This Baseball Title Is Special for Dons

When Rancho Santiago clinched the Orange Empire Conference baseball title Saturday it was not big news to casual observers.

After all, the Dons have won three of the last four state championships and started this season as the top-ranked team in the nation, according to Baseball America.

But those who pay a little more attention realize this is the most impressive conference title for the program, which has won seven of the last 10. Cypress has the other three.

The main reason is the competition. Four teams in the Orange Empire Conference have won at least 31 games.

Plus, Rancho Santiago (36-5-1), Saddleback (32-7), Cypress (31-9-1) and Riverside (33-8) are the four top-ranked teams in Southern California.

“That’s what is so rewarding about winning in the conference,” Rancho Santiago Coach Don Sneddon said. “We are going against the other top teams in Southern California right in our conference.”

This was also one of the best patchwork jobs of arranging players Sneddon has been forced to do. First baseman Kevin Duck is the only position player to return to the spot he played last season.

Erik Sobek, who played in the outfield some last season, took over at third and is hitting .414 with seven homers and 49 RBIs.

Josh Reding, a reserve last season, is hitting .429 with 17 doubles and 45 RBIs, and also is a solid performer at shortstop. Joe Secoda moved from the outfield last season to second base and is hitting .382 with 12 doubles, four triples, seven home runs, 31 RBIs and 18 steals.

The Dons have lost three starting outfielders to injuries at various times this season. The latest was Charlie Marino, who hurt his right arm about two weeks ago while making a throw from right field in pregame drills.

But first-year players Kevin Burford (.354, eight home runs, 44 RBIs) and Rick Gonzalez (.336, eight homers, 39 RBIs), have turned in steady performances in the outfield.

“That’s another thing that’s rewarding,” Sneddon said. “We don’t have that one superstar that everybody is pointing at.”

Rancho Santiago has a bye today but ends the regular season by hosting Saddleback at 2:30 p.m. Thursday then going to Cypress for a noon game Saturday.

Sneddon said he plans to use those two games to use some pitchers other than Matt Ward (9-1) and Heath Bell (8-0).

“Pitching was our big question mark at the start,” Sneddon said, “and it still is. We can be a very, very average team if our pitching doesn’t come through. That’s going to be the key to who wins the state title.”