Gilroy
– So you have a tale of two teams, one that plays baseball and
the other softball.
The baseball team played three games in 24 hours and five in
four days. The softball team took a week off from playing.
Gilroy – So you have a tale of two teams, one that plays baseball and the other softball.
The baseball team played three games in 24 hours and five in four days. The softball team took a week off from playing.
So which team is better off?
Look at the results and the answer screams out the Mustang baseball team. And yet wins and losses don’t tell the whole story.
Let’s start with the baseball team, which went 4-1 in the Peninsula Easter Classic. Gilroy (17-9) has won 10 of 11 and is now 13-2 in games that count. The Mustangs are tied at the top of the Tri-County Athletic League with San Benito and Salinas.
Take away one bad inning against San Benito and another bad inning against Fremont, and the Mustangs could be unbeaten in the games that count toward the Central Coast Section rankings that determine which teams advance to the playoffs.
GHS coach Clint Wheeler believes Gilroy is reaping the benefits of a tough early-season schedule that included Bellarmine Prep, St. Francis and Carmel. The Mustangs were beat up a bit but found themselves as soon as they got into the games “that count.” Gilroy was limping along with a 4-7 record when it faced Seaside. The Mustangs pounded the Spartans 22-0 and have been rolling since, other than the two bad innings.
GHS is swinging the bat well. Nobody is swinging it better than Tyler Osborne, who has 18 hits in his last 27 at bats, including four home runs, and has drive in 15 runs in his last seven games.
“He made an adjustment moving a little off the plate and it has paid off,” Wheeler said. “He’s pulled up his batting average about 150 points.”
Matt Hemeon is also swinging a sweet bat and Michael Stevens has been solid almost from the get-go. Also, during the tournament Wheeler used eight different pitchers which can only help especially if the Mustangs qualify for the CCS playoffs.
It’s different for the Gilroy girls. Every game counts. Again, that’s good and bad. It’s good because the Mustangs are 17-6. One of their wins is over CCS powerhouse Archbishop Mitty, the Monarchs’ only loss. Twenty wins may be enough for Gilroy to earn an at-large playoff berth. It’s bad because the Mustangs trail three TCAL teams. It’s good because one of those teams, Notre Dame, is in Division 3 so the Spirits’ standing doesn’t affect GHS.
Even after a 2-1 loss Thursday to Salinas that left GHS 2-3 in TCAL, Catherine Hallada wasn’t unhappy. She would have liked to see more than three hits. And yet, even after an eight-day break, the Mustangs played errorless ball and Patty Olvera was on her pitching game.
Hallada believes that because the games against the TCAL toughies were on the road, the Mustangs may have an advantage the second time around against San Benito, Notre Dame and Salinas.
“We’re looking forward to playing those teams the second time around,” Hallada said. “I told the girls to keep their heads up. I think we’re going to do a lot better facing them at home.”
Stat stuff: Osborne is second in the South County/Monterey Bay area in home runs (seven), RBIs (29) and hits (31). Stevens has the most hits (35) and Hemeon is tied for second in doubles with 10. Danny Contreras leads in stolen bases with 22. Jacob Dexter leads in innings pitched (45 2/3) and is tied for first in complete games (three) … Among the girls, Jasmine Perez leads in home runs (six), has the most hits (30) and RBIs (30), and is tied for first in multi-hit games (10). Lauryn Chris is first in runs scored (24) and steals (nine).
Gilroy High leaders
Gilroy Softball Statistics
Games through 4-12-07
Name AB H Avg.
Reese 57 25 .439
Chris 71 28 .395
Perez 77 30 .390
Tellez 73 24 .329
Herrada 51 15 .290
Home Runs-Perez 6, Reese 3.
Triples-Perez 2.
Doubles-Perez 5, Chris 3, Tellez 3, Esquival 2, Olvera 2.
RBIs-Perez 30, Tellez 12, Reese 11.
Runs-Chris 24, Perez 20, Balanesi 12, Herrada 11, Tellez 11, Reese 10.
Hits-Perez 30, Chris 28, Reese 25, Tellez 24, Olvera 17.
Multi-hit games-Perez 10, Chris 9, Reese 7, Olvera 6, Tellez 6.
Gilroy Baseball Statistics
Games through 4-12-07
Name AB H Avg.
Osborne 77 31 .403
Stevens 88 35 .398
Grove 61 24 .393
Dexter 64 25 .391
Felix 23 8 .348
Hemeon 87 30 .345
Home Runs-Osborne 7, Grove 3, Duffy 2.
Triples-Contreras 2, Grove 2.
Doubles-Hemeon 10, Contreras 8, Dexter 7, Grove 6, Osborne 5.
RBIs-Osborne 29, Stevens 28, Grove 22, Hemeon 20, Contreras 14.
Runs-Stevens 27, Contreras 26, Grove 24, Hemeon 24, Dexter 20, Osborne 20.
Hits-Stevens 35, Osborne 31, Hemeon 30, Dexter 25, Grove 24.
Multi-hit games-Osborne 10, Stevens 10, Hemeon 8, Grove 7, Contreras 6.
