Santa Susana Plans on Hold

Santa Susana expected its American Legion baseball season to be finished by now, which would have been just fine.

“We wanted to play 30 games [in the regular season] and have some fun,” Coach Hal Byer said. “But then we saw the prospect of making the playoffs.”

Santa Susana did more than just make the playoffs. By the time it advanced to the Area 6 championship game last Sunday, the players and coaches were faced with a dilemma.

Winning meant the team would advance to the eight-team, double-elimination state tournament, and its season would stretch into August.

The problem was 13 of Santa Susana’s 15 players had jobs, vacations or other plans that conflicted with the state tournament.

Byer was talking with co-coach Randy Wayne before the Area 6 playoffs. Together, Byer recalls they decided, “I hope we play real well and I hope we finish second.”

No such luck. Santa Susana won the title.

“We can’t not go [to the state tournament] now,” Byer said.

Having rearranged its plans, Santa Susana (23-5-1) opens state tournament play at 9 a.m. today against Ontario at Cleve Borman Field in Yountville. The tournament runs through Tuesday.

Byer’s son, Mike, a left-hander who was Royal High’s top pitcher last season, will start. Byer (7-0) has signed with St. Mary’s.

Ontario can expect a steady diet of curveballs, changeups and lip from Byer, who says he pitches best when emotions run high.

“I do everything I can do to get the advantage on the field,” Byer said. “If it’s getting in someone’s ear, then that’s what I have to do. If I’m on the mound and I can throw a couple of stares into their dugout and hear them start chirping at me, that’s my game.”

Byer guaranteed a victory last Sunday in the area title game against Van Nuys Notre Dame. During the high school season, he was known for giving frank and often unflattering appraisals of Royal’s Marmonte League opponents.

Hal Byer winces at the blunt comments, but he doesn’t try to muzzle his son.

“It’s something I kind of shake my head at because I don’t think it’s really in his best interest,” Hal Byer said. “He gets that from me and we’re both trying to tone it down. But everyone always gives the same interview about how the other team is great and Mike just tells it like he feels it is.”

Mike Byer tends to back up what he says. In his last two high school seasons his combined record was 15-7 and he has pitched his best in big games.

For Santa Susana, a team comprised of graduates from Royal and Simi Valley highs, he has a 1.76 earned-run average in 43 2/3 innings.

Byer impressed P.C. Shaw, an assistant with Van Nuys Notre Dame and a former Cal State Northridge assistant.

“He’s definitely got an idea of what he’s doing and I’m real surprised [an NCAA] Division I team out here didn’t give him a [scholarship],” Shaw said. “The best thing about him is he pitches backward. It’ll be 2 and 0 and the hitter will be sitting on a fastball and he’ll throw a curve or a change for a strike.”

Byer fits right in with the rest of Santa Susana’s players, an experienced and confident bunch that likes to hit and tell its opponent all about it.

Brandon Voorhees leads the team with a .514 batting average, 15 doubles, seven home runs and 40 runs batted in.

Brett Wayne, 3-0 as a pitcher, is batting .391 with 20 RBIs and eight other players are hitting at least .350 with 10 or more RBIs.

Word of mouth among Legion officials touts Long Beach Wilson, which features Sean Burroughs, the San Diego Padres’ first-round draft pick, and Danville, winner of two of the last three state titles, as the teams to beat in the state tournament.

Predictably, Mike Byer is not lacking for confidence.

“At the beginning of the season it was, ‘Show up if you can,’ with our team,” Byer said. “But now we’re taking it seriously and I want to play the best [teams] around. I think when we put our best nine out there we can play with anybody.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

American Legion State Pairings

OPENING-ROUND GAMES

Today at Cleve Borman

Field, Yountville

* 9 a.m.: Santa Susana vs. Ontario

* 11:30 a.m.: Charles Egan (Sacramento) vs. Long Beach Wilson

* 2:30 p.m.: Stockton vs. Danville

* 5 p.m.: *Fairfield vs. *Lafayette

*At-large teams. Others are area champions