Valley Christian Academy senior Jake Sween signed a national letter of intent to play baseball at Westmont College in Santa Barbara.

Sween sustained arm trouble in his junior year and this season suffered from back spasms. That took a bat out of his hands, but on the mound he compiled a 4-2 record with a 2.60 ERA and 50 strikeouts against just eight walks in 35 innings pitched.

Sween pitched a complete game Tuesday to help lift Valley Christian past Lodi-Elliot Christian 7-5 and into the Sac-Joaquin Section Division VII championship game. The Lions will meet Tracy-Millennium at noon Monday at Sacramento City College.

“He … worked very hard to return to the mound this year,” coach Brad Gunter Jr. said. “Overall, he is one of the greatest young men you will ever meet, and I am so happy he will have the opportunity at Westmont to continue his career.”

Gunter said Sween has a “tremendous” upside, standing 6-foot-5 and possessing a strong work ethic. His velocity also continues to increase.