The OCC Sports Blog suffered because yours truly went to visit potential colleges to transfer to next year.

For the loyal readers who missed out on a week's worth of Orange Coast College athletics, I am truly sorry.

But to continue on the topic of college transfers, here are some of the players from the 2009 state champion Pirate baseball team that moved onto other places.

The MVP of the state championship playoffs, starting catcher D.J.Arellano (right), is at New Mexico State University.

Pirates' lead off outfielder Ryan Sheeks is now a member of Concordia University Irvine Eagles.

Infielder Ryan Dunn, who was benched for the Super Regional Playoffs after a rough regular season but returned to the starting lineup in the State Championship to hit 7-for-14 with a home run, seven runs scored and six runs batted in (RBI), is at Oregon State University.

Pitcher Calvin Drummond, as a freshman, has transferred to University of San Diego.

As reported earlier, Brett Williams and Beck Wheeler are still going to USC and UC Santa Barbara, respectively.

Brett Wallach, the 2009 Orange Empire Conference Player of the Year, was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third round in the latest baseball draft.

After he signed with the Dodgers, Wallach (left), in 12 appearances with a Dodges affiliate Ogden Raptors, compiled a 0-1 record with a 5.23 earned run average (ERA) in 31 innings pitched wth 38 strikeouts.

Starting third baseman Drew Hillman, who was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 38th round, is at UC Irvine to continue his baseball career.

Starting center fielder Mykal Stokes, drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 46th round, is back at Coast as a sophomore.

Head coach John Altobelli said in about two months, he'll have a better idea for the 2010 roster for the Pirates.

[Photos courtesy of Hank Schellingerhout]

After throwing his worst game as a professional in his last start, Brett Wallach pitched his career-best Tuesday (Aug. 11) to help his Ogden Raptors beat the Helena Brewers, 16-6.

Wallach, the 2009 Orange Empire Conference Player of the Year, pitched a career-high 3.0 innings of scoreless ball Tuesday by allowing only two hits, no walks and two strikeouts.

This was his seventh start for the Raptors and in his seven games, Wallach is 0-1, has an ERA of 5.62 (9 earned runs in 14.1 innings pitched) and allowed 15 hits, nine walks with 11 strikeouts.

Antonio Castillo (4-2) earned the win and Joseph Paxson (3) earned the save for the Raptors Tuesday. Brewers' Nicholas Bucci (6-1) got his first loss of the season.

[Photo by Hank Schellingerhout]

With only one out in the second inning, Wallach (0-1) allowed two singles, a double, back-to-back home runs and another double before the manager took him out of the game.

Wallach's ERA rose to 7.15 for the season as he allowed seven hits, a walk and struck out one in his 1.1 innings Wednesday against the Ghosts.

[Photo by Hank Schellingerhout]

Brett Wallach, the 2009 Orange Empire Conference Player of the Year, has a sub 3.00 earned run average as a rookie pitching for the Ogden Raptors.

Since Wallach is on limited pitch counts, through his first five starts, Wallach has a 2.70 ERA through 10 innings pitched. He has allowed eight hits, eight walks and allowed only one home run.

Wallach pitches every five to six days and his last start was on July 31.

All the Ogden games can be followed online.

Brett Wallach, the 2009 Orange Empire Conference Player of the Year, pitched two scoreless innings against Great Falls Voyagers on July 15 in his second start for the Ogden Raptors.

Wallach, who allowed one walk and one hit with no strikeouts on July 15, has pitched three scoreless innings for the Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate.

The Raptors scored three runs in the top of the ninth to win 4-1.

And I thought since we all know what grown-up Wallach looks like, I'll post a picture of his high school days at Orange Lutheran instead.

To read more about Wallach, click here.

[Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Times]

Brett Wallach is now officially a pro baseball player - and a successful one at that too.

In his appearance with the Ogden Raptors, a Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate, he allowed one hit, no runs and had one strikeout against Great Falls Voyagers to help the Raptors win 4-3 Thursday.

Wallach started the game but according to Ogden manager Damon Berryhill on standard.net, Wallach was "on a one-inning assignment to get his arm back in shape after not throwing for three weeks."

Wallach is the 2009 Orange Empire Conference Player of the Year, hitting .352 with three home runs and 41 RBI and going 7-1 with a 2.18 ERA and 90 strikeouts over 82 2/3 innings on the mound, and helped OCC win its first state title since 1980.

Good luck Brett and I hope you have many more scoreless innings like this to come.

OCC baseball, volleyball and football players are moving onto four-year colleges and universities next fall, according to Daily Pilot reports.

Shortstop Beck Wheeler and closer Brett Williams from the 2009 OCC state championship team are going back to Division-I ranks.

Williams is a bounce-back from Loyola Marymount University and Wheeler started his career at University of the Pacific.

Wheeler (left), who hit .333 with two home runs and 28 RBIs this year, will suit-up for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos.

Williams (right), who posted a 4-2 record with a 2.01 ERA and four saves, will be a Trojan and play for USC in the fall.

Both players were All-Southern California honorees and both earned first-team All-Orange Empire Conference recognition.

Also, Brett Wallach, the 2009 OEC Player of the Year who was drafted and signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers, will report to the Ogden Raptors in Utah to play Rookie Ball baseball.

Three Coast volleyball players are also moving onto four-year universities.

As I reported in May, players Mike Stewart and Rick Schroeder are still going to Ohio State and UC Santa Cruz, respectively.

But Doug Astor (left), who told me he was thinking of either USC or Loyola Marymount, will head to Pepperdine University in the fall.

All three players were part of the 2008 team that made it to the state finals and the 2009 team that made it to the state final-four.

The Daily Pilot's Barry Faulkner wrote a good piece on the several Pirate football players moving onto four-years so I will leave just a link for the football players.

Actually, Barry made it easier for me because he confirmed all the rumors I've heard since the spring semester. The OCC Sports Blog and I thank you.

[Photos of Wheeler and Williams - Courtesy of Orange Coast College]
[Photo of Astory - By Melissa Lee]

This is old news but I figure I should post it on here.

On the Major League Baseball draft days, three Pirates from the 2009 state champion team were drafted - the marquee player being Brett Wallach (pictured), the 2009 Orange Empire Conference Player of the Year who was picked in the third round to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Wallach was introduced at the Dodgers stadium on June 27 for signing with the team, according to truebluela.com.

His teammates, Drew Hillman and Mykal Stokes, were selected by Tampa Bay Rays in the 38th round and by San Diego Padres in the 46th round, respectively.

I'm assuming Hillman will go to UC Irvine next year and Stokes, a freshman this year, will return back to OCC to play for head coach John Altobelli.

Also, Altobelli's son, JJ Altobelli, was drafted by Milwaukee Brewers in the 49th round. JJ Altobelli graduated from high school this year and will attend University of Oregon in the fall.

Additional information on the draft picks are available on the OCC Athletics website - run by Coasts' Sports Information Director Tony Altobelli.

[Photo by Hank Schellingerhout]