Cypress, Rancho Santiago Contend for Baseball Title

That the Orange Empire Conference baseball race has come down to Cypress and Rancho Santiago is really no surprise.

The teams have combined to win the last seven conference titles.

Rancho Santiago has picked up five (1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993). Cypress won it in 1989 and last season. Rancho Santiago won the State title in 1993 and Cypress last season and 1991.

The hottest current news is the rebirth of Rancho Santiago, which was 2-4 and in last place after the first round of conference place.

Rancho Santiago (31-9, 16-6) has 12 consecutive conference victories and holds a half-game lead over Cypress (30-10-1, 15-6).

The teams play at 2:30 p.m. today at Rancho Santiago.

Rancho Santiago ends the regular season Thursday at Golden West. Cypress plays host to Riverside Thursday then Saddleback Saturday.

Rancho Santiago’s conference winning streak could be 14, but Saddleback scored five runs in the ninth to beat the Dons, 11-10, March 22. That game and a 1-0 loss to Golden West in which the Dons left 17 runners on base are the two most frustrating for Rancho Santiago Coach Don Sneddon.

“The Golden West loss was worse because it was over a long period of time,” Sneddon said. “That game was a like a slow torture. The Saddleback game was bad, but it happened all in one inning, and we at least had scored some runs.”

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The Rivalry: Rancho Santiago-Cypress has been the most important matchup in Southern California the last two seasons.

Last season, Cypress beat Rancho Santiago three out of four times in conference, then twice on last day of the season to win the State title.

Cypress won the first meeting this season, 5-3, in 12 innings, but Rancho Santiago came back to win the next two, 4-2 and 6-5.

“If you would have told me at the start of the year that in the last week I had a chance to play for the (conference) title, I would have taken it,” Cypress Coach Scott Pickler said. “It’s going to be tough. (Rancho Santiago) is playing at home, and they are on a roll. Plus, we have two other tough games this week, and they only play one more.”

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The starting pitchers? Neither coach would commit.

Rancho Santiago is expected to go with sophomore right-hander Luis Estrella, who is 7-1 and leads the Dons with 20 appearances, or Kirk Irvine (9-3). Estrella would be working on a week’s rest and Irvine on five days.

Pickler will pick between freshman right-hander Mike Cosgrove (7-1) and sophomore left-hander Andy Smith (1-1). Both pitched a week ago. Cosgrove has a 3.44 earned-run average and has given up 63 hits, struck out 38 and walked 27 in 63 innings. Smith’s ERA is 4.15, and he has given up 19 hits, struck out 16 and walked five in 21 2/3 innings.

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The coaches: Rancho Santiago’s Sneddon is in his 14th season and has a 455-154 record. His teams have 40 or more victories three times and 30 or more nine times.

Pickler is in his 11th season at Cypress with a 332-162 record. His teams have 40 or more victories once and 30 or more five times.

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The other race: Cypress and Rancho Santiago already have earned automatic playoff spots, but Orange Coast and Fullerton are in a struggle for third. The third-place team is almost assured of a wild-card spot.

The fourth-place team has a good chance, but Orange Coast Coach John Altobelli and Fullerton Coach Nick Fuscardo would prefer not to take that chance.

Orange Coast (21-19, 11-10) plays at Riverside (21-18, 10-11) today, is at Saddleback (18-17, 9-12) Thursday and the plays host to Fullerton (28-13, 11-11) Saturday.

Fullerton is at Saddleback today and has a bye Thursday before the showdown Saturday with OCC.

Notes

Orange Coast pitcher Hector Blanchet has signed a letter of intent with Central Arkansas, a Division II university in Conway. Blanchet, a sophomore right-hander from Saddleback High, is 4-5 but has a 2.71 ERA. He had no record in 10 innings as a freshman.