The Vikings baseball team is off to a robust 8-7 start, and already preparing for playoffs as fans and parents gather in greater numbers for Diablo Valley College home games.
For outfielder Dean Quimbao, their success reflects the patience and confidence to win as a team.
“We had a decent start to the season,” Quimbao said. “We were able to win games even when we had some key players out due to injury, but once we get those guys back we should be in good shape.”
Quiambao, who also played in 2025, said he’s hopeful looking ahead to the post-season.
“After last year, getting knocked out in the first round, the hope for this season is to be a competitive team going into the playoffs,” he said.
Amid the wins, some players are starting to stand out due to their stellar play on the diamond, notably pitchers Calvin Johnson and Jackson Kolakoski.
Johnson, a right-hander, threw a complete-game shutout with 11 strikeouts as the Vikings beat Hartnell on Feb. 3 — a performance that earned Johnson the California Community College Athletic Association’s Norcal Player/Co-Pitcher of the Week award.
It also represented DVC’s second Norcal Player/Co-Pitcher of the Week honor in two consecutive weeks, following Kolakoski’s dominant relief appearance on Jan. 31 against Solano, a game the Vikings won 9-3 with Kolakoski pitching five innings and allowing one hit with no earned runs and five strikeouts.
During DVC’s game the previous day against Solano, on Jan. 30, fans got to see Anthony Capra hit a bases-clearing double as the Vikings’ bats came alive for a 10-7 win.
In another impressive performance on Feb. 5 against Laney College, Matthew Dashner, a right-handed pitcher and outfielder, pitched in relief and was also aggressive on the bases. Dashner collected three hits that day as he drove in a run, scored twice and swiped multiple bases.
Quiambao said the Vikings are still looking to sharpen their game—particularly at the plate—as the season draws down and the playoffs near.
“Our pitching is what keeps us in games and gives us the chance to win,” he said.
But, “the thing we need to improve on is our hitting. If we get our hitting down, [we] could be a formidable force.”