San Benito earns top seed, will host No. 16 Silver Creek
Wednesday
Hollister
The No. 1 seed is not usually a spot reserved for public schools, at least it hasn’t been recently. In fact, the top spot in the Central Coast Section baseball playoffs has only been given to two different public schools in recent years.
But the honor of being the section’s top team extended down to San Benito on Saturday, as the Haybalers wrapped up the top spot with a 24-5 overall record after they claimed their third straight Tri-County Athletic League title.
The ‘Balers will host No. 16 Silver Creek (25-4) Wednesday in Hollister at 4 p.m.
“It’s quite an honor,” Luna said. Only public schools Wilcox and Leigh High, a team managed by Luna, have earned the No. 1 seed in recent years. “I think we’re the third public school in the last 12 or 13 years to be seeded No. 1 in Division I baseball.”
With the CCS taking into account a team’s last 22 games, San Benito was 19-3 in that stretch, and earned 69 points – the most of any team in any division. No. 2 Serra (25-6) had 65 points, while Division II Aptos was second in points with 67.
And Serra was just one of five teams selected from the powerful West Catholic Athletic League. Member schools of the WCAL have received the No. 1 seed the last three years.
“Easily, all five of them could be seeded seven or higher,” Luna said. “Based on how the point system is set up, we earned that No. 1 seed.”
The top seed pits San Benito into a semifinal bracket with No. 9 Bellarmine (18-15), No. 5 Salinas (22-8) and No. 4 Mitty (21-10). Of those three teams, the fourth-seeded Monarchs were the only team to defeat San Benito this season, a 3-2 eight-inning affair at the Mike Hazlett Tournament.
“But it’s a one-and-done tournament. Anything can happen,” Luna said. “But the team has a lot of confidence right now … We’re playing with a lot of confidence. Our guys feel that we should be able to play in the final game.”
A date in the final game could perhaps mean another battle with a WCAL powerhouse. Serra and No. 3 Valley Christian (26-6) are the two names that stand out on the opposite side of the bracket, while No. 14 Gilroy (12-17) will open the CCS tournament against the third-seeded Warriors.
San Benito has won 13 of their last 14 contests, including the last five straight, and will look to continue that trend against Silver Creek on Wednesday.
Silver Creek claimed the West Valley Division title of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.
“They’re used to winning,” Luna said. “We earned the spot and we believe we’re the No. 1 team.”
Note:
Free T-shirts will be given out to the first 100 fans at Wednesday’s CCS game between San Benito and Silver Creek at SBHS. Prizes will be given out throughout the game, and any Little League player who attends the game in uniform will have a chance of winning prizes. First pitch is at 4 p.m.
