SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL FINALS : 3-A DIVISION : Rio Mesa Had a Plan to Return : Strength and Pitching Key to Reaching Final Again

After Rio Mesa High won the Southern Section’s 3-A Division baseball championship last season, Coach Pat Machado sat down with his assistants, Jon Castellanos and Rich Herrera, and talked about what the Spartans had to do to return to the title game.

The trio came up with a three-part plan: increase team strength, find a replacement for pitcher Craig Good (who went 11-1 in 1985 and earned a scholarship to UCLA), and find a second baseman.

If the Spartans could do those things, Machado figured, they would probably spend the last day of May at Dodger Stadium in the championship game.

The Spartans followed the plan, and as a result will spend Saturday in Chavez Ravine, playing Western of Anaheim at 4:30 p.m. for the 3-A championship.

The first part of the plan was accomplished right after Christmas vacation. Three times a week at 6 a.m., the Spartan players would drag themselves into the weight room. Machado wasn’t looking so much for the team to increase its power at the plate as to increase its endurance.

“Because when you start playing game in and game out,” Machado said, “you look for season-long strength.”

Part two of the plan was fulfilled by Scott Bush. He is 11-0 as Good’s replacement. Phil Maquinalez (9-2, six saves) and Rick Valdez (3-1, two saves) have also helped to compensate for the loss of Good.

Art Espinoza, a shortstop on the junior varsity team last season, completed the plan by becoming the second baseman. Espinoza, a junior, also took over the leadoff spot in the batting order. Batting .315, he had three hits in Rio Mesa’s 11-1 win over Lompoc in the semifinals on Tuesday.

“He’s done an outstanding job for us,” Machado said. “And it’s helped him so much being around the other guys.”

Those other guys are the six starters back from last season’s 27-3 team.

With Good gone, Rio Mesa (24-4) does not have a dominating pitcher, but it does have a “Dominator.”

Senior first baseman Sean Luft picked up that moniker from a teammate earlier this season and it has aptly described his playoff performance. In the four playoff games, Luft has nine hits in 15 at-bats, including two home runs, three triples and 13 runs batted in. He has eight home runs this season and a .421 batting average.

Shortstop Heath DeLaTorre (.408) and Maquinalez (.373) have also helped the Spartans outscore their playoff opponents, 37-3.

Not bad for a team picked to finish in the middle of the Channel League at season’s beginning.

“And we weren’t rated very highly in the 3-A poll,” Machado said. “That in itself was very motivating.”

A victory Saturday would give Rio Mesa its fourth Southern Section championship in seven years. Rio Mesa won the 1-A title in 1980 under Coach Zeke Jaquez. Machado took over the next season and led the Spartans to another 1-A championship. Rio Mesa finished second in 1982, then won the title last season in its first year in the 3-A Division.

“I’m not one to compare teams,” Machado, 34, said. “Each one has an individual place in my heart. But this one has to be very special.”

It is different, Machado said, because of some of the adversity the team has gone through. Like, for instance, the team apparel.

After last year’s title, Machado decided the team would have new uniforms and hats this season.

“Come midway through the season,” he said, “we find out the uniforms have never been ordered. Imagine you’re a senior and you don’t get your uniforms. That’s tough. And the hats are still on order.”

A win Saturday and that order can be changed to crowns.