3-A Baseball : Santana, Mt. Carmel May Be Headed for Another Meeting in Title Game

SAN DIEGO — Neither Santana Coach Jim Saska nor Mt. Carmel Coach Sam Blalock can explain it, but their teams always seem to be playing their best in time for the San Diego Section 3-A baseball playoffs.

In three of the last four years, Santana and Mt. Carmel have met for the championship, and they may meet again. Neither was the top-seeded playoff team from its league this year, just as neither was a year ago. But when the 3-A semifinals are played at Grossmont College today, both Santana and Mt. Carmel will be trying for a return to the final.

Mt. Carmel (22-10) will meet top-seeded Helix (24-2) in one semifinal at 11 a.m., and Santana (22-7) will play Grossmont (19-9) at 2 p.m.

The Santana-Grossmont game is another rematch of sorts: The teams met in the semifinals last year. Santana won, 10-4, and moved into the final against Mt. Carmel.

Santana had defeated Mt. Carmel for the 3-A championship in 1984 and 1986, but Mt. Carmel gained a measure of revenge last season with a 5-2 title-game victory.

“It is interesting the way they seeded the teams again this year,” Mt. Carmel Coach Sam Blalock said. “We could wind up meeting them again.”

Of course, both teams need to win today. Mt. Carmel, which tied Poway for the Palomar League championship but lost a coin flip and had to play an extra playoff game as a result, will meet a Helix team that has 17 straight victories.

The Highlanders (24-2) became the first Grossmont League team to go undefeated in league play, beating today’s other semifinalists, Santana and Grossmont, twice. Helix will start the county’s best pitcher, left-hander Rick Navarro, who was 12-0 during the regular season with 5 shutouts, 126 strikeouts and only 20 walks in 90 innings.

“Our team has great pitching all year, and that’s why we’ve been able to put together this long winning streak,” Helix Coach Jerry Schniepp said.

Mt. Carmel, which lost 10 games during the regular season--twice as many as last year en route to the championship--will start its best pitcher, left-hander Joey Brownholtz (9-1).

“We’ve got a lot of pride, and the kids know what the other kids in this program have accomplished in the past,” Blalock said.

Santana, which finished third in the Grossmont League, behind Helix and Grossmont, hasn’t allowed a run in the playoffs, beating Torrey Pines, 4-0, and Madison, 8-0.

“We’ve felt all year long that we’ve got as good a talent as anyone in the county,” Saska said. “But we didn’t play well and the seven losses were disappointing. But this is the time of year to play your best, and our players want to prove to everyone what they can do.”

Grossmont is led by Mike Rendina, who finished second in the county in home runs (9) and RBIs (36).