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San Francisco Seagulls banking on 3 native arms | Native

To end an 11-game homestand to start the summer season, the San Francisco Seagulls summoned some magic from their hometown.



Frankie Pellegrini

Capuchino graduates Devin Meyer and Frankie Pellegrini, along with Burlingame graduate Mario Vargas, scaled the hill from Lara Field on back-to-back days. The local trio finished the long home stand at seven innings apiece, with Pellegrini and Vargas both claiming victories as the Seagulls advanced to first place in the Golden State Collegiate Baseball League for their third of the regular season.

The Seagulls have now won seven of their last eight.

“Our pitchers this weekend, especially our starting pitchers, really pitched the ball to the best of their ability,” Cavigllia said. “Each of them has their own crease, but they were all able to dominate the hitting zone and stay one step ahead of the thugs.”

Vargas is the veteran of the local trio. In his sophomore year with the Seagulls, the right-hander drove seven innings on Saturday night to earn a 14-4 win over the Sacramento Heat. On Friday night, Pellegrini took the ball for his second start of the summer and turned a jewel by allowing just one hit over 7 1/3 innings in the Seagulls’ 1-0 win over the Heat.

Meyer didn’t make a decision in an 8-7 loss to the Heat last Thursday, but set the tone for the weekend by getting off to a good start and working through seven innings before leaving with a 4-3 lead.

“If we can get that kind of production from these guys over the next few months, we’ll be in a good driver’s seat for a shot at winning the Golden State Collegiate League championship and getting that first-place finish in the playoffs. ‘ said Caviglia.

While the trio prove the backbone of the Seagulls’ starting rotation, the three worked exclusively outside of the bullpen for their respective collegiate teams in 2022, making just 23 appearances total.

Vargas appeared in 16 games as a helper at San Francisco State and recorded a 0-1 record with a 4.96 ERA, with 11 walks and 11 strikeouts. Meyer totaled five appearances at Hawaii-Hilo with a 5.14 ERA. Pellegrini played in just two games at Cañada College and went four innings scoreless.

For the Meyer/Pellegrini cap duo, being able to step back into a starting rotation for the first time in over a year and immediately get deep into the games is a matter of habit.

“I think at Cap we were starters every four years and we played long innings at Cap,” Pellegrini said. “But I think we both have similar mindsets where we… just keep going for as long as we can.”

For Pellegrini, the path to pitching exclusively was an unlikely one. Heading into his senior year at Cap, he was considered a midfielder who also pitched. That all changed on opening day of 2021, however, when he suffered a serious hamstring strain while attempting to play in defence. He has logged three at-bats in the game and would only take one more this season. He returned nearly a month later, only to be injured again in his first game. He finished his high school career majoring in pitching and has worked exclusively as a pitcher ever since.

“I made the decision when I came to Cañada that I was going to pitch full-time,” Pellegrini said. “I got four at-bats my senior year, I got about three at-bats that game against South City. I came back and got an at bat and pulled it again. I hadn’t seen a pitch in over a year. When I came back I made the decision to focus solely on pitching.”

Playing at Lara Field is a kind of homecoming for Pellegrini. While growing up near San Bruno Park, the right-hander spent his childhood playing in the Millbrae Lions Youth Baseball League. It wasn’t until his eighth year at Parkside Middle School in the annual Posy Parade Game against St. Robert’s.

Pellegrini certainly looked at home on Friday night. He was touched for a leadoff double in the top of the second, the only hit Sacramento managed against him. After issuing a leadoff walk in the third, he put down 15 straight batters — quite a statement for someone who almost didn’t play summer ball this year.

“I had no intention of playing summer ball at all until I realized that if I want to be a starter, I have to challenge myself to play long innings and get a few innings,” Pellegrini said.

Vargas followed Pellegrini’s gem with an impressive performance on Saturday, notching 11 strikeouts in a game for the second time this season and for the second time in six days. He had previously hit 11 strikeouts overall in a six-inning start on June 12, a 7-6 win to end a three-game win over the South Bay Storm.

“He understands that the game has to keep moving,” said Caviglia. “We really emphasize the pace, and he really exemplifies what that pace needs to be like.”

Feel-good stories for the Seagulls pitchers continued throughout the weekend as Oakland A left-hander Jared Koenig scored his first major league win as the A’s beat the Royals 4-0. Koenig played for the Seagulls from 2015-2016 — back when they were settling at Pacifica’s Fairmont Field.

The Seagulls continued their winning streak Monday, taking to the streets for the first time this season with a 10-6 win over the Heat in Sacramento.

The GSCBL regular season lasts until July 20th. The three-team playoff series will be played at San Bruno Park this season for the first time in league history. In the playoff format, the second- and third-placed teams meet in the semi-finals, with the regular-season first-placed team being automatically bid farewell to the championship round.

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