PREP BASEBALL ‘94: EMPIRE LEAGUE : Murrietta Comes Back to Keep Aztecs Tough

Esperanza’s Jason Murrietta looked down at his knee, which was swollen and sore, and the thought flashed through his mind.

“Baseball.”

Murrietta, a defensive back, injured his knee in the Aztecs’ football game against Los Alamitos in November. He was hit on a punt return, causing a dislocated knee cap.

So there was Orange County’s leading hitter flat on his back with his baseball career in jeopardy.

Yet, Murrietta was already gearing up for the struggle ahead.

“After a few minutes, I calmed down,” said Murrietta, a senior catcher. “I knew I would play.”

Everyone knew it because they knew Murrietta.

“If it comes down to effort, Jason is always going to succeed,” Aztec baseball Coach Mike Curran said.

Murrietta made the effort. The knee, fortunately, didn’t need surgery. Still, it took time and effort before he could play again.

Five weeks of rehabilitation. Hours of swimming, weight lifting and riding a stationary bicycle. But by Christmas, Murrietta was again crouching behind the plate.

“Jason is a bulldog,” Curran said. “He just works hard all the time.”

It was that work ethic that made Murrietta one of the most dangerous hitters in high school baseball last year.

He hit .565 during the regular season to lead the county. He reached base 18 consecutive times during the season.

Murrietta’s bat and abilities as a catcher were a big reason the Aztecs won the Southern Section Division I championship. They beat Simi Valley, 3-0, in the final.

“Guys like Jason win you championships,” Curran said. “He’s a great player and he’s a leader. He shows others how to win.”

Curran raves now, but he wasn’t so sure about Murrietta as a freshman.

“He came out late because of basketball,” Curran said. “He was this 5-foot-9 kid who thought he was going to make the NBA. My freshman coach kept saying that this catcher Murrietta was really good. I thought, ‘We’ll see.’ ”

Curran saw, all right. He brought Murrietta up to the varsity as a sophomore because of injuries. Murrietta didn’t waste any time, hitting a three-run homer in his first game.

Murrietta began in the outfield, but he was the team’s starting catcher by the end of the season. He hit .237, but Curran liked more than just his physical skills.

“Jason just isn’t afraid,” Curran said, “he plays the game like it’s meant to be played.”

Translation: “I don’t back down,” Murrietta said.

That was evident last season during the Upper Deck tournament. Esperanza was playing Miami Westminster Christian, then ranked No. 1 in the nation by USA Today. A Westminster Christian player scored on a wild pitch and then spit on Murrietta, who had to be restrained by teammates.

“I lost it a little,” Murrietta said. “But I had a few words with them.”

After the tournament, Esperanza won 16 consecutive games and the title game.

“That game was a turning point for us,” Curran said. “He showed us the attitude we had to have.”

That attitude will have to be on display more often this season. Murrietta is one of only two returning starters, and that could make him a marked man. Other teams probably will pitch around him.

“I don’t even think about leading the county in hitting again,” Murrietta said. “That’s all anyone ever asks me about. I just want to come through with runners on base. I want to produce runs. I want to do everything I can to help the team win.”

And, if it comes down to effort, Murrietta will make it happen.

Highlights

Esperanza, perennially one of Orange County’s premier programs, rolled through league play and finished as the top-ranked team in the county. The Aztecs then stormed to the Division I championship. After losing the final two games of the Upper Deck tournament, the Aztecs won 16 in a row. They went into the playoffs unseeded, then routed Alhambra, Edison and Hesperia. In the semifinals, Esperanza defeated Encino Crespi, ranked second in the nation by USA Today, and in the final, defeated No. 1-ranked Simi Valley. “Maybe USA Today should take another look at their rankings,” Coach Mike Curran said after the title game. Collegiate Baseball did, ranking the Aztecs second in the nation. Marcus Jones keyed the playoff drive. He won three playoff games and saved another. He shut out Simi Valley, 3-0, in the title game. Jones, who is playing at Long Beach State, finished 12-2. . . . Los Alamitos qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1990. The Griffins were edged by Lakewood, 5-4, in the first round. . . . Cypress beat El Dorado in the league finale to qualify for the playoffs for the second consecutive season. In 1992, the Centurions upset No. 2-seeded Huntington Beach in the first round. Last season, they weren’t so fortunate, as they were bounced by Fontana, 13-1. . . . Esperanza’s Jason Murrietta led the league and county in hitting with a .565 average. Freshman Bobby Brito of Cypress was second in both the league and county with a .542 average. Jaret Wright of Katella hit .451 with a league-leading seven home runs. Brito led the league with 33 runs batted in. Poncho Ruiz of Esperanza hit .436 with five home runs and 28 RBIs.

1993 / IN REVIEW

Standings

League Overall School W L W L Esperanza 14 1 25 5 Los Alamitos 9 6 15 11 Cypress 8 7 13 11 El Dorado 8 7 14 12 Katella 5 10 14 12 Loara 1 14 3 20