BRONCOS DO IT ALL ON DAY OF EMOTION FOR GRIZZLIES
Rain and wet fields have wreaked havoc on high school baseball, wiping out the prestigious Hilltop Tournament and jumbling others.
After a bad experience in an early-season tournament last season, former Long Beach State teammates Neil Jamison of Mission Hills and Jeff Baumback of Rancho Bernardo decided to go their own way, setting up their own series and hoping to dodge the deluges that have set teams back.
Thursday, Mission Hills and RB played the second of a three-game series on an emotional day when Air Force veteran Gabriel Sanchez, an ardent supporter of the Grizzlies program and the father of Mission Hills assistant coach Gordon Sanchez, was honored after passing away in December.
Emotions, however, couldn’t push the Grizzlies to victory as Rancho Bernardo, ranked No. 5 in the preseason, banged out 11 hits en route to a 9-3 win.
And while he wasn’t happy with the loss, Jamison is happy with the early-season schedule, which has the Grizzlies (1-2) playing Rancho Bernardo three times, then traveling with the Broncos for doubleheaders at Newhall Hart and La Quinta.
“We played in an early tournament last season, went 4-1 and it hurt us in the playoff seedings,” Jamison said. “Jeff and I are friends, and we decided to try something different.
“RB has a really good team, an Open Division team, and while I’d like to beat them, losing to them isn’t going to hurt us come playoff time.”
Rancho Bernardo (3-0), which beat Mission Hills 8-5 earlier in the week and plays the Grizzlies again in a week, got five strong innings from junior right-hander Tyler Arnold. Arnold retired the first 12 hitters he faced, and allowed just two hits, striking out six, including the side in the third inning.
“I was on a tight pitch count, 50-60 pitches,” said Arnold, who also hits in the cleanup spot for the Broncos. “I was trying to be efficient. Falling behind in counts isn’t good.
“We’ve had a lot of rain, the schedule has been jumbled up, but we played today, we play at La Quinta on Saturday. Heck, I’m happy just to be playing.”
Jehee Lee led the Broncos’ offense with a single, double and triple, driving in three and scoring three times. Hugo Gonzalez had two hits, drove in two and scored twice.
Trent Abel and Nick Derham also had two hits.
“This team is going to hit,” Baumback said. “We return a lot of juniors and seniors, experienced guys.
“And we start two freshmen (Gonzalez and Nathan Bembenek), they’re really good.
“We have some power. One through nine can hit.”
Baumback is also happy with the early scheduling.
“The new rules charge a point for every game you play, and you have 28 points,” Baumback said. “It used to be a tournament counted two points, so it made sense to play in a tournament.
“Neil put this thing together with Hart and La Quinta, and I like it. We play a series with a good Mission Hills team, and play a couple of games against different opponents.”
The Broncos and Grizzlies open play next week in the North County Tournament, a traditionally strong event which this season includes La Jolla Country Day and Santa Fe Christian.