The article below originally appeared in the San Mateo Daily Journal and is being reprinted with permission.
Michael Volkman
Sophomore right-hander Michael Volkman worked into the ninth, and freshman Brody Ceyrolles came on to get the last two outs as the College of San Mateo Bulldogs (7-4 Coast North, 19-11 overall) triumphed Thursday in a 4-0 shutout over Chabot College on the Hilltop.
Volkman turned in the longest outing of his collegiate career, working 8 1/3 innings before surrendering a walk and a single in the ninth. The sophomore out of Live Oak-Morgan Hill threw 118 pitches, allowing eight hits and two walks while striking out five and commanding 11 groundouts.
Long outings have historically not gone Volkman’s way. His previous career best came as a freshman with an eight-inning outing May 2, 2025, in CSM’s 3-1 loss to Reedley. Prior to that, his longest start was March 5, 2024, in his senior season at Live Oak, when he took a shutout into extra innings only to take the loss through 7 1/3 as the Acorns fell 1-0 to Santa Clara.
Volkman wriggled out of a first-inning jam against Chabot (8-3, 13-17), as Gladiators leadoff hitter Riley Winchell opened the game with a single to center. Jonathan Sheppard followed with a one-out double to put runners at second and third. Volkman responded with a four-pitch strikeout, before escaping the jam on a groundout to shortstop Joseph Hoskins.
The Bulldogs then gave Volkman all the runs he need in the bottom of the inning, stringing together four straight singles from Carter Bleeker, Jacob Prettol, Grayson Munoz and Rocco Giometti to make it 2-0, before Hoskins delivered an RBI fielder’s choice. In the sixth, Prettol produced an insurance run with a solo home run, his fourth homer of the year.
Volkman pitched through another two-on, one-out jam in the seventh. In the ninth, a one-out walk to Evan Wahilani and a single from Luca Boccasile chased Volkman. Ceyrolles emerged to notch a seven-pitch strikeout before ending it with a popup Bleeker at third to earn the save.
CSM’s win helps Skyline College, as it knocks Chabot out of first place. The Trojans and the Gladiators entered the day tied atop the Coast North Conference standings. With the win, the Bulldogs take over sole possession of third place, one game back of Chabot in second, and two games behind Skyline.
CSM hosts Chabot for the rubber match of their three-game series Friday at 2:30 p.m.
