Lugo Hopes Capistrano Valley Can Run Down a Title : High schools: He gave up cross-country for baseball and has never looked back. Cougars are making second trip to a title game in five years.

Chris Lugo was supposed to become a top runner for Capistrano Valley High School’s cross-country team.

The blueprints for a standout running career were drawn early in Lugo’s childhood when he became a member of the Orange County Blue Angels. He was running an average of 24 miles per week when most of friends were playing football or baseball.

He had entered numerous State meets and even won a national championship race in Raleigh, N.C., by the time he had reached the fifth grade.

Lugo became a member of Capistrano Valley’s varsity cross-country team as a freshman, but decided to make a U-turn after one race.

“I was burned out on running,” Lugo said, “so I decided to quit the team.”

Lugo has never regretted that decision. Today, instead of hitting the wall, he’s trying to hit a ball over the wall.

Lugo, a 6-foot-4, 185-pound senior, is the starting first baseman for Capistrano Valley’s baseball team that will meet Canyon at 4:30 today in the Southern Section 4-A championship game at Anaheim Stadium.

Lugo has helped Capistrano Valley rebound from a disappointing season; the Cougars were mired in last place in the South Coast League after eight games. Since then, they’ve won 11 of 13 games.

Coach Bob Zamora promoted Lugo and catcher Brand Caso to co-captains after the team had slipped to a 2-5-1 record in league play. Lugo said the period was one of the lowest of his athletic career.

“I’m surprised at what we’ve accomplished,” Lugo said. “When we were in last place, I was miserable. I’d come home after a game and tell my dad, ‘I don’t even want to talk about it.’ There was so much tension at practice the next day after a game that no one was having any fun.”

The game atmosphere certainly changed in Capistrano Valley’s seventh meeting with rival El Toro over the past two years in the semifinals Tuesday at Saddleback College. Capistrano Valley collected 20 hits in an 18-5 romp over El Toro, ending a six-game losing streak against the Chargers.

Lugo had three hits and scored three runs in the rout but was more impressive on the mound, where he retired six of the seven batters he faced in relief. Lugo struck out the first two batters he faced with a sharp-breaking curveball that he said was among the best off-speed pitches he’s thrown.

“I threw fastball after fastball while warming up,” he said. “I don’t know where that curveball came from. You tell me. It was the best curveball I’ve ever thrown. I don’t really consider myself a pitcher.

“I enjoy pitching, but with the pitchers (Travis Burgus and Scott Patton) that we have on this team, I’m content playing first base.”

Lugo started one game against top-ranked Esperanza in the Upper Deck Tournament in March and, in his own words, “was shelled” by the county’s best-hitting team. He prefers the role of late-inning stopper.

“There’s definitely less pressure coming into a game later than starting,” he said. “You have to change your thinking a little by concentrating on opposing hitters after concentrating on the pitcher, but I enjoy pitching.”

The left-hand hitting Lugo, who is batting .362, also enjoyed the big afternoon against El Toro.

“It was overwhelming,” he said. “The whole team was confident that we could beat them, but we never expected anything like that. We had some grudges to settle after losing to them six times. It was our game right from the start.”

The victory set up Capistrano Valley’s second trip to a title game in five years. The Cougars won the 3-A title in 1987.

Lugo’s social calendar has changed significantly since Capistrano Valley qualified for the title game. The school’s senior prom is also Saturday night, and Lugo’s priorities have gone from dining and dancing to hitting and running.

“The prom was way up there on my list a month ago,” he said. “Everyone was talking about it and looking forward to it. Now, it’s no big deal. I’m going with some other guys on the team, and we’ve already canceled dinner reservations. We’re focusing on a CIF (Southern Section) championship.”