Canyons Closes Season 12-5 Over Antelope Valley

By Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director  

College of the Canyons wrapped the 2026 campaign with a 12-5 win over Antelope Valley College at Mike Gillespie Field on Friday, behind a powerful performance at the plate and another strong outing from freshman hurler Ricky Strum.

Canyons (18-22, 11-10) teed off for four home runs in the game including two from Liam Ostrom. 

Ostrom's first knock came in the fourth inning and gave the Cougars a 2-0 advantage.

In the sixth, Michael Hogen and Brady Yeaman both left the yard to break things open at 6-1 for Canyons. Hogen's home run was the seventh of the year for the freshman.

Meanwhile, Strum scattered eight hits across eight innings and allowed five runs, three earned, to keep the Cougars in control throughout and eventually earn the win. He walked four and struck out two in keeping the Marauders' lineup off the board through the first five innings.

The West Ranch High School grad has now won his final four starts of the year. Strum (6-4) was also recently named the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association (CCCBCA) SoCal Pitcher of the Week.

Antelope Valley (25-14, 11-10) pushed across two runs in the seventh to get back into the game with a pair of run-scoring singles that cut the lead in half at 6-3.

In the home-half of the seventh Ostrom answered back with a base hit that scored Travis Van Ness. Later in the inning, Joey Besemer was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring Reid Farrell in. Yeaman's sac-fly later in the inning made it a 9-3 ballgame for the Cougars. Chris Cailotto's RBI single capped the inning at 10-3.

The Marauders were able to produce another pair of runs in the eighth to again cut into the lead at 10-5.

But in the bottom of the inning Farrell brought in another run on an RBI groundout before Ostrom crushed his second home run of the contest.

Ostrom finished the game a perfect 4-for-4 with two home runs, four runs and four RBIs.Yeaman was 1-for-2 with a walk, home run and three RBIs. 

Farrell and Cailotto both had two hits in the game. Van Ness and Farrell each scored a pair of runs.

AVC starter Ashton Fitzpatrick (6-4) suffered the loss after an outing that included six earned runs over his six innings of work. He struck out three but also allowed three home runs.

Tyler Hawn pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the Cougars to close out the game, and the season.

Canyons won the three-game set vs. Antelope Valley by a 2-1 margin to take its fourth straight conference series.

The Cougars also won four of its final five games down the stretch to finish in a three-way tie for third in the Western State Conference (WSC), South Division.

Glendale (29-10-1, 18-3) won the conference title followed by Citrus College (20-10, 17-4) in second. Canyons, AVC and Bakersfield (20-20, 11-10) shared third place.

Stay up to date on all this season's action by following the College of the Canyons Athletic department on social media at @COCathletics on X, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. 

—Photo by Carla Sophia Velasco/COC Sports Information