Two Pirates moving on

Two Pirates moving on

A pair of players who helped Orange Coast College win the state baseball championship are headed back to the Division I ranks.

Sophomore pitcher Brett Williams and sophomore shortstop Beck Wheeler will continue their careers at USC and UC Santa Barbara, respectively, OCC Coach John Altobelli said.

Williams, a bounce-back from Loyola Marymount, where he was a position player, was 4-3 with seven saves and a 2.01 earned-run average for the Pirates in 2009. He allowed just 52 hits and struck out 46 in 67 innings, allowing the opponents a minuscule .217 batting average.

Williams appeared in 28 games, starting three for the Pirates, who finished 37-14 to set a school single-season record for wins.

Wheeler, who began his career at the University of the Pacific, was the Pirates shortstop this season. He hit .333 in 183 at-bats, with two home runs and 28 runs batted in.

Both Williams and Wheeler were All-Southern California honorees and both earned first-team All-Orange Empire Conference recognition.

Orloff, Cooper sign

Former UC Irvine shortstop Ben Orloff has signed with the Houston Astros and has been assigned to the Tri-City ValleyCats, a Class A affiliate in the New York-Penn League.

Orloff, the Big West Conference Player of the Year who won the Brooks Wallace Award as the nation’s top collegiate shortstop, opened his first professional season Friday when the ValleyCats, based in Troy, N.Y., visited the Oneota Tigers.

Orloff, a ninth-round pick (No. 2 overall), figures to transition to second base as a pro.

The Astros used four of their first 10 picks in this year’s draft on shortstops, using four others to take pitchers.

Daniel Cooper, a product of Costa Mesa High and Orange Coast College who also pitched collegiately at Rice and USC, signed June 12 with the Seattle Mariners organization, his father, John said.

Cooper, a right-handed pitcher used in the bullpen at Rice and USC, left Monday to report to the Everett (Wash.) Aquasox, a member of the short-season Class A Northwest League.

He was chosen in the 21st round (No. 623 overall).

The Aquasox open their season today in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.