Marysville pitcher Jayden Drake (30) tosses a pitch during the Drakes’ 1-0 victory over San Rafael on Wednesday, July 24. Drake accomplished his second complete-game shutout of the season. Photo by Steven Bryla

MARYSVILLE, CA (MPG) - The Marysville Drakes started the first round of the Pecos League playoffs on Monday, July 29, as they played the San Rafael Pacifics for a best-of-three series.

Marysville was the third seed in the Pacific Division and clinched their first playoff berth in the team’s second year of expansion in the Pecos League.

The series against San Rafael, who were the 2023 Pecos League Champions, were all road games. The Drakes were 3-5 on the road during the season against the Pacifics, but won in their final two trips to San Rafael during the last couple weeks of the season, and took three out of the last four games against them.

Marysville clinched their playoff spot in a road victory against the Pacifics on Tuesday, July 23, in an extra-inning victory. Both teams met the following night on Wednesday, July 24, at Bryant Field where Drakes’ pitcher Jayden Drake threw his second complete-game shutout of the season. 

Marysville outfielder Joe Starick brought in the game’s only run with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth to send San Rafael into second place of the Pacific Division standings.

Marysville outfielder Joe Starick (44) launches a sacrifice fly run-batted-in (RBI) for the lone run in the game during the Drakes’ victory against San Rafael on Wednesday, July 24. Photo by Steven Bryla

The Drakes’ dropped their final regular season meeting against the Bakersfield Train Robbers on Friday, July 26.

Marysville hosted their final regular season game on Saturday, July 27, against the Dublin Leprechauns, where they had a great crowd supporting them at Bryant Field as it was also fan appreciation night. 

The Drakes got a strong start from pitcher Sergio Patsy as he tossed five innings and gave up two hits and one run. The Marysville bullpen pitched five more innings where they gave up one run and four hits, including Drake. 

Drake got the final out of the inning as he picked off a pinch runner at first base as he attempted to steal second, but the Drakes’ first baseman Anders Green got the base runner into a rundown towards second as he tossed the ball to Marysville shortstop Jumpei Ohashi to lay the tag for the out.

The Drakes walked it off in the bottom of the 10th as third baseman Micah Walker hit a runs-batted-in (RBI) single to right center for the win.

It was Walker’s night at the plate as he drove in all of Marysville’s three runs and had three hits. Walker was mobbed at first base by his teammates as he touched first, and they drenched him in a celebration with water all along the baseline to second base.

“The pitcher threw a lot of sliders to the previous batter, so I went up looking for a slider,” Walker said.

Walker added that the entire environment of the Yuba-Sutter area has been a great experience.

Drakes’ manager Bill Rogan expressed to the Dispatch that Walker’s hitting has improved throughout the last week as he has been more comfortable playing third base.

Walker had a low .200 batting average entering the final week of the season and Rogan said his confidence was getting better daily.

The Marysville defense has improved and decreased their errors in the last couple weeks, and Rogan told the Dispatch that has been a big difference in their games.

Ohashi has made stellar plays at shortstop since taking over for former Drakes’ player Josh Leslie, who was called up to the Oakland Ballers of the Pioneer League earlier in July.

Ohashi told the Dispatch that Leslie was a big help to fine tuning his defense during their time as teammates.

“Josh told me to just be confident in every ground ball,” Ohashi said. 

Ohashi added that moving forward in the playoffs they need to be 100% locked in defensively.

Ohashi said he appreciates everything the James family, who has been his host family throughout his time as a part of Marysville this summer, has done for him and thanked them.

On top of it being the final regular season home game for the Drakes, Marysville infielder Declan Peterson could have experienced his final game at Bryant Field.

Peterson told the Dispatch prior to the game against Dublin on July 27 that this will be his final season in the Pecos League as he plans to hang up his cleats.

The four-year veteran has spent the last two seasons in Marysville and said it has been one of the best places to play in the Pecos League with a full experience.

Peterson said he plans to go home to Illinois and continue his education towards a master’s degree.

Marysville pitcher Jayden Drake (30) tosses a pitch during the Drakes’ 1-0 victory over San Rafael on Wednesday, July 24. Drake accomplished his second complete-game shutout of the season. Photo by Steven Bryla

The Drakes lost the regular season finale 12-8 on Sunday, July 28, at Dublin to close out the season with a record of 29-25.

Rogan told the Dispatch that his offense needs to improve if they are going to be successful in the playoff series against San Rafael.

“We’re confident in our pitching and our defense,” Rogan said.

If Marysville was successful in beating the Pacifics in the first round of the playoffs, they would have started the Pacific Division finals on Thursday, August 1, against the winner of Bakersfield/Vallejo.