Just like he’s been on the mound for the Bishop Diego baseball team, Gabe Arteaga was at center stage on Tuesday.
Arteaga didn’t have to record a big strikeout or pitch out of a jam. He only had to sign a document confirming that he’s continuing his baseball career at Westmont College.
The senior right-handed pitcher made it official during a ceremony in front of family, Bishop Diego students and faculty.
Arteaga will bring some impressive credentials to a solid Westmont program.
“On the field he has been an absolute workhorse for the Cardinals baseball program and is a big reason for our success,” Bishop coach Nick Katzenstein said. “In just the last two years, he has a record of 11-1, a less than 1.00 ERA and has struck out 130 batters and only walked 28. Those are pretty impressive numbers.”
Katzenstein lauded Arteaga’s work ethic, willingness to get better and, above all, his character.
“Gabe is one of the nicest guys and he has a great smile,” he said. “He’s genuinely just a happy guy. He’s a leader, not a focal point, but rather one that does all the right things when no one is watching.”
Katzenstein also thanked Gabe’s mother, Becky, and the entire Arteaga family for their support to the Bishop Diego baseball program.
Westmont coach Robert Ruiz sees a bright future for Arteaga in the Westmont program.
“We really think that he has big upside as a pitcher,” Ruiz said. “Every time we’ve seen him pitch, he’s impressed us. We hope that he can continue in the tradition of all the other local players we’ve had. They’ve all made a big impact on our program and we think Gabe’s going to be able to do the same. He’s someone that should develop into a successful contributor, hopefully soon, in his career. We’re just really excited about what he brings to the table.
“In baseball, we focus a lot on projections and that’s one thing that is exciting about Gabe,” Ruiz added. “He’s a really good pitcher right now, but we feel like he projects to become much better.”
Arteaga continues a Westmont tradition of recruiting local ballplayers. This year’s team included Santa Barbara High alum Bryce Morison and Dos Pueblos alum Luke Coffey. They just completed their four-year careers for the Warriors.
“We love to get players from the surrounding area of Santa Barbara County, so to have a local guy coming in in this class is always meaningful to us as a program,” said Ruiz.