SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL PLAYOFFS : Loyd Helps to Turn El Dorado Around

As El Dorado prepares to meet Diamond Bar, the nation’s top-ranked team, in the Southern Section Division 5-A semifinals today, catcher Brian Loyd doesn’t hesitate when asked if there was a turning point for the Golden Hawks.

El Dorado once held the No. 1 ranking, earning national recognition before the season as Baseball America’s top team. But El Dorado fell out of the polls after two losses in the Loara tournament and two more losses in the opening weeks of Empire League play.

“We were 4-2 after the Loara tournament and everybody was asking, ‘What’s wrong?’ ” Loyd said. “Can you imagine? We lose two games in the best tournament around and everybody had written us off.”

When El Dorado lost two of its opening four games in the Empire League, some wondered just how good El Dorado was. Were the Golden Hawks overrated?

Then came “the game,” Loyd says, that turned around El Dorado’s season.

“It was our first away game at Esperanza,” Loyd said. “We had worked hard in practice that week and everything came together that day. We pounded them.”

El Dorado beat rival Esperanza, 10-3, and hasn’t let down since, winning 18 of its past 20 games to advance to today’s game at Cal State Fullerton. In the victory against the Aztecs, Loyd had a home run and a double and teammate Tyson DowDell was four for four.

“It seems like we’ve been playing on that level ever since that day,” Loyd said. “We’re hitting .300 as a team. (Pitchers) Shawn (Holcomb) and Tyson have been outstanding and our defense has been solid.

“That’s our game. At the beginning of the year, we weren’t hitting. It seems like the pitchers always dominate early in the season. Plus, everyone was gunning for us because we were No. 1.

“When league play started, we weren’t quite together as a team. But you could see the start of something good.”

Loyd has been instrumental in El Dorado’s success, batting .380 with 13 stolen bases as the leadoff hitter. He also has the enviable job of handling two of the county’s top pitchers in DowDell and Holcomb.

DowDell was recently named a first-team All-American by Baseball America and will be the starting pitcher today against Diamond Bar. Holcomb has been the hottest player in the playoffs, winning two games and saving another.

“Shawn is hitting the spots and changing speeds as well as any high school pitcher you’ll ever see,” Loyd said. “Both pitchers are very easy to catch.”

Loyd has been a three-year starter at El Dorado and has signed a letter of intent with Cal State Fullerton in the fall. He also made trips to Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine, but chose Fullerton because “it’s a great program right in my own back yard.”

He will major in biology and hopes to pursue a career in sports medicine. Loyd will graduate with a 3.2 grade-point average.

El Dorado Coach Steve Gullotti predicted a big future for Loyd.

“He’s an outstanding athlete,” Gullotti said. “He’s that rare catcher with speed. He’d probably be an infielder on most teams. Brian’s greatest asset is his athleticism. He was a starting guard on our basketball team.

“He’s got a nice frame at 6 feet 2. He just needs to put on some weight. Brian is also a great competitor. He strained a muscle in his back three weeks ago and has gone to therapy every day since.

“I know he’s in pain, but you’ll never hear him complain, and there’s no way he’d ever come out of the lineup.”

Loyd is having too much fun to consider resting. He called El Dorado’s 13-3 victory over Mater Dei Friday in the quarterfinals “the type of game every player dreams about.”

“It was the kind of game that you work your tail off all year to play in,” Loyd said. “Two good teams playing in front of a big crowd. We figured we had nothing to lose, so let’s get after them.”

Southern Section officials anticipate another big crowd today when El Dorado (23-5) plays Diamond Bar (27-1) in the opening game and Bishop Amat (22-5) plays Millikan (20-5) in the second game.

Loyd has nothing but respect for Diamond Bar, which eliminated El Dorado in the second round of the playoffs last year, 5-4.

“They’re a great team,” Loyd said. “They have everything going for them. They present a great challenge for us.”