Munoz Is So Close to Title He Can Taste It : Baseball: Tustin second baseman’s weighty goal is a return trip to Anaheim Stadium for the 4-A championship game.

Ben Munoz, Tustin High School’s talented second baseman, looks like a pit bull with his stocky shoulders and squatty legs.

“He’s a little heavy,” Tustin Coach Vince Brown said. “But his weight has never affected his hitting or defense.”

Munoz, at 5-feet-7 and 210 pounds, was carrying a big bat Friday in the opening round of the Southern Section 4-A division baseball playoffs against Arroyo. Munoz had four hits, including a homer and two doubles, and drove in five runs in a 21-0 victory.

“It was one of my best days,” he said. “But I really didn’t know I had four hits until I read about it in the newspaper the next day. I don’t really care about the hits as long as the team wins.”

Tustin, which meets host Estancia today in the second round, has won 44 games over the past two seasons with Munoz in the lineup. Make that anywhere in the lineup.

Munoz, who hit .423 with 27 RBIs this season, has played every position except catcher. He prefers second base, but said he’ll do whatever it takes to win.

“I’m a little small for a third baseman, and my range isn’t what it should be to play shortstop,” Munoz said. “But I can basically play anywhere except catcher, and that’s only because I haven’t caught before.

“I like playing second base. I like diving into the hole to make a stop or turning the double play.”

Munoz found success early playing Little League baseball. He was an overpowering pitcher who routinely threw no-hitters against smaller opponents. Munoz is Tustin’s closer. He has three saves.

“It’s somewhat surprising, but Ben’s out pitch is a curveball,” Brown said. “We’ve had to work hard in convincing him to throw the fastball more.”

Munoz and outfielder Shawn Green are Tustin’s team leaders. Last year, the Tillers advanced to the 3-A championship game at Anaheim Stadium where they lost to La Serna, 1-0. Munoz said the team vowed to earn a return trip to Anaheim this year for the title game June 1.

“We all remember how much it hurt to lose in the championship,” he said. “All the juniors decided we were going to do whatever it takes to get back to the Big A. I took that loss really hard, but I also knew I had one more chance before I graduated.”

Tustin was the preseason selection as the county’s top-ranked team. But the Tillers lost two games in the Upper Deck Classic and never were ranked higher than fifth in the county after the late-March tournament.

“We were a bunch of individuals who weren’t working together at the beginning of the season,” Munoz said. “But we’ve come together the past couple of weeks. We weren’t seeded in the playoffs this year, so there’s less pressure on us. We have nothing to lose.”

Well, not exactly. Munoz could lose a few pounds. Tustin assistant Bruce King has put his rotund infielder on a strict diet.

“Ben is fighting his weight and always has,” King said. “He’s the type of kid who has had trouble saying no to eating. He came to me and we had a long talk. Now, he’s running, doing sit-ups and following a strict diet.

“We had a team meal before Friday’s game and Ben waited for me to get there before he would sit down to eat. He’s got all the talent to play college baseball, we just have to convince people that his weight is not a factor. Ben is actually a very sensitive, gentle kid who has a great future ahead of him.”