Sixtos Just Continues to Get Better for Banning

Rafael Sixtos was waiting for the playoffs to finally beat his nemesis.

Defending City Section champion Granada Hills Kennedy had ended the last two seasons for the senior right-hander from Banning High.

So when Sixtos had an unexpected opportunity to face Kennedy last weekend, he made the most of the early opportunity.

Sixtos was within one out of pitching a shutout and held on to help the Pilots defeat Kennedy, 6-2, in the quarterfinals of the Redondo tournament.

Sixtos, 18, improved his record this season to 5-0 and lowered his earned-run average to 1.23. He has pitched five complete games and has 46 strikeouts in 34 innings.

He also improved his career record to 27-3.

“I’m throwing a lot harder this season, and I have better control of my pitches,” said Sixtos, whose fastball has been clocked consistently in the mid-to-high 80s.

Sixtos, 6 feet 1, 210 pounds, is regarded as one of the top prep pitchers in the Southland. He is part of a strong contingent of City Section pitchers from non-Valley schools that includes Joram Iboa of Roosevelt, Luis Reyes of Locke and Ethan Katz of University among others.

Sixtos began his high school career as an outfielder.

“At tryouts they have you throw from the outfield and I threw pretty well so they said to stay there,” Sixtos said. “I was pretty quiet. I didn’t say anything about pitching.”

Halfway through his freshman season, Sixtos finally got a turn on the mound. He got his break in practice when none of the regulars wanted to throw batting practice.

“One said, ‘I’m throwing in a game tomorrow,’ and another guy said, ‘I’m in relief,’ so I jumped in there,” Sixtos recalled. “I wanted to show the coaches what I could do.”

Instead of throwing the ball over the middle of the plate, Sixtos started hitting the corners. Batting practice turned into a pitching exhibition.

“The coaches asked, ‘Are you a pitcher?’ ” he said.

The next day, Sixtos joined the varsity and pitched in relief the rest of the season.

He went 9-1 as a sophomore, losing to Kennedy in the quarterfinals.

“I pitched nervous and did pretty bad,” Sixtos said.

Last year, as a starter and reliever, he was 13-2 with two no-hitters, but lost to Kennedy in the semifinals.

“I pitched better against them last year,” he said. “but it was like they knew what was coming.”

Sixtos spent last summer pitching in the Reviving Baseball in Innercities (RBI) program and helped the Los Angeles senior division team win the RBI World Series in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Sixtos beat Puerto Rico, 3-2, in an early-round game and pitched the final innings of the championship game.

Banning Coach John Gonzalez, who last took a team to the City final in 1997, is employing a different strategy with Sixtos this season. He is pitching only once a week and only as a starter.

“Rafael was tired by the end of the playoffs,” Gonzalez said. “We want him to be fresh. I think it’s going to pay off in the long run.”

Banning could meet Kennedy again in the playoffs, but the Pilots must first forge their way through the Marine League.

Sixtos said the Pilots are capable of ending the Valley’s domination of the City baseball championship. Valley schools have won the title every year except one since 1973. San Pedro won in 1992.

“It’s going to happen one of these years,” he said. “Hopefully, this one.”

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Times’ Rankings

BASEBALL

NO. SCHOOL: COMMENT

1. Chatsworth (14-0): Perennial power Chancellors are pitching rich and appear to be the class of the City Section.

2. West Torrance (10-1): Pro prospect Nelson Caraballo continues to impress for the talented Warriors.

3. Anaheim Esperanza (11-1): Aztecs remain an Orange County power and will participate in the National Classic.

4. Santa Ana Mater Dei (10-1): Monarchs are the top-ranked team in Southern Section Division II.

5. Newhall Hart (12-0): Indians gaining momentum and have begun their usual run through the Foothill League.

6. La Puente Bishop Amat (9-1): Lancers must compete in Division IV because of enrollment restrictions.

7. Simi Valley Royal (11-2): Highlanders making early case as a leading contender for Marmonte League title.

8. Westlake (8-3-1): Warriors tripped early but will be formidable down the stretch behind top prospects.

9. Camarillo (10-4): Delmon Young leads the Scorpions, who must bounce back from loss to Santa Barbara.

10. Wilmington Banning (14-3): Pilots beat defending City champion Granada Hills Kennedy, then lost to Carson.

SOFTBALL

NO. SCHOOL: COMMENT

1. Santa Ana Foothill (12-1): Knights finished second in Arizona tournament and play Hart Saturday.

2. Colton (13-0): Yellowjackets, led by pitcher Desiree Serrano, have outdueled Cajon and all comers.

3. Riverside Poly (15-0): Mindy Cowles is a standout for the Bears, who might be biggest surprise of the season.

4. Crescenta Valley (8-1): Meredith Cervenka still dominant for the Pacific League favorite Falcons.

5. Newhall Hart (10-1): Indians can make a major statement with a nonleague victory over Foothill.

6. Thousand Oaks (9-1): Lancers are only one of several strong teams in what is now a loaded Division II.

7. La Palma Kennedy (8-2): Fighting Irish making noise in Orange County with an impressive start.

8. Anaheim Esperanza (10-2): Aztecs are expected to challenge Colton for the Division I title.

9. Anaheim Canyon (12-2): Comanches are tough, but they have to catch Foothill in the Century League.

10. Valencia Valencia (12-2): Upstart Vikings are battling with Hart in the Foothill League.