Martinov, Kaczynski lead Pirate All-WSC honorees

Ventura College baseball's catcher/utility player Lucas Martinov and pitcher Will Kaczynski led eight Pirates on the All-Western State Conference team for the 2026 season. Martinov and Kaczynski both earned first team all-conference honors in voting by the conference coaches following regular season play. Grant Rodriguez, James Luderer and Hector Pina were named second team All-WSC while Matthew Ramirez, Johnny Levelis and Brandon Contreras earned honorable mention accolades.

Martinov, an honorable mention All-WSC selection as a freshman, began the season as the Pirates' everyday catcher. He also was in the line-up as the designated hitter and spent considerable time in left field and at first base in 2026. The Grace Brethren product led the Pirates with a .317 batting average with 44 hits, 11 doubles, and 37 runs batted in while playing 38 of 40 games. He also had a .965 fielding percentage on defense.

Kaczynski, meanwhile, was the ace of the VC pitching staff, starting 11 games, producing a 5-3 record on the mound. The redshirt freshman from Westlake High School produced a 3.53 earned run average in 51 innings pitched. He gave up 20 runs, all earned, and produced a WHIP of 1.22.

Rodriguez, a sophomore from Thousand Oaks, built on his honorable mention All-WSC nod as a freshman at shortstop his sophomore year with the Pirates. He slashed .307/.395/.353 at the plate and recorded a .921 fielding percentage. Luderer, a freshman outfielder also from Thousand Oaks High School, was named second team All-WSC while hitting .296/.439/.437. Pina, a redshirt freshman from Simi Valley, was also named on the second team all-conference list with a .307/.414/.431 batting line. 

Ramirez (third base), a redshirt sophomore from Moorpark, Levelis (outfield), a redshirt sophomore from Newbury Park, and Contreras (outfield), a redshirt sophomore from Camarillo, all earned honorable mention all-conference honors.