Baseball: Yucaipa’s offense is a hit
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Yucaipa doesn’t score via touchdowns and field goals.
It only seems that way looking at the scores.
The Thunderbirds’ baseball team has throttled opponents by scores of 16-7, 15-1 and 16-3. And that’s only in the last two weeks.
Yucaipa was beating Citrus Belt League rival Eisenhower so handily last month that Thunderbirds Coach Jeff Stout had to empty his bench in the third inning. Things got so out of hand that reserve outfielder Caleb Nazario, who hadn’t homered all season, hit a pair during a 35-1 rout.
‘All the kids who came off the bench were just tearing it up,’ Stout said. ‘It was like a merry-go-round.’
Yucaipa is averaging 10.5 runs per game and has not been shut out. That’s what happens when you have 10 players hitting over .400 and four hitting at least .500.
Leading the way is third baseman Matt Davidson, a projected first-round draft pick who is hitting .543 with eight homers and 37 runs batted in. An imposing 6 feet 4 and 225 pounds, Davidson has drawn comparisons to New York Mets third baseman David Wright.
‘He’s a phenomenal player,’ Stout said. ‘He’s just killing the ball.’
And he’s hardly the only one.
Center fielder Matt Marnati is hitting .476 with three homers and 20 RBIs, first baseman Wyatt Padgett is batting .460 with a team-high 38 RBIs, left fielder Chad Erickson is hitting .434 with three homers and 29 RBIs and shortstop Taijuan Walker is batting .411 with 30 RBIs.
Yucaipa’s pitching staff isn’t too shabby either. Davidson, a former starter, has become the team’s closer, with a fastball that touches 93 mph. Left-hander Frank Martin (6-2, 1.73 earned-run average) has signed with Cal State Fullerton and junior Pedro Cota (9-0, 1.32) has a nasty breaking ball and reminds Stout of a young Pedro Martinez.
The Thunderbirds have a one-game lead over league rival Redlands East Valley with two games to play; they play at Fontana today and play host to Eisenhower on Thursday. A sweep would likely give Yucaipa the top seeding in the Southern Section Division II playoffs.
--Ben Bolch