Newport Harbor baseball crowned as Division II regional champions
- Share via
The Newport Harbor High baseball team learned this season that being a team can require sacrifice.
The starting pitcher for the final game of the season, team captain Ryan Williams, served as a reminder of that.
Williams, a Cal signee, tore his patella tendon during the Sailors’ series against Marina to open Sunset League play. His mobility compromised, he was no longer able to roam center field on defense, instead being planted at first base. Hitting became an adjustment as well.
“I had a bunch of opinions — should I stop playing, should I keep going?” Williams said. “I just wanted to go out and win with these guys so bad. I am going to college for baseball, but I wanted to put that to the side and just play for these boys one last season. I’m so glad I did.”
Not many teams can say that they ended their season with a victory, but Newport Harbor accomplished that Saturday at home. The Sailors beat Bakersfield Christian, 5-1, in the CIF Southern California Regional Division II title game.
Newport Harbor (25-10) bounced back from what coach Josh Lee called a “devastating” loss to Ganesha in the CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinals, winning three more games to claim its second regional title in five years. The Sailors also won the Division III title in 2022.
Williams, starting at pitcher for the first time in more than a month, threw the first three innings. Grant Horsley pitched the fourth and Gavin Guy closed it out for the final three innings for the Sailors. Combined, they held Central Section Division II champion Bakersfield Christian (28-7-1) to just three hits.
The fact that Williams started the game and Guy, bound for UC Santa Barbara, closed it out was not lost on Lee. They were two of the Sailors’ three team captains, along with senior catcher Brooks Francis.
“Ryan and Gavin have been four-year varsity starters for me,” he said. “There’s something emotional about that. When you’re with them every day during the school year for four years, and you get to send them off like this, it’s pretty cool.”
Bakersfield Christian jumped in front in the top of the first, as Deakin Brinkley smacked a one-out double to right. After McCoy Silicz drew a full-count walk, Ryan Burgess followed with a run-scoring single to right.
But that was largely the extent of the offense for the Eagles. Newport Harbor, meanwhile, took the lead in the bottom of the second inning.
Senior third baseman Henry Mann led off with an infield single, and Horsley roped a single to right. Francis’ sacrifice bunt was mishandled at first base, allowing Mann to score. Junior Cameron Hatfield drove in the second run with a sacrifice fly.
After Guy came on to pitch in the top of the fifth, the Sailors immediately gave him three more insurance runs in the bottom of the frame, chasing Bakersfield Christian starting pitcher Spencer Watkins. Sophomore leadoff hitter Keoni Wun was hit by a pitch, and Guy singled to center an out later to score him.
Mann then added another infield single, before Horsley reached on a bunt single for the second straight game. Francis was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in another run, then the Sailors’ fifth run scored as Hatfield recorded his second RBI on a ground out.
That was more than enough for Guy, who recorded five of his last six outs via strikeout to secure the championship.
“He goes down as one of the best to ever do it at Newport Harbor,” Lee said.
Francis, Guy’s battery mate, caught all but one inning for the Sailors this season with two other catchers injured. He knew what to expect when Guy was on the mound.
“Gavin has just got this mind set that few people do,” Francis said. “He’s going to go out there and pitch, it doesn’t matter what adversity he faces. He’s so accurate. I’ve never seen him miss a spot, honestly, all year. His stuff just moves so much that guys can’t touch it.”
The closeness of Newport Harbor was perhaps personified by its three team captains, who have known each other since they were in kindergarten at Mariners Elementary School. On Thursday, two days before the Division II regional final, they graduated from Newport Harbor.
They leave the program understanding the brotherhood they will have for the rest of their lives. The results have certainly shown on the diamond.
The last two years, the Sailors have battled with perennial powerhouse Huntington Beach, as the teams are 3-3 in league against each other during that time span. The Oilers won the Division I regional title on Saturday.
“To me, that’s my biggest source of pride, what these kids have been able to do that the baseball community talks different about our program,” Lee said. “It begins and ends with really good, talented players who buy in and who love the program and the culture. They’re willing to put the culture and other people before themselves and their own interests. That’s really hard to get teenagers to do, and I’m super-proud of them.”
Williams understood the assignment. He heads to the Bay Area as a champion.
“It took a hit on me personally with the stats and everything,” he said of his tendon injury. “But none of that matters as long as we got this CIF championship. I’m so happy. It’s just so great.”
