Palm Desert beats Torrance in Southern Section Division 4 baseball final

Steve Garvey, a 10-time All-Star and former Dodgers great, sat in the front row next to the Palm Desert dugout taking photos and enjoying every minute watching his son Ryan, a junior outfielder, help the Aztecs win the Southern Section Division 4 championship with a 9-0 victory over Torrance on Saturday at the Diamond at Lake Elsinore.

“I just talked to the Dodger front office,” the elder Garvey said. “They said, ‘How nervous are you?’ I said, ‘Much more nervous than when the Yankees played the Dodgers in the World Series.’ ”

Ryan Garvey hit two doubles and showed that all the batting practice he takes with the help of his father has paid off.

“I couldn’t do it without him,” Ryan Garvey said. “He’s my heart and soul. We practice in the cage every day. We hit off the tee. He gives me his old drills.”

Garvey had 45 runs batted in for the Aztecs (26-5), who won 21 of their last 22 games. His father has been a loyal fan and follower.

“There’s a tear in my eye,” Steve Garvey said. “Genetically, he’s got his mother’s feet and can hit to right-center, so we’re very blessed.”

Palm Desert put on quite a show Saturday. Nick Baker pitched a four-hitter and shortstop Scotty Burcham had seven assists.

“You can’t describe how good it feels,” Ryan Garvey said. “Right when I woke up, I felt we got it.”

The son still teases his dad about the days when the father couldn’t make a throw from third base to first base.

“I heard he had a pretty good arm,” Ryan Garvey said. “Who knows? That’s what he says.”

What’s clear is that father and son have a mutual admiration for each other.

It is the first championship for Palm Desert, and with Garvey and Burcham returning next season, the Aztecs figure to be a title contender again.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com