Calvin Named Player of the Year in WSC North

Pirate sophomore Reiss Calvin leads the VC contingent on the All-Western State Conference North Division team for the 2023 season as the league's Player of the Year. Sophomore catcher Andrew Savage and freshman outfielder Mason Reid each earned second team All-WSCN honors as voted upon by the conference coaches following the season.

Calvin, who came to Pirate Park from Woodbury, Minn., finished his career in the orange and black as one of the best players in program history. In 24 WSC North games in 2023, he was first in batting average (.421), runs batted in (24), and hits (45). Meanwhile, he missed the conference triple-crown by one home run, belting five round-trippers to finish second while also finishing as runner-up in on-base percentage (.496), runs scored (30) and stolen bases (13). He was third in the league in slugging percentage (.645) with an OPS of 1.141. Defensively he posted a .931 fielding percentage, committing nine errors in 114 total chances at shortstop with 32 putouts and 73 assists. 

Savage, a sophomore from Woodstock, Ont., Canada, earned second team All-WSC accolades after batting .292 with an OBP of .439 playing all 24 conference games behind the plate. Defensively he achieved a .989 fielding percentage, ranking him fifth in the WSC among players with over 150 total chances. He had just two errors with 24 assists in 184 total plays.

Reid, a freshman from Grace Bretheran High School in Simi Valley, was a solid presence for VC in the outfield, also earning second team All-WSC honors. He wa second on the team with 22 RBI, 20 runs scored and 45 total bases in the 24 conference games, batting .316. He also had a .955 fielding percentage, committing two errors in 44 total chances.

Sophomore infielder Haiden Letzing (Vancouver, BC, Canada), sophomore starting pitcher Cooper Smith (Tallahassee, Fla.) and sophomore relief pitcher Livio Bundi (Zurich, Switzerland) all earned honorable mention All-WSC accolades.

Ventura finished an even 12-12 in conference play in 2023, missing a Southern California Regional Playoff appearance by a single game.