Gilroy, SB ball clubs looking ahead
With the Central Coast Section playoffs lurking right around the
corner, it appears that the Tri County Athletic League will be
strongly represented in the postseason as the regular spring sports
season comes to a close and another school year winds down.
None of the playoff seeding meetings have taken place but
several teams from the TCAL have already locked up spots in the
postseason and a few of them could make serious runs at a section
title.
Gilroy, SB ball clubs looking ahead
With the Central Coast Section playoffs lurking right around the corner, it appears that the Tri County Athletic League will be strongly represented in the postseason as the regular spring sports season comes to a close and another school year winds down.
None of the playoff seeding meetings have taken place but several teams from the TCAL have already locked up spots in the postseason and a few of them could make serious runs at a section title.
Among the teams to watch down the stretch are San Benito High’s league-leading baseball and second-place softball teams – both of which have already clinched playoff spots as a result of their strong overall records.
When the playoffs do get under way, Gilroy High is also expected to have representation in the postseason as both the school’s softball and baseball squads will make the playoffs as a result of its above .500 overall records. Although neither squad will win a league title, both will be qualify for the playoffs since the TCAL is considered an A League for both sports by the CCS, which means that up to four of the top teams from the local league will be selected.
Making things easier this spring for all of the local high school teams was the section’s banning of all Salinas High sports teams from postseason play this year as a result of their recruiting infractions, which cleared the way for another team to make the post season. The Gilroy High baseball team is one of the teams that should benefit from Salinas’ dilemma since the Mustangs are currently tied for third place with the Cowboys.
“We should get in,” said Gilroy Baseball Coach Clint Wheeler. “But a lot of teams are right there. It seems like there are 30 teams at the .500 mark in CCS. Four teams from our league should get in but we’ve also had as many as six go.”
If the Mustangs do get in, Wheeler is most concerned with his pitching staff.
“We’ve got to continue to pitch well. We’re a lot older now at the plate so we should do well there,” Wheeler said.
If they do go to the postseason dance, the Mustangs will rely heavily on left-handed starters Jeremy Teschera and Jacob Dexter, as well as right-handed closer Drew Andersen to get the job done on the hill.
Among the teams on the outside looking in this year is the Live Oak baseball team, which has a sub .500 record overall. Yet despite this, the Acorns still have an outside chance to compete later this month if they win their final games. That would put them at the .500 mark overall, which, when combined with their strong overall schedule, should bode well in the CCS’ playoff points system. Normally a perennial powerhouse in league, Wheeler sees Live Oak’s current struggles as the same issues that may haunt his program in three years time.
“Sobrato took some of their guys and we’ll be in the same boat three years from now when we get another high school in this city too,” said Wheeler.
The Live Oak girls softball team – the defending Division I section champions –have already locked up a postseason berth thanks to their solid overall record. This year, however, the Acorns will compete for a Division II section title since the school’s population numbers have dwindled down with the opening of Sobrato High School.
It’s not always stellar play that gets teams into the section playoffs or the Gilroy High volleyball team would have locked up its spot weeks ago. Instead, the Mustangs didn’t learn their fate until Friday night after press time when the Gilroy volleyball team squared off with Monterey in a match that determined the league championship.
Although both squads have outstanding overall records and have beaten other teams that have already qualified for the postseason, the TCAL is considered by the CCS to be a lower level league. Under the section’s guidelines, only the league champion from lower leagues earns a spot in the playoffs. Heading into the crucial game, Gilroy had the advantage in knowing that they beat Monterey twice earlier in the season and that they would be playing the Toreadores at home.
“That will help a lot because we know that we can beat them. But it’s frustrating every year knowing that the only shot at making the playoffs is to win the league,” said Gilroy High Coach Craig Martin, whose team was 24-9 overall and tied for first place with Monterey with just one game to go. “If we don’t win the last game, we can’t even go as an at-large team. Yet the fifth-place teams in the West Catholic League might get in and the third-place teams in the Santa Cruz and Blossom Valley leagues should get in.”
What’s even worse is that whichever of the two teams won the league championship on Friday night it will still be forced to go up against a high seed in the opening round of the playoffs due to the TCAL’s positioning with the CCS.
“If we get in and we get past the first round, anything can happen. We have a lot of talent on this team,” said Martin. “The good news is that as a league champion we would be guaranteed at least one home game, but it would still be against a top team.”
Another team that should have an opening-round home game is the Baler baseball team, which has one of the most impressive combinations of offense and defense in the section. Senior second baseman Karson Klauer leads the Balers in every offensive category for which stats are kept. In addition to his 5 homeruns and 10 doubles, Klauer has racked up 29 RBI and a batting average that has hovered near the .500 mark in league for most of the season.
In addition to Klauer’s explosive bat, the Balers are getting strong defensive play from senior catcher Travis Ross, as well as solid outings from the pitching staff. The mainstay in the Baler battery has been left-handed hurler Breyon Canez. So far, Canez is 6-0 on the hill. When Canez gets in trouble, he is often being helped out by his younger brother Zach, who has proved effective as the team’s closer, and now has three saves.
When the Live Oak softball team goes to the playoffs they’ll be glad just to have their pitching ace Tricia Goularte in the lineup, period. Last week, Goularte’s hand kept cramping up, which made it difficult for her to hold the ball. As a result, head coach Barry McDonnell was forced to replace her with sophomore pitcher Tanya Ferry.
Ferry pitched well and picked up two big wins over Soquel and San Benito in the Acorns victory in the Watsonville High Tournament last weekend, but she doesn’t have as much velocity on her pitches as Goularte, which could have hurt the Acorns chances against the high-caliber teams in the playoffs.
“Right now, we’re playing good and hitting the ball good,” said McDonnell. “The key in the playoffs is going to be pitching. Tricia’s hand is fine now so we’re excited to get started.”
The CCS seeding meeting for both softball and baseball take place on Saturday, March 13.
