SALDANA SERVES UP SUCCESS : Right Fielder Leads Saddleback Against Dana Hills

George Saldana, Saddleback High School’s right fielder, will never be described as a hungry hitter.

Saldana will lead the Roadrunners (21-6) into the quarterfinals of the Southern Section 3-A baseball playoffs today against Dana Hills (16-12). He has a .443 batting average and 10 multiple-hit games.

But Saldana is as adept at serving up a plate of homemade lasagna as he is at swinging a bat at home plate. He is enrolled in an advanced foods class at Saddleback, where he often treats his teammates to free meals on Fridays.

“I make great lasagna and a real good pizza,” Saldana said. “Every Friday, we’re allowed to create our own meal in class, and I usually make lasagna.

“I took a class in beginning foods and really liked it, so the next semester I signed up for another class. Nobody on the team says anything about it, except, ‘When can we come to class and eat?’ ”

For two seasons, Saldana has been feasting on opposing pitchers. Last season, he hit .312 and helped lead the Roadrunners to the first league title in the school’s history.

Saddleback successfully defended its Sea View League title this year, with Saldana serving as the team captain. He enters today’s game with 3 homers, 6 doubles, 7 stolen bases and 24 runs batted in.

“George also has a great arm,” Bobby Mangram, Saddleback coach, said. “He’s thrown out a couple of runners at first base who singled to right. You have to respect his arm, and few teams have tried to run on him.”

Saldana began playing T-ball as a 5-year-old in the Southeast Santa Ana Little League. He has played on winning teams since he was 10, including Saddleback’s freshman team that posted a 19-2 record.

“I’ve played baseball all year long since my freshman season,” he said. “I played football as a freshman, but that was the first time I had ever played football. It wasn’t as much fun as baseball, so I decided to stick with baseball.”

There was one short separation during Saldana’s love affair with baseball. He was declared academically ineligible in his sophomore year and was forced to sit out half the season.

Saldana missed the opening of that season, tournament play and several league games. He was reduced to being a bit player in practice, performing routine running plays while his teammates prepared for games.

On game days, Saldana watched quietly and waited. He said the layoff was a lesson he will never forget.

“I hated it,” Saldana said. “I couldn’t play, and the coaches made me a rabbit (baserunner) in practices. I disappointed myself, my coaches, my teammates and my family.

“I thought my sophomore year was going to be easy. I was going to start on the varsity. I stopped going to some classes, and it cost me. My older brothers were upset, my parents were upset. I was determined to never let that happen again.”

Saldana has maintained a 3.0 grade-point average since his sophomore year. He plans to attend Rancho Santiago College in the fall and continue playing baseball.

“The most fun about baseball is winning,” Saldana said. “I think just about every team I’ve played on since I was 10 years old has taken first place.”

The calluses on Saldana’s left hand are testimony to his love of hitting. Saldana has a hitting T in his back yard, where he spends hours driving a ball into a net. He usually remains after practice inside Saddleback’s batting cage.

Saldana also is the player easiest to find on the field. He engages in nonstop chatter from the outfield, trying to get his teammates mentally ready for each inning.

“I’m the captain, so it’s my job to lead by example and get the team hyped up and ready to play,” he said. “I’m usually a little nervous before a game, but once that first pitch is over, then I’m ready to play.”