Nick Lemas led the Apaches to a win over La Salle Saturday to open the Babe Herman Tournament at Stengel Field
Seeing Stengel Field is worth taking a drive to Glendale. It’s not your typical high school baseball field although the Crescenta Valley Falcons do call it their home.
It has more of a small college feel. The field is well manicured, and is set down below the bleachers which circle the stadium. Also there is a great view of the foothills beyond the left field wall.
It seems like every time I cover a high school baseball game lately there is a Temple City little leaguer popping up. The latest one was Austin Georgen, who twirled a three hit shut out for Arcadia Saturday at Stengel Field. Georgen, who played at Live Oak Park for the the TCA Red Sox, kept La Salle off balance the entire afternoon, striking out seven while throwing a complete game.
The Apaches lost in the semi finals to Northview in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament but has won four of its first seven games. They were shut out by 1-0 by the Vikings and also were blanked by Burroughs.
“We’ve had some trouble scoring runs here lately. That’s why it was good we were able to get out and score some runs early today,” said Arcadia Coach Nick Lemas after the 4-0 win over La Salle.
The Apaches will finish up the Babe Herman Tournament this week before continuing with Pacific League play Friday at Muir.
Monrovia, undefeated coming in, was tripped up at La Canada Friday 2-1. The Wildcats have already knocked off Temple City and St. Francis and pounded Montebello 16-2 earlier this month in the Arcadia Elks Tournament, which made the loss to the Spartans all the more surprising. La Canada, who also beat Crescenta Valley in the season opener, may raise some eyebrows in the Rio Hondo.
It might be a tough year for the Mission Valley League. The combined record of the MVL so far is 8-23. Only South El Monte and Mt. View have won more than one game and Gabrielino (0-5) is still on the outside looking in.
Rosemead’s Steven San Miguel is off to a hot start however. The senior shortstop is hitting .375 with two home runs, six RBIs and six runs scored in the first six games. The Panthers beat Gabrielino 9-4 Friday in its only league game.
The best area baseball being played right now is in the Valle Vista. Not one team in the league has a losing record and the combined records of the top four teams – Nogales, Northview, Baldwin Park and San Dimas- is 24-4.
Nogales, undefeated at 6-0, has shutout two of its opponents, including Temple City and outscored opponents La Quinta and Azusa by the combine score of 34-2. The win over Temple City was number 600 of his career for Nogales Coach John Romano.
Northview’s only loss was to South Hills in the Finals of the Dick’s Sporting Good Tournament. The Vikings opened the season with three straight shutouts and outscored their first four opponents 36-1. Northview doesn’t square off against Nogales until April 30th.
Pasadena’s loss is Maranatha’s gain. It was a blow to the Pasadena program that Tim Tucker stepped down as the Bulldogs head coach. As succesful as Tucker has been over the years, (nine consecutive Pacific League crowns, two CIF titles) you started to get the feeling that he would stay there forever. But as PHS mourns the loss, Maranatha celebrates an incredible hire. The Minutemen basketball could enter into elite status.
If you get a chance, check out “Survive and Advance” on ESPN. It chronicles Coach Jim Valvano and North Carolina State’s incredible run to the 1983 NCAA championship. Valvano died in 1993 of cancer and today the Jimmy V foundation is still raising money to help save lives. It’s not only good motto for sports but for life. Survive and advance.
That’s my principle.
Tim can be reached at tim@midvalleysports.com.
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