Saddleback Got Hot at the Right Time

Thanks to a late charge, Saddleback turned what looked like an indifferent baseball season into a successful one.

The Gauchos won their final four Orange Empire Conference games to make the Southern California playoffs as the 13th-seeded team in a 16-team field. Then they upset fourth-seeded Chaffey twice last weekend to advance to the second round.

The main reason for the late charge has been the offense. The Gauchos hit .324, the best average in the college’s history, in the regular season.

The offensive assault started in the last week of the regular season when Saddleback beat Mt. San Jacinto, 19-3, in a nonconference game. Although it may have seemed odd to play an extra game that week, Coach Jack Hodges had a simple explanation.

“At this time of the year, you’d rather play than practice anyway,” Hodges said.

Saddleback went on to beat Fullerton, Orange Coast and Cypress--all ahead of the Gauchos in the standings at the time--in the final week.

The success carried over to the postseason when Saddleback defeated Chaffey, 8-7 Friday and 7-3 Saturday.

Pat Antrim, a switch-hitting sophomore shortstop from El Toro High, had four hits in the series to give him a Saddleback single-season-record 68.

“He’s done a great job,” Hodges said. “He was basically a part-time player in high school, and he has progressed to the point where I’m getting calls from lots of scouts about him.”

Saddleback also got an outstanding performance from sophomore outfielder Jose Gonzalez, from Fallbrook High.

He hit for the cycle Friday and was eight for 10 in the two games. He leads the team at .385.

Saddleback opens against host Rancho Santiago at 11 a.m. Friday. Los Angeles Pierce and Riverside meet at 3 at Rancho Santiago.

Saddleback, Rancho Santiago and Riverside are all members of the Orange Empire Conference.

“That just speaks so well of the conference,” Hodges said.

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Is Brian coming back? When Rancho Santiago pitcher Brian Martineau broke his hand nearly a month ago, he was believed to be done for the season.

But his hand has healed more quickly than expected. Martineau, who already has the cast off, could pitch as soon as this weekend.

“At this point we’re not sure,” Rancho Santiago Coach Don Sneddon said. “It might happen this weekend. We’ll see.”

Martineau, a sophomore right-hander, is 6-1 with two saves and a 2.25 earned-run average. He struck out 68 in 76 innings before hitting a dugout wall after a frustrating performance against San Diego State’s junior varsity April 19.

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Track and field: Orange Coast was the only Orange County college to have winners at the Southern California finals Saturday at Bakersfield.

The Pirates’ Mike Hancock took first in the 1,500 with a time of 3 minutes 52.44 seconds and second in the 800 (1:53.45).

Troy Langley, also from Orange Coast, won the high jump at 6 feet 10. He improved four inches over his winning mark at the Orange Empire Conference finals.

They will be among competitors at the State meet Friday and Saturday at Bakersfield.

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Men’s tennis: Thanks largely to the play of David McMahon, from Australia, and Brian Gruner, from Mission Viejo High, Saddleback won the State dual team title Friday with a 5-2 victory over Foothill.

It was the sixth title for Saddleback and the first for first-year Coach Chris Boyle. McMahon was 15-0 in the top three spots in singles this season. Gruner was 13-0 at No. 5.

McMahon and Gruner were 13-0 at No. 3 doubles including a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Foothill to clinch the State title.

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Hall of Fame pick: Wendell Pickens, the first baseball coach at Orange Coast, has been selected to the California Community College Baseball Coaches’ Assn. Hall of Fame.

Pickens ran the OCC program from 1949 to 1978 and had a record of 345-218. His teams won State titles in 1956 and 1960 and eight conference titles.