SD Prep Sports

SD Prep Sports: Prep Baseball

Metro teams challenge but bow in CIF playoffs

By Phillip Brents
Posted June 28, 2004

The 2004 San Diego Section baseball playoffs concluded June 5 with four divisional championship games at SDSU’s Tony Gwynn Stadium. While there were no South County representatives this season, the section’s annual tournament nevertheless served as a showcase for area players to display their talent for college and professional scouts.

Take one example from the recent past: Bonita Vista grad Jake McLintock concluded his junior season with the Mountain West Conference tournament runner-up Aztecs, coached by the Padres’ legend Gwynn, ranked fifth on the SDSU squad with a .315 hitting average and was third overall with 42 RBI.

There are others surely to follow his lead at the NCAA Division I level and beyond.

The San Diego Section’s double-elimination bracket playoff format once again determined the four divisional champions. Six teams competed in two brackets in all four divisions of the baseball playoffs for a total of 12 in each division. Four teams in each bracket (eight total) met in single-elimination “play-in” games, with the four surviving teams joining four previously seeded teams in double-elimination play.

Division I
Montgomery earned the top seed in the Division I playoffs but fell, 2-0, in its playoff opener May 26 to unseeded Torrey Pines, which had eliminated Sweetwater by a 3-0 score the previous day to earn advancement to the double elimination round.

The loss dropped the Mesa League champion Aztecs to the loser’s round, joined by Granite Hills after the Eagles dropped a 6-2 decision to fourth-seeded La Costa Canyon. Montgomery edged Granite Hills, 2-1, in 10 innings to rematch with Torrey Pines after the Falcons lost a 5-4 contest against LCC in the winner’s round. The Aztecs’ season came to a close on May 29 following another two-run loss to the Falcons, this time by a score of 5-3 as catcher Adam Jacobs singled in two runs in a three-run fifth inning to snap a 2-2 deadlock.

LCC continued through the winner’s round, dumping Torrey Pines for a second time, 4-1 on June 1, to advance to the division championship game against second-seeded Fallbrook on June 5 at SDSU’s Tony Gwynn Stadium. The Mavericks topped the Warriors, 7-4, to claim their second consecutive division title as senior center fielder Nick Burke hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning.

LCC finished the playoff tournament 4-0 to conclude its season with a final 25-9 record after finishing second in the Avocado League standings at 10-5.

Montgomery, which worked hard to earn the top seed in the division with some gutsy early season tournament wins, ended the 2004 campaign with a 26-7 record after finishing 12-1 in league play. The Aztecs were led on the mound by Roman Pena (10-1, 1.05 ERA, 89 strikeouts), who threw a masterful game by striking out 10 batters in the extra-inning playoff win against Granite Hills. Alexis Gutierrez (6-1) ranked second on the team in the win column while Daniel Vargas (4-0) led the staff with a 0.95 ERA.Vargas paced Montgomery with a .440 hitting average and 525 on-base percentage. Pena and Persona were right behind Vargas with a .500 on-base percentage.

Pena, who ranked second on the club with a .423 hitting average, topped the Aztecs with a .667 slugging percentage, followed by Edgar Molina (.652) and Vargas (.640). Kiko Hermosillo ranked third on the team with a .415 hitting average, followed by Persona (.408).

Donald Melton keyed the Aztecs with 27 RBI, followed by Hermosillo (24), Persona (23) and Molina (22).
Sweetwater also concluded a highly successful season with a 19-10 overall record, 8-5 in league play. Vidal Nuno (10-4) was the team’s pitching ace, leading the league with a 0.79 ERA and 107 strikeouts. David Galindo was 8-2 on the hill with a 2.56 ERA.

SuHi’s Oscar Ortega and Jesus Torres were the league’s speed demons with 22 and 21 stolen bases, respectively. Torres led the Red Devils with a .358 hitting average while Daniel Gaytan (.308) and Mario Macias (.303) also surpassed the .300 plateau. Torres had a .442 on-base percentage while Nuno (22), Ortega (20) and Chrystian Rios (19) paced the team in the RBI department.

Eastlake, which finished 9-4 in league play (second behind Montgomery), defeated San Marcos, 9-4, in the opening “play-in” round to meet third-seeded Rancho Bernardo in the first round of double elimination play. The Titans, who took a 21-9 record into the game against the Palomar League champion Broncos, carried the game into the eighth inning before coming up short by a 7-6 score.

The loss dropped Eastlake to the loser’s round against Rancho Buena Vista after the Longhorns had absorbed a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Avocado League champion Fallbrook. RBV (the second-place finisher in the Palomar League) got the upper hand in the matchup, dealing the Titans a 9-6 elimination loss.

As the regular season came to a rushing close, Anthony Benner led Eastlake with 25 RBI and a .397 hitting average. Eric Martinez was the team home run leader (6) while hitting .303 and knocking in 19 runners. Nick Romero hit .360 and ranked second on the team with 22 RBI.

Martinez (8-1, 2.58 ERA) and Benner (7-2, 2.85 ERA) were also standouts on the mound while fellow junior Jon Eubanks racked up 53 strikeouts.

In the playoff win against San Marcos, Eubanks went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI as the Titans snapped a 2-2 deadlock with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Martinez and Ivan Anda limited the Knights to four hits in the contest.

In the elimination loss to RBV, Benner hit a fourth-inning home run with one runner on base.

Division II
Hilltop (14-15, 9-4) and Castle Park (11-19, 8-5) both lost “play-in” games. Hilltop finished as the regular season South Bay League champion but fell by a 5-2 score to Ramona (20-15, 10-5). Castle Park, which finished second in the South Bay League standings, dropped an 8-2 decision to Grossmont (19-12, 7-5).

Hilltop hitting leaders included Eric Quintero (.429), Michael Lanthorn (.407), Rowell Beniston (.376), Jacob Fadden (.370), Andrew Andriopulos (.370) and Daniel Erece (.354). Quintero led the Lancers with a .542 on-base percentage while Lanthorn keyed with team with a .494 slugging percentage ahead of Quintero (.481). Quintero also paced Hilltop with 21 RBI; Fadden and Lanthorn ranked in a tie for second with 18 RBI. Lanthorn (15) and Beniston (14) led the Lancers in the stolen bases department.

Pitching leaders included Quintero (6-4, 1.73 ERA), J.P. Bowen (3-0) and Jesse Morales (3-4).

Top-seeded Valhalla (27-5) defeated Ramona twice and added a victory against Grossmont to advance to the championship game against fellow Grossmont Conference rival El Capitan. However, the Vaqueros (25-9) ended the Norsemen’s run with an 8-2 title game victory.

Division III
Top-seeded Mission Bay (27-7) defeated third-seeded St. Augustine (23-10) in the championship game. The Buccanners, led by four-RBI efforts from Henry Sanchez and Zach Sand and four hits by Padres’ top amateur draft pick Matt Bush, trounched a weary Saints pitching staff with 14 hits.

Division IV
Marian Catholic went 4-2 in the tournament, winning a 12-7 “play-in” game from Palo Verde before advancing to within one victory of the championship game to make amends for a “so-so” regular season.

The Crusaders finished 1-1 in matchups against top-seeded Christian, eliminating the Patriots 7-0 in the third round on May 29, and eventual division champion Francis Parker, seeded fourth in the division.

After winning the rematch with Christian, Marian Catholic upended previously unbeaten Francis Parker, 6-2, on June 1 to force a second semifinal contest on June 3. However, the Crusaders were not as successful in the rematch, falling 9-2 to the Lancers (24-8, 9-2).

Marian Catholic finished the season 13-22, 4-9 in league play.

Francis Parker (24-8) downed third-seeded Santa Fe Christian (21-8) by a 4-0 score in the championship game.

Midway Baptist, which finished 13-2 in second to Mt. Empire in Citrus West League play, lost a 13-2 “play-in” round game to Imperial. The Patriots finished 15-6 overall.