Photos by Robert Ketterling

College Baseball:

Chaffey College saw its 2025 season and specifically its historic postseason run come to an end on Saturday evening in game three of the Mt. SAC Super Regional.

But this program has earned a spot on the state’s baseball map for a number of reasons.

In 2023 and 2024, the Panthers won Inland Empire Athletic Conference titles, but they suffered back-to-back two-game home sweeps in the playoffs.

Chaffey’s young coach (Andy Smith) knew the IEAC isn’t the South Coast Conference and their struggles in the postseason didn’t do anything to help lure elite players to Rancho Cucamonga.

Smith spent the 2024 offseason putting together as challenging a nonconference schedule as he could.

It goes without saying, but the benefit of competing against state powers pays massive dividends, both on the field and psychologically.

Before the calendar had reached Valentine’s Day, Chaffey scored 28 runs in a split two-game series with Fullerton.

They secured an 11-5 victory at Cypress.

And they went 1-1-1 against a Glendale team that will face off with Mt. SAC at next week’s So Cal final.

Back on March 18th, the Panthers dropped an 8-3 home game to state power Cerritos, who was 17-4 at the time.

Four days later, they paid the Falcons back with a 6-5 victory at Cerritos.

And Chaffey handed Derek Valdez his first loss of the season that day, including eight hits off Valdez in seven innings.

The Panthers finished 20-4 in conference and claimed a third consecutive IEAC title.

They finished four games ahead of second-place College of the Desert (16-8).

In the first round of the 3C2A playoffs, Golden West made the trek from Huntington Beach to Rancho Cucamonga for a best-of-three first-round playoff series.

Forty-three days prior to their postseason showdown, Chaffey had fallen, 9-6, at Golden West.

In game one, the Panthers cruised to an 8-2 victory after they out-hit their visitors, 9-3.

Chaffey’s second game got off to a great start.

They took a 7-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth inning.

To their credit, the boys from Surf City scored five times in the fifth and they got one more in the eighth to force extra innings.

Game two and the series wouldn’t be decided until the 11th inning.

And it featured athletic drama, as well as real-life heartbreak and love all within six outs.

Derek Almeda hit a solo home run to give the Panthers a one-run lead.

Five batters later, Jordan Daniels, who just days prior had lost his six-year-old cousin Bella in a drowning tragedy, hit a grand slam to give the Panthers a five-run lead.

As Daniels neared third base (as you’ll see in the video clip), he started to let the moment get to him.

As he approached home plate, three of his brothers that had occupied first, second and third base before his heroics all gave their buddy a hug of congratulations and of empathy.

After celebrating with his teammates, Daniels found the Panthers’ leader and gave Coach Smith one of the most visceral hugs one will ever see at an athletic event.

Neither man wanted the hug to end, because of the shared pain for Daniels.

Fast forward this video to 29:25 and watch until 30:25.

That got the boys from Rancho Cucamonga a spot at this week’s Mt. SAC Super Regional.

Chaffey persevered, 11-9, against Cuesta on Thursday, and then the Cougars were eliminated later that day in a 14-6 setback to Mt. SAC.

That set up David vs Goliath on Friday and Saturday.

On Friday, Goliath put a 13-6 ass kicking on David.

The Mounties led 13-0 before Chaffey scored in the eighth and ninth innings.

This reporter texted Coach Smith to ask if he’d mind that comparison.

And even though Smith is a man of strong faith, he is also real.

He wrote, “You can put it any way you like. We got the s*** kicked out of us.”

One could imagine the ‘us vs No. 1′ thoughts of doubt’ must have crept into Chaffey’s minds when they took the field on a hot Saturday afternoon.

The Mounties led 3-0 as the Panthers picked up their bats in the bottom of the third.

Chaffey scored four in the third and seventh innings, and they got five in the eighth to put the game on ice in a 13-7 victory.

In the third and deciding game, and with both teams’ jerseys stuck to their bodies, Mt. SAC ended Chaffey’s season, 9-8, on a walk-off bunt and error.

However, even in defeat, the Panthers overcame three game-three deficits to make the best team in the state scratch and crawl their way to a hard-fought one-run win.

In their three games, David out-hit Goliath, 39-31, including an 8-2 edge in extra base hits.

Chaffey had a roster full of guys that made invaluable contributions to their success.

However, none quite like San Dimas grad and Panthers’ sophomore, Ryder Young.

Young finished the regular season at No. 2 in the state in batting average (.460) and hits (80).

The one player in the state ahead of Ryder in hits and average is Mt. SAC’s Landon White, who played with Young at San Dimas High School.

Young was third in home runs (15), just two back of Cypress’ Justin Tillar (17) and one behind Nico Newhan of Grossmont (16).

He was also fifth with 61 RBIs.

Ryder also produced in the playoffs for a program that went 4-2.

In six postseason games, he totaled 10 hits, including a double and one home run.

He drew six walks, scored nine times and drove in five.

Young will be taking his talents to Gonzaga in 2026.

Although exhausted, Young gave this reporter a call on Saturday evening to talk about his experience at Chaffey, including playing for Smith and his staff, which includes Donald Brais (associate head coach), Zac Tapia (pitching coach), and assistant coaches John Piazza and AJ Jurado.

Said Ryder Young: “This is the most fun I’ve ever had playing baseball. I played for a coaching staff who care more about us as people than they do as players. They push us to do well in the classroom and right when you’re at your best, they challenged us to be even better. Coach Smith encouraged me to be better in every phase of my life and that transferred to my home life. With his guidance, I’ve been a better son, and I do more around the house to show my parents how much I appreciate and love them. Even after committing to Gonzaga, Coach Smith pushed me to continue to prove Gonzaga right by being even more successful on and off the field.

The experience with Jordan losing his cousin was surreal. He hit that grand slam against Golden West, and in the moment, we were so excited about having that five-run lead. But then you saw his hug with Andy, and it was as real and deep as it gets. We all let our guard down after the game and let Jordan know that we love him, and that we all have his back. I couldn’t have had a better experience the last two years at Chaffey, and I would highly recommend any player come here and put their future in the hands of Coach Smith and his staff. They will make sure you get better in every way possible, and they’ll tell you what you need to hear, which isn’t always what you want to hear.”

In victory, Landon White had nothing but praise for his boy.

“I was super happy for Ryder. He is easily a Junior College all-American. He never got the attention he deserved in high school, and he proved all of these colleges wrong. He has tremendous bat speed with great confidence going into every at-bat. Ryder deserved every bit of this success.”

Chaffey can proudly put their bats away for a few months knowing their 34 wins in 2025 was seventh best in the state of California.

Quotable:

Chaffey coach, Andy Smith: “As for the program, our players are deeply cared about. As ballplayers, but especially as people. We want to build champions here. Champions of life, and the success on the field is part of that process. And we want to re-instill the concept of team over everything. Being part of something bigger than yourself. That’s what Chaffey Baseball is about.”

Mt. SAC coach, John Knott: “I have to give Andy a ton of credit. His team showed up and fought. Through all the heat and the back-and-forth nature of the game, Chaffey showed time and again that they wanted this.”

Mt. SAC freshman, Landon White: “Chaffey earned my respect big time by always having a competitive inning hitting. Every time we had the lead, the next inning they would match us. They fought until the end and never died in energy.”