Riverside Doesn’t Have to Look Far for Rivals

Nobody has a better view of the stretch run in the Orange Empire Conference baseball race than Riverside Coach Dennis Rogers.

His Tigers (25-8, 11-5) hold the top spot with eight games left, but Rogers doesn’t have to look too far back to find his nearest competition. Santa Ana (26-8, 10-6) and Saddleback (24-8, 10-6) are a game back and Cypress (18-16, 8-8), the defending state champion, is three back as conference play resumes after a week off because of spring break.

Saddleback has the first and best chance to run down Riverside, which hasn’t won a conference baseball title since 1946, because the teams meet three more times, including today at Riverside and Thursday at Saddleback. Both games are at 2 p.m.

No other team has more than one more meeting with Riverside.

“I don’t see it as a make or break type of thing,” Rogers said about the two game series. “But the three games could go a long way to determine how things work out.”

Today’s game will feature an impressive pitching matchup between Riverside’s Cody Trask (9-2) and Saddleback’s Ryan Poe (9-1). Both are sophomore right-handers.

One thing on Saddleback’s side is that Riverside has had its share of troubles at home in conference, losing three times in eight games. Trask has one of those losses, 11-4 to Golden West on Feb. 21.

“We just have to be prepared,” Saddleback Coach Jack Hodges said. “We would like to be up by four or five games but that’s not the case.”

Santa Ana has won seven conference titles since 1988, including last season and the Dons are in good position for another.

While Saddleback and Riverside are battling, Santa Ana plays a home and home series with last-place Fullerton (16-16-1, 5-11). The teams are at Fullerton today.

The Dons are 3-0 already this season against the Tigers and play at Riverside on April 25. Saddleback and Santa Ana play April 21 at Santa Ana.

Cypress, a long shot for a conference title, has a more immediate concern staying ahead of fifth-place Golden West (16-15, 7-11).

The Chargers’ task was made a little more difficult because shortstop freshman Michael Duursma is out for the rest of the season because of a broken arm. The injury happened when Duursma, who was hitting .321, went back on a fly ball into shallow left and fell during a game against Cuesta.