No Summer Vacation for Centaurs Baseball

Despite not having many of his best players available, Culver City High baseball coach Rick Prieto can be satisfied with how his team has fared in the Summer League.

The Centaurs wrapped up the regular season with a loss to San Pedro, but still finished in a tie for first place in the North Division with Los Angeles Loyola, although Loyola was awarded the higher seed for the playoffs because the Cubs beat Culver City head-to-head. 

On Friday, Culver City lost to Mira Costa 11-4 in Manhattan Beach in the second round of the Summer League playoffs and Prieto praised Mustangs Coach Cassidy Olson for putting on the primer season of the Summer League.

"I hope it continues next year," Prieto said. "With most of our seniors playing elsewhere during the summer, it gives our freshmen and JV players an opportunity to experience and compete against the type of baseball being played by the better teams in the South Bay."

Pablo Saucedo started on the mound Friday and allowed five runs on four hits in two innings. Mario Fragoso pitched in relief and gave up six runs on eight hits in four innings. Catcher Jon Kocker had a strong game, picking a runner off first and tagging a runner out at home on a strong throw from right field. 

Jay Steiner had two hits with an RBI double and scored a run and Kocker had a hit and two RBIs. Juan Alcala had an RBI double and Robert Kirk doubled and scored two runs for Culver City.

The Centaurs had only five credible seniors playing on Friday—the rest were a mixture of underclassmen trying to earn their stripes. Although he likes to win, Prieto knows the primary purpose of summer games is to develop the talent within the program 

"These games give me a chance to evaluate the younger players coming up and see if they are ready to step up to the varsity level," Prieto said.  

Among the standout players missing from the Centaurs' lineup were shortstop/catcher Chris Caines, who transferred to another school, and top pitcher Tyler Mark, who has been playing with the Nike program in Georgia this summer.

Mira Costa had an 11-3 lead with runners in scoring position and threatened to end the game on the mercy rule, but Ibarra pitched out of the jam. However, the Centaurs could not get hits at the right time and committed four errors. 

Culver City finished second in the Ocean League and reached the CIF Southern Section Division 3 semifinals last season. The Centaurs lost seven players to graduation: pitcher Ryan Mattingly, third baseman Sean Cogman, catcher/first baseman Garrett Gemgnani, pitcher Jacob Metzinger, third baseman Ryan Mulvihill and outfielders Brandon Tostado and Rodney Bradley.