The Park University Gilbert baseball team got their 2025 season off to a solid start with a 10-7 win over the College of Idaho Thursday at Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa, Ariz. 2023 season with a win but it was in an exhibition game with Southern California Leadership University.

The first three innings featured a pitcher's duel between starting pitchers Junior Flores of Park Gilbert and Oliver Massie of College of Idaho. Early in the season, coaches will have their starters on pitch counts as they build arm strength to go longer as the year rolls on. COI head coach Shawn Humberger pulled Massie after three where he did not allow a run, two hits, a walk and struck out five on 52 pitches. Flores (1-0) went five complete to pick up the win allowing no runs on two hits and a walk. He also struck out five on 78 pitches.

Then it became a battle of the bullpens and the park was able to do more damage than College of Idaho over the final five innings scoring in four of them.

Park Gilbert got on the board first with a solo run in the fourth off of COI reliever Caden Camba (0-1) who took the loss.

The Bucs then broke the game open in the fifth with four runs on RBI knocks from Gino Caperon, Diego Bejarano and Eric Rojo. The Bejarano and Rojo hits were doubles.

The game remained 5-0 until the seventh when COI cut the lead to two with a three-run home run from Evan Brown off of Bucs reliever Caden Griffen. Park Gilbert answered right back in the bottom half of the frame with three runs of its own a Rojo and Nick Miller had key hits in the inning. The Bucs third run came on a wild pitch.

Park Gilbert head coach Kelly Stinnett brought in closer Adrian Gamez to stem the tide, but Gamez struggled with his control and COI tacked on another three runs in the eighth to cut the lead back to two.

Undaunted, the Bucs kept pouring on in their half of the eighth scoring two runs on a balk and an Eric Baratta single. Junior college transfer Ethan Osness came on in the ninth and got the first two outs before a walk, catchers indifference to mover the runner to second and a single put the final run on the board for COI. Osness induced a pop up to end the game.

Offensively, eight of the nine Park Gilbert starters got hits. Bejarano had three hits, two of which were doubles. Rojo had a spectacular debut with three hits as well and two doubles and four RBI. Andrew Allanson had two hits and two walks including one intentional pass. New shortstop Joel Holguin also added two hits and three runs scored and made a spectacular defensive gem in the 5-6 hole. Nick Miller extended his consecutive reach base streak to 19 games dating back to last year.

Last year, Park had a 17-5 record when scoring eight or more runs. The Bucs held true to form with 10 runs and a win today.

The Bucs and Yotes return to the diamond tomorrow for a double dip starting at 10 a.m. at Arizona Athletic Grounds.