Veteran Pilots Lead El Segundo, Rival Into 2-A Showdown

Two of the winningest baseball coaches in CIF-Southern Section history will square off Saturday when El Segundo High faces San Marino in the 2-A Division championship game at 10 a.m. at Dodger Stadium.

El Segundo’s John Stevenson, with a 5-3 record in CIF finals, will bring 30 years of experience into the matchup with San Marino’s Mickey McNamee, who has won two divisional titles in a 26-year coaching career.

“Let’s put it this way: We’ve been around a long time,” McNamee quipped. “There’s a lot of experience between us, or at least a lot of perseverance.”

San Marino last celebrated a CIF title in 1984 when it defeated Chaminade, 6-3, in the 1-A finals. El Segundo’s last championship came in 1979 with a 5-0 victory over Hueneme in the 4-A finals.

Those who have seen both teams expect a close game.

St. Bernard Coach Bob Yarnall, whose team lost twice to El Segundo in the Camino Real League and once to San Marino in the 2-A quarterfinals, favors El Segundo by a slight margin.

“I think that El Segundo is the better team,” he said. “I’d give a little bit of a defensive edge to San Marino but not enough to make a difference in the game. But El Segundo is a far superior hitting team.

“The pitchers are pretty equal, in that they are not overpowering.”

Neither coach is tipping his hand as to who will start on the mound.

Stevenson said El Segundo (25-5) will go with senior Rick Clark or junior Rob Croxall. The right-handers have combined for all three playoff wins, two by Croxall (7-4, 2.09 ERA). Clark (9-0, 2.74) pitched a six-hitter Tuesday in the Eagles’ 4-2 semifinal win over Temple City.

“I won’t announce (the starting pitcher) until right before game time,” Stevenson said. “I want both of them preparing as if they were starting.”

San Marino (22-3) has relied heavily on junior right-hander Dan Giddings (9-2, 2.77) in the playoffs, but McNamee wasn’t sure his ace would be ready after pitching into the seventh inning of the 4-3 win over top-seeded Gladstone on Tuesday.

It’s a good bet Giddings will start, however. He has not exceeded 85 pitches in any playoff game, and San Marino’s No. 2 starter, left-hander Michael Wan (8-1, 2.27), has not pitched since the playoffs began May 19.

San Marino, runner-up in the Rio Hondo League, figures to need a strong pitching effort. El Segundo, the Camino Real League champion and No. 2 seed, brings a .356 team batting average into the finals.

Junior catcher Garret Quaintance, whose solo home run Tuesday broke a 2-2 tie and lifted El Segundo over Temple City, heads nine Eagles hitting .300 or better with a .455 average. He also has five home runs, 34 RBIs and a school-record 16 doubles.

El Segundo’s other top hitters are center fielder Erik Evans (.398, six home runs, 37 RBIs, 26 stolen bases), third baseman Chris Lane (.384, 25 RBIs), left fielder and leadoff hitter Jeremy Carr (.360, 25 RBIs) and right fielder Kenny Talanoa (.340, 24 RBIs).

San Marino shortstop Marty Willhite does it all for his team. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound senior plays exceptional defense, leads the Titans with a .438 batting average and 34 RBIs and has earned the nickname “The Vulture” with his work as a relief pitcher. He has one win and a save in the playoffs.

This is El Segundo’s third straight playoff game against a team from the Rio Hondo League. The Eagles beat third-place La Canada, 14-13, last Friday and eliminated Rio Hondo champion Temple City.

They’ll try to make it a clean sweep Saturday.