By TED APOCADA: The Pacifica High baseball team opened up its season on Saturday with a double header against Marina. The Mariners won the first game, 3-2, but dropped the second to the Vikings, 4-2, at Pacifica High.
The Mariners head into the season with high hopes of improving on last year’s third-place finish in the Empire League. Cypress again looks to be the front-runner, but the Mariners have some key experience that they will lean on this year.
By TED APOCADA: The Pacifica High baseball team opened up its season on Saturday with a double header against Marina. The Mariners won the first game, 3-2, but dropped the second to the Vikings, 4-2, at Pacifica High.
The Mariners head into the season with high hopes of improving on last year’s third-place finish in the Empire League. Cypress again looks to be the front-runner, but the Mariners have some key experience that they will lean on this year.
Foremost will be the team’s defense, which head coach Mike Caira said will be one of the team’s strongest assets.
Primary to that defense will be senior shortstop and four-year starter Joey Ortiz. The Mariners also have a lot of speed in the outfield. Senior centerfielder Sean Geer and senior rightfielder Thomas Mercurio will lead the outfield.
That speed will also be a factor for the Mariners’ on offense. They won’t have a lot of power, so they will look to play small-ball to generate runs and keep pressure on opposing defenses.
Their one-run win over the Vikings in the first game on Saturday was indicative of the way Caira thinks his team will be successful.
Junior Caleb Vaughn pitched five innings with just two runs allowed and only one walk. Senior Troy Bethell, who recently joined the team after basketball season, pitched the sixth inning to get the save.
Sophomore Joshua Miranda will also be called upon to be a primary starter on the mound for the Mariners, as well as junior left hander Nathan Johnson. Caira said his team’s defense should be his pitching staff’s best friend.
“As long as we’re pitching to contact, we should be good,” Caira said.
On offense, sophomore second baseman Matt Moslenko had a hit and an RBI for the Mariners in the win over the Vikings. Geer and Ortiz each had a hit and scored a run. Sophomore infielder Bobby Santos also had a hit and a run.
The Mariners are slotted into CIF-SS Division 1, a tough draw for a school with only about 1,700 students, but Caira said he thinks they can compete.
The Mariners will continue this week in the Loara Tournament, with a game at Santa Margarita scheduled for Thursday, at Santa Margarita at 3 p.m.
