nal baseball tournament took center stage earlier this week on high school diamonds across San Diego County. A total of 136 teams in nine divisions participated during the annual spring break event that attracted teams from throughout the western United States.
All 13 Metro Conference teams, as well as High Tech High Chula Vista, competed in pool round games Monday through Wednesday.
They included Montgomery and Eastlake in the Classic Division; Bonita Vista in the Premier Division; San Ysidro and Otay Ranch in the 6A Division; Hilltop and Olympian in the 5A Division; Chula Vista, Mater Dei Catholic and Sweetwater in the 4A Division; Mar Vista in the 3A Division; Southwest in the 2A Division; Castle Park in the 1A Division; and High Tech Chula Vista in the 1A-Plus Division.
The tournament, which has earned a reputation as both the oldest and largest high school baseball tournament in the nation, has become a spring rite among local teams.
“It’s a chance to play ball against in-town and out-of-town teams over spring break, a chance for the kids to get outside and do something and not sit at home,” explained Chula Vista High School head coach Jim Westlund, who is in his 24th year coaching the Spartans. “There are a lot of benefits.”
Horizon Christian Academy head coach Seth Loh concurred with Westlund’s comments.
“The Lions tournament is highly competitive,” explained Loh, whose team dropped into CVHS Tuesday afternoon for a 2A Division game against Holtville. “It brings in teams from all over that are looking for competitive games. As a local team, it’s about pride. It’s showing what San Diego is as a baseball community.
The tournament has something for everybody. “It’s for small schools; it’s for large schools,” Loh said. “If you’re looking to compete, they’ll find something for you.”
The Spartans dropped their opening two games in the tournament, including Tuesday’s 3-2 non-league contest against the visiting Mt. Miguel Matadors.
Chula Vista engineered a last-inning rally that fell just short after the Matadors had taken a 3-0 lead in the previous frame.
A bunt single by Amador Medina loaded the bases. A force-out by Sergio Ramirez scored teammate Alex Celiceo and the Spartans plated another run when Javier Gomez over ran third base but still managed to score on the throw home.
Chula Vista then stranded the tying run at second base on a deep fly-out to left field to end the game.
Edder Rincon started the game and received the loss. Celiceo entered the game in the sixth inning in relief.
Angel Abarca, Johnny Nicasio and Joel Sandoval each scored runs for the Matadors, who used two pitchers in the game — Trevor Darby and Andrew Montijo.
Mt. Miguel out-hit Chula Vista 8-5 in the contest.
The Spartans dropped a 4-2 decision to visiting Nevada Union in Monday’s pool opener. Medina and Rincon each scored runs for the hosts.
The Spartans dropped to 1-8 after Tuesday’s setback. But Westlund said wins aren’t necessarily on order at this time of the season: it’s still about learning.
“We’re young, we’re learning,” the CVHS coach explained. “We’ll definitely be stronger in the future. We’re still adjusting to the high school speed of the game. We’re still a little behind, but we’ll catch up by league.”
Westlund called this year’s South Bay League championship race “wide open.”
“Everybody is competitive with each other,” he said. “It’s a six-game shootout when everybody gets going.”
Top performers this season for the Spartans include senior third baseman Aidan Rubio and Gomez, a junior pitcher.
Recent CVHS graduates competing at the next level include Anthony York and Daniel Macias at William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa. They are among six SWC graduates — and nine San Diego County products — on the Statesmen’s roster.
Joining York and Macias are former Jaguars players Dominik Sawyer (Mt. Miguel), Frankie Nunez (Helix), Tyler Martinez (San Diego) and Dylan McDonald (Eastlake).
Closer to home, Spartan alums Brandon Teichman and John Terrazas are both playing baseball at Southwestern College while Diego Blanco is playing for San Diego City College.
Teichman is the Jaguars’ No. 1 pitcher while Terrazas is also on the SWC pitching staff. Blanco is an infielder.
Teichman sported a 4-2 record on the mound in 10 game appearances this season with a 2.30 earned-run average and 23 strikeouts in 43 innings pitched.
Extra bases
Bonita Vista (Premier Division) and Sweetwater (4A Division) each advanced to semifinal games on Thursday while Castle Park advanced directly to the 1A Division final against Buckley (Sherman Oaks).
Bonita Vista (6-2) defeated Ramona, 12-4, on Wednesday to meet Vista in Thursday’s semifinals.
Castle Park (5-3-1) topped Escondido Charter on Wednesday to finish pool play 3-0.
The annual Metro Conference/John Baumgarten Classic tournament gets under way Tuesday, March 29. HTH Chula Vista is participating to round out an even 14-team field as Mesa League teams face off against South Bay/Metro-Pacific League squads.
The tournament championship game is scheduled April 9.
Trojans, Red Devils come away with Lions tournament championships
Sweetwater 5, Calexico 1
The Red Devils defeated the Bulldogs in Thursday’s 4A Division championship game at Mater Dei Catholic High School.
Isaac Piche scored on an error in the bottom of the third inning to put Sweetwater ahead, 2-1, and Red Devil pitcher Salvador Rosales followed with an RBI single to score teammate Josh Garcia.
Rosales, who earned the win on the mound, said the Lions tournament title will help the spur the team’s season goals of winning a league and division banner.
The Red Devils improved to 9-4 while Calexico dropped to 6-6.
Sweetwater finished 2-1 in pool play with wins against (Los Angeles Roosevelt (8-1) and Burbank Burroughs (3-2) and a loss to Mission Bay (2-1). The Red Devils defeated Grass Valley Nevada Union, 3-1, in the semifinals to advance to meet Calexico in the championship game.
Castle Park 6, Sherman Oaks Buckley 5 (10 innings)
Emilio Luna scored three runs and Kevin Netemeyer scored twice as Castle Park outlasted Sherman Oaks Buckley, 6-5, in a 10-inning thriller on March 24 to capture the 66th annual Lions tournament 1A Division championship game.
The Trojans (6-3-1) forced extra innings by scoring a run in the bottom of the seventh inning. After two scoreless extra innings, Castle Park ended the game, played at the San Diego Jewish Academy, in the bottom of the 10th inning by scoring two runs after the Griffins (6-4) had gone ahead, 5-4, in the top of the inning.
Sebastian Arechiga, who collected one hit and one RBI in the contest, earned honors as the Trojans’ Player of the Game. He pitched seven-and-two-thirds innings, allowed three hits, one earned run and struck out five batters to pick up the win.
Joel Escalante, Luna, Diego Martinez and Charles Tolbert also drove in runs for the division champions. Jesse Roman also scored one run.
Luna and Netemeyer each slammed doubles in the game while Luna received credit for a stolen base.
Buckley took an early 4-0 lead with a pair of runs in each of the first and third innings to knock CP starter Nicholas Sessler from the hill.
The Trojans finished 4-0 in tournament play.
Castle Park finished 3-0 in pool play to advance to the championship game. The Trojans opened tourney play on March 21 with a 6-5 victory against Chadwick before drubbing the Dawson School from Lafayette, Colo. by a score of 9-3 the following day. Castle Park wrapped up pool play on March 23 with an 8-2 over Escondido Charter.
The Trojans defeated Chadwick on the strength of a three-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning. Tolbert drove in three runs while Arechiga led the team with four hits, including a triple.
Eleazar Cruz earned the win in relief by pitching two scoreless innings.
In the win over the Dawson School, Castle Park got off to a roaring start by scoring three runs in each of the opening two frames. Arechiga went three-for-four at the plate with three doubles and drove in four runs while Luna pitched a complete game victory with 10 strikeouts.
Arechiga and Martinez each drove in two runs in the win over Escondido Charter while teammate Daniel Becerra collected three hits. Arechiga got the win by pitching two innings of hitless relief.
66th Lions Tournament Championship scoreboard
Classic Division
Championship: El Camino Real 5, Cathedral Catholic 3
Semifinal: El Camino Real 5, Grossmont 3
Semifinal: Cathedral Catholic 3, Rancho Bernardo 1
Premier Division
Championship: Vista 9, Christian 5
Semifinal: Vista 10, Bonita Vista 3
Semifinal: Christian 5, Scripps Ranch 2
6A Division
Championship: Coronado 17, Steele Canyon 1
Semifinal: Coronado 4, La Jolla 3
Semifinal: Steele Canyon 3, Granite Bay 2 (9 innings)
5A Division
Championship: Santa Fe Christian 6, Mira Mesa 2
Semifinal: Santa Fe Christian 3, Del Norte 0
Semifinal: Mira Mesa 3, Highlands Ranch Valor Christian 1
4A Division
Championship: Sweetwater 5, Calexico 1
Semifinal: Sweetwater 3, Nevada Union 1
Semifinal: Calexico 3, San Diego 1
3A Division
Championship: Escondido 16, Bishop’s 8
Semifinal: Escondido 7, Clairemont 1
Semifinal: Bishop’s 6, Sage Creek 2
2A Division
Championship: Linfield Christian 9, El Centro Southwest 4
Semifinal: Linfield Christian 2, Horizon Christian Academy 0
Semifinal: El Centro Southwest 10, Lincoln 8
1A Division
Championship: Castle Park 6, Sherman Oaks Buckley 5 (10 innings)
1A-Plus Division
Championship: Temecula Rancho Christian 7, El Cajon Valley 3
