson Castillo earned South Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year honors, while Head Coach John Knott was named Co-Coach of the Year.
Tomas Bilvado, Juan Verduzco, Hudson Karczynski, Ryan Castro, Jackson Giacone, Tyler Primanto and Andrew Alva were named to the All-South Coast Conference First Team.
Nick Mejia, Frankie Brazil and Chip Mertz were named to the All-South Coast Conference Second Team, highlighting the depth and talent of the roster.
So, while not quite as exciting as last year - winning the first 3C2A Baseball State Championship in 60 years on the home field - this season had plenty of highlights and the Mounties can walk away with their heads held high.
NEXT UP:
That wraps things up for the 2026 season. We will see you back at Mazmanian Field next year for more Mountie Baseball!
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For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.