THE MIDDLE MEN : Chadwick’s Strong Defense Helped Get Team to Championship Game Against Linfield

It isn’t hard to find the backbone of the Chadwick School baseball team. It runs right down the middle of the field.

Chadwick (17-4) plays Linfield (24-0) today at 4:30 p.m. for the Southern Section Small Schools Division championship at Blair Field in Long Beach.

The Dolphins reached the title game with strong pitching and defense--primarily up the middle, where catcher Todd Seneker, shortstop Chris Gordon, second baseman Tim Lesser and center fielder Mark Bailey play.

“Those guys can catch the ball,” Chadwick Coach Jim Drennen said. “It’s great to watch those guys play defense.”

But the Dolphins will need to do more than play good defense to beat Linfield. The Lions, from Temecula, have only come close to losing once--a 2-1 victory over Hemet Baptist in the final regular-season game.

But Chadwick needn’t be ashamed of its credentials. Of the Dolphins’ four losses, three were by one-run margins.

“We’re not going to be intimidated,” Drennen said. “Who knows, maybe (Linfield) will come in a little overconfident.”

Mac McKinnie, a 6-foot-6 junior right-hander, will start for Chadwick. McKinnie (10-1, 1.73 earned-run average) has struck out 70 batters in 68 innings. Junior right-hander Rory Laverty is expected to be the first pitcher out of the bullpen, if needed.

“Mac keeps the ball down and throws strikes,” Drennen said. “He tends to work ahead of hitters, which makes it easier to play defense behind him.”

Drennen likes to set pitch limits for his pitchers. Because of the quality of Chadwick’s defense, Drennen tells his pitchers to strive for at least 10 ground-ball outs.

“Which is good for Mac, because an ideal inning for him is four or five pitches and then back in the dugout,” Drennen said. “He doesn’t care about strikeouts.”

The Dolphins also had a school-record 24 home runs.

Chadwick has three batters with .500-plus averages in Gordon (.506, six home runs), Bailey (.512), and the Dartmouth-bound Seneker (.535, nine home runs, 31 runs batted in).

Linfied will start ace Richard Hunter (10-0, 1.40 ERA), a right-hander who pitched a no-hitter against Providence in a quarterfinal game last Friday.

Linfield’s lineup is stocked with scrappy, disciplined hitters, led by catcher Kevin Kahler.

“We don’t have any really outstanding hitters, but they just seem to get it done,” Linfield Coach Al Cariss said. “They move runners well and they’re willing to sacrifice themselves to make things happen. You can get a guy out one or two times, then he’ll burn you.”

Neither team has won a CIF title. Chadwick lost in its only section final in 1987. Linfield made its only championship appearance in 1986, losing to Providence.

Linfield advanced to the final by beating Pasadena Poly, which went 1-2 this season against Chadwick.