The Otay Ranch High baseball team was ordered to forfeit 12 victories this season for use of an ineligible player. The forfeits exceed the number allowed for a team to be eligible for the playoffs and dropped the Mustangs’ mark to 5-17 overall.
Under the section’s current guidelines, six forfeits spell instant elimination from playoff consideration. However, Otay Ranch is 3-1 and tied for the Mesa League lead. The Mustangs figure if they capture the league laurels they might be able to plead their case for a playoff berth.
That’s a long shot at best.
Jerry Schniepp, coordinator of athletics for the Sweetwater school district, said Otay Ranch might file an appeal to be considered for the postseason, but it's unlikely the San Diego Section would grant it.
The player, who was declared ineligible because of residence, played in the first 15 games of the season for Otay Ranch, during which the Mustangs went 12-3.
More Baseball: For Poteets sake
Brothers Cody and Michael Poteet of El Cajon Christian beat up on Serra in a 13-0 Eastern League victory.
Freshman right-hander Cody Poteet spun a no-hitter, while striking out 11. He also was 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs. His sophomore brother, Michael Poteet, the Patriots second baseman, came into the game batting a forgettable .212. In the game, the elder Poteet had a career day with four hits (two doubles), three RBI and two runs in four at-bats.
Softball: No stopping Valhalla junior
Valhalla coach Doug Hartung compares junior Kaitlin McGinley to Norseman graduate and former professional softball player Carri Leto. He should know since he has coached them both. McGinley batted .610 (25 for 41) during the month of April. She scored 14 runs, stole 14 bases and had seven RBI. McGinley has gone hitless in only two of Valhalla’s 25 games this year.
Track and Field: Ross sets pole vault record
Junior Kortney Ross of Westview set a San Diego Section record in the pole vault when she soared 13-feet, eclipsing the year-old mark of 12-10 set by Rancho Bernardo's Emily Mattoon last year. Instead of tackling the state leader's mark of 13-1, Ross had the bar placed at 13-4. She missed all three tries.
More Track and Field: University City’s Fleet no flash in the pan
Mac Fleet of University City (San Diego), an Oregon-bound senior, made it two sub-1:51 half-miles in less than a week as he rolled to a 1:50.88 in the 800 at the Escondido Invitational. He is simply not getting the competition to crack 1:50 after rolling to a 1:50.31 at the UC San Diego Invitational six days earlier. He will focus on the 1,600 at state where he owns silver and bronze medals.
Other Top Performances
— Michael Fagan of the San Diego Jewish Academy has rolled up some impressive strikeout numbers. The 5-foot-11, 145-pound junior southpaw has fanned 114 batters in 54 innings.
— Rancho Bernardo’s Laura Winter was a double-threat as she helped the 4th-ranked Broncos stampede past the SDSCIF’s No. 1-ranked Poway 7-2. Not only did Winter post a complete-game victory in the circle, she was also 3-for-4 with a home run and a triple.
— Horizon’s Cassidy Coleman ran her record to 20-1 by tossing a 1-hitter with 19 strikeouts in the Panthers 17-2 rout of Mountain Empire. Coleman was also 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles.
— Amye McIntyre of Francis Parker delivered a no-hitter and struck out 17 as the Lancers blanked Bishop’s 1-0.
— Mack Santora of St. Margaret’s charted four hits and six RBI as the Tartans topped Oxford Academy, 12-7.
— Gavin Stoecker of Orange pitched his sixth complete game of the season, while improving his record to 7-0 in a 12-3 victory over Ocean View, 12-3.
— Huntington Beach’s Jon Combest was 3-for-4 with two home runs and seven RBI as the Oilers slipped past Northwood, 14-7.
— Chase DeJong of Valley Christian pitched a no-hitter, allowing only three walks, and struck out 15 in a 7-0 win over Los Angeles Baptist in an Olympic League joust.
Coming Attractions
One of the better bargains in high school baseball will take place this weekend when five regular games will be played at Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres. On Friday, May 8 Cathedral Catholic will face rival St. Augustine at 4 and Vista takes on Carlsbad at 7. On Saturday, May 9, the lineup is as follows: Canyon Crest vs. Francis Parker at 10; Bonita Vista vs. Chula Vista at 1; and Central Union vs. El Centro Southwest at 4. Tickets are $5 per day with opening seating.
Dickens Dealings
The threat of a swine flu pandemic looms ever so prominent.
Some call it panic, others view it as precaution.
Fact is, classes and sports at Kearny and Vista’s Mission Hills high schools have been halted for two weeks. That, of course, has pleased no one.
While obviously upset by being one of the few to have his season frozen, Kearny’s first-year head baseball coach Brock Ungricht understands the situation. Nonetheless, Ungricht laments the fact, given that his Komets are on their way to the school’s first Central League pennant in decades.
Ungricht would not go on the record, but he hinted that the public health officials were perhaps overreacting.
No matter. Regardless of what happens elsewhere, Kearny and Mission Hills will have to stand by and watch others play.
Question here is will the games the Komets and Mission Hills miss be made up? If not, how will that affect the playoff seeding process.
If the swine flu virus becomes wider spread there is the possibility that more schools will close and more teams will be sidelined.
A worst case scenario is panic among wary administrators could cause a premature end to all sports seasons. That’s right – no playoffs, no champions.
From a selfish standpoint, athletes, coaches and parents will no doubt complain regardless of the danger level. They’ll claim missing games could cause their children to miss scholarship opportunities.
Despite all the moaning and second-guessing that pops up in the next few weeks, caution will continue to be the last word. Period!
