By Ron Smith
May 7, 2025
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) On Wednesday afternoon, Westmont's Ryan Humphreys (a.k.a. Hump) took the mound in the first game of the PacWest Baseball Tournament against the Eagles of Biola (26-26). Humphreys pitched eight innings allowing two runs on six hits to pick up his 11th win of the season in a 7-2 Warrior victory.
 
Zach Yates pitched the ninth, finishing off the game with just six pitches.
 
With the win, Westmont advances to game four of the double-elimination tournament.
 
"It was a great performance," said Westmont head coach Paul Svagdis of Humphreys'' outing. "We talk about first-pitch strikes and getting ahead of guys. He did a tremendous job of that today. To get eight innings out of him, means he is filling up the zone early.
 
"In a tournament, that is a big deal. To get Yates in the game with six pitches - I am going to sleep well tonight. I'll wake up in the morning around four in the morning with a little anxiety, ready to go for the day. But right now, I'm going to relax a little bit with the pitch count these guys gave us today."
 
A scoreless tie was broken in the bottom of the third inning when Grant Yzermans delivered a solo home run to left field, putting the Warriors on top 1-0.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Bryce McFeely led off with a triple to center field. He scored when an attempt by the Eagle's catcher to pick him off went awry. The ball bounced into shallow left field and by the time the shortstop was able to retrieve it, McFeely had found his feet, used them to scamper home, then dove in safely.
 
The inning continued with Jack Bollengier hitting a single to left field. That proceeded a line-drive home run to left-center by Jesse Di Maggio that gave the Warriors a 4-1 lead.
 
Westmont added another run in the bottom of the fifth in an almost comedic manner. With one away, McFeely reached base on a ball that sailed about 25 feet in the air and traveled about three feet in front of home plate. The Eagles catcher couldn't handle the pop up and McFeely found himself scrambling to first.
 
"The first thing I thought was, 'I am so dead', because I got jammed on a slider," said McFeely. "It was weird because I hit it straight up. I saw the umpire point fair and thought, 'I have to actually get to first.' It was one of the weirdest ways I have ever gotten to first base."
 
With Trey Dunn at bat. McFeely reached second on a wild pitch. Then, when the catcher tried to pick off McFeely at second, the ball went into center field and the Warriors' first baseman dove into third.
 
With Biola's infield playing in, Dunn produced a bloop single into left-center field, driving in McFeely.
 
"They gave me the opportunity to score and in postseason baseball you have to take every opportunity you get and play hard," said McFeely. "Every run matters in postseason play."
 
Westmont added two more runs in the sixth. After Yzerman led off with a single, Patterson singled through the left side on a hit-and-run play that allowed Yzermans to reach third. That brought up McFeely and Svagdis put on a safety squeeze. McFeely's bunt single was fielded by the first baseman whose throw to the plate was wide. Not only did Yzermans score, but Patterson reached third while McFeely ended up on second.
 
"What about this guy?" asked Svagdis about McFeely. "Look at this uniform. Here is a four hitter that is sacrificing guys in, diving into bases, and going the extra base. They throw behind him and he sneaks in a run. It is cool to be in an environment with guys like this that take personal ownership in their performance. They reflect a lot on who they are as baseball players and who they are Warriors and they live that every day."
 
Once again, with the infield playing in, Dunn hit another bloop single – this one to center field, driving in Patterson. That gave Westmont a 7-1 advantage.
 
The Eagles' Noah Ruiz hit a solo home run in the top of the eighth to make it a 7-2 game, but that is as close as Biola would get.
 
"In my first year here at Westmont, I tell the players every day, 'I appreciate them accepting me into the club,' said Svagdis. "It has been a lot of fun to be around these guys. I am really happy for them. They have been through a lot over the last three or four years with three different coaches and they continue to do great things.
 
For Humphreys, today's game was the first opportunity to play in the postseason.
 
"It was definitely a long road," said the left-hander. "I've dealt with a couple of injuries, COVID and some setbacks on and off the field. It is nice to be in my last year here and finally get to compete in the postseason for a conference championship and hopefully for a national championship after the fact."
 
Playing in the postseason has become a significant part of the program's identity.
 
"One of the things we talk about a lot is striving for excellence," said Humphreys. "We do that in the classroom and on the field. The way this program is built up - and the culture - we have certain standards and expectations. Every day, we go out there and put the work in. We strive to get better and excel on the field."
 
"It is everything," said McFeely about playing in the postseason. "In high school, you want to play for a team that is going to make a deep run into the playoffs. Ultimately, you just want to keep playing baseball and be part of a program that helps develop and create a good foundation for who you are and what you do on the field.
 
"I think it is a testament to what Westmont really is. It is a great culture that has been passed down from everyone that has been there before. It is not going to go away. It should continue because the guys we have here are awesome."
 
This year's postseason journey will continue tomorrow when the Warriors take on Point Loma in game four. The Sea Lions defeated the Sharks of Hawai'i Pacific in the tournament's second game by a score of 14-5.
 
Biola and Hawai'i Pacific will play at 11:00 a.m. in an elimination game. The winner will advance to game five, which is scheduled for 7:00 p.m., and take on the loser between Westmont and Point Loma.