Pitman’s Wichman named Central California Conference’s baseball MVP

Zach Wichman’s measurables at the plate won’t blow you away. They certainly don’t scream, “Most Valuable Player.”

However, if you listen to Pitman coach John Acha, there wasn’t a more valuable component to the Pride’s championship run.

Wichman offset a lackluster batting average in Central California Conference play with a school record for walks, setting the table for his teammates. On the mound and in the dugout, there were few with a larger presence. Those virtues were enough to convince the conference’s coaches that he was, in fact, the Central California Conference’s Most Valuable Player.

Wichman was 5-1 with a 1.20 ERA in six conference starts.

“Zach was our workhorse and the guy that gave our whole team confidence when we took the field,” said Acha, the league’s Coach of the Year. “We knew that when he was on the bump, we had a good chance of beating anybody.”

The Pride came close, too, coming up one win short of playing for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I South tournament championship.

Pitman (24-7 overall) captured the ever-tough CCC with a 13-2 record, and it was Wichman who stood tall in the clincher – a 6-5 victory over crosstown rival Turlock on April 30. He logged five gutsy innings, working around five hits and two walks to earn the win.

Acha believes that start against the runner-up Bulldogs (18-10, 11-4) was Wichman’s defining moment. With a win, Turlock would have forced a tie atop the CCC standings.

“That pretty much solidified our league championship,” Acha said. “That is a very high-pressure game, and he gave us exactly what we needed that day.”

Merced’s Mitchell Miller was named the CCC’s Pitcher of the Year after going 3-1 with a 0.21 ERA. He gave up one earned run in 332/3 innings, and CCC teams hit just .071 against him.

Turlock slugger Brandon Booz was the Offensive Player of the Year after flirting with a .500 batting average (.489), clubbing three home runs and driving in 15.

Wichman’s numbers with the bat pale in comparison. He hit just .238 in conference and was held hitless in eight games. However, his patience was rewarded with a school-record 18 walks, including eight in CCC play.

Overall, Wichman hit .350 with a team-high 25 RBIs. He also had nine doubles and was a postseason hero, defeating Beyer ace Micah Hall with a looping curveball.

“His offensive numbers were solid but really don’t show how productive and how key he was in our lineup,” Acha said. “He took a lot of walks this year, which allowed other guys around him to get some good pitches to hit and also gave them a lot of RBI chances.”

Wichman was joined on the all-CCC first team by batterymate Coleton Horner, outfielder Colton Evans and utility player Anthony Encalade.

Turlock landed two other first-team selections in pitcher Cody Cornell and outfielder Alex Pallios.

The rest of the first team included pitcher Austin Conour and middle infielders Jesus Duran and Derek Molina of Atwater, Buhach Colony first baseman Kory Woods and designated hitter Logan Coe, and Merced third baseman Armando Flores and outfielder Nick Camper.

Acha believes this season – and the attached hardware – are a taste of things to come for Wichman, a three-pitch left-hander.

“I expect Zach to go on and have a successful college career,” he said.

This story was originally published June 3, 2015 at 9:38 AM with the headline "Pitman’s Wichman named Central California Conference’s baseball MVP."