Pitching key factor in team’s success
There are still a lot of ball games to be played, but if the San
Benito High School varsity baseball team were to win a Central
Coast Section title this year much of the credit would go to the
team’s pitching staff.
Pitching key factor in team’s success
There are still a lot of ball games to be played, but if the San Benito High School varsity baseball team were to win a Central Coast Section title this year much of the credit would go to the team’s pitching staff.
“We are really deep this year. We have nine guys that throw, and we use them all,” said Michael Luna, San Benito High’s baseball coach. “We don’t have a single guy on the roster that’s thrown a complete game. And we don’t have one guy who has thrown more than four innings in a game.”
While a comment like that would often be a sign of erratic pitching and concern, it’s not this year as Luna has such a large talent pool that he feels confident with any one of his athletes out there and opts to mix things up and keep the rotation fresh.
The pitchers that have seen the bulk of playing time this season are Zach Canez, Michael Garcia, Miles Sanchez, Nathan Hopkins and Steve Cabral.
All five of them have a combined record on the hill of 13-3, which also happens to equal the Balers overall record this season. All of them also have impressive ERAs that hover around the 3.00 mark.
“This is the best depth that I’ve ever had,” Luna said. “I still don’t know how good we can be. Even though we are mid season I don’t have everyone’s roles defined because I’m so confident in all of them. Anyone of them can go out there and get it done.”
While Luna has a slew of pitchers to choose from it is expected that Canez will be the team’s main go-to guy down the stretch. Canez currently has an ERA of 2.50 and a record of 2-2, which is impressive considering the injury he suffered early on in the season.
“He got hit pretty good with a fastball in his right (throwing) elbow and felt it the first month-and-a-half,” Luna said. “I think that had something to do with him missing some of his velocity, but he’s coming back now.’
A year ago the junior hurler was the team’s closer late in the season. But with a fastball that hovers in the low 80s, and a solid changeup, Luna likes to see Canez out there for the opening pitch.
“He’s got a real presence on the mound,” Luna said. “He understands how to pitch and the players feed off of that.”
He also has a great deal of big game experience as he competes all over the country in tournaments during the summer months as a member of a Northern California travel team.
When Canez is not on the mound, Luna feels equally comfortable with Garcia, a senior fireballer who is routinely clocked at 85 mph.
“That is a real good high school fastball,” Luna said. “He pitched only four innings for us last year but he’s got good velocity.”
So far this season Garcia has a 3.00 ERA and a 3-1 record on the hill.
He’s entered games this season at different times but Luna foresees Sanchez as being the team’s closer down the stretch. Typically a closer is the guy who can bring the most heat but Luna is most impressed by Sanchez’s ability to throw strikes and stay out of trouble.
“His fastball is only about 80 mph, but he has real good movement and a good changeup,” he said. “He knows how to get people out.”
Sanchez’s record this season is 3-0.
Hopkins is another junior with a perfect 3-0 mark, although he hasn’t seen much action in recent weeks now that Canez is looking sharper and everyone’s roles are getting more defined. But that doesn’t mean that Luna would hesitate to bring him in. And the same goes for Steve Cabral – a sophomore with a 2-0 record who can send his pitches across the plate in the low to mid 80s.
“He has a sharp breaking ball and a lot of potential to start for us, too,” Luna said. “We have nine guys to chose from this year so it’s a nice position to be in.”
Ironically, Luna’s biggest concern at the start of the season was how his pitching staff would hold up, which is why he purposely scheduled 13 games the first three weeks of the season so that he could have it all sorted out before the start of league play, which got under way two weeks ago.
Now he feels like his team is a frontrunner to win the Tri County Athletic League title again this year before making a strong run in the playoffs.
“As far as league goes, I like our chances,” Luna said. “We’re also playing in a tournament this weekend and next weekend that will include a lot of the top teams in the section, which will help get us ready for the playoffs.”
This weekend the Balers will be competing in the Serra High School Knights of Columbus Tournament in San Mateo where they are slated to face Palo Alto High School at 2 p.m. tomorrow and Junipero Serra Monday at 3:30 p.m.
The Balers next league game is Tuesday, April 17 at North Salinas High. That game gets under way at 4 p.m.
