Prep baseball: CdM gets ‘Cavan’ fever

Barry Faulkner

CORONA DEL MAR - Costa Mesa High baseball coach Kirk Bauermeister

identified pitching and defense as the critical elements in Corona del

Mar’s 4-0 Pacific Coast League home victory Wednesday, which propelled

the Sea Kings into the CIF Southern Section Division IV playoffs.

But scouting may also have been as important for CdM starting pitcher

Cavan Cuyler, who, having gone to school on the Mustangs first hand,

executed his lesson plan by ending Mesa’s season with a complete-game

two-hitter.

“I learned some things,” admitted Cuyler, who along with fellow pitchers

Dave Knecht and J.D. Martinez, took advantage of a PCL bye week by

jotting notes about the Mustangs, whom they watched from the Costa Mesa

stands.

A bloop single over shortstop by Galel Fajardo and a rocket laced past

the third baseman by Carlos Franco were the only hits against Cuyler, who

struck out four, walked three, and faced the minimum in all but two

innings. He needed just 86 pitches.

The junior right-hander left the bases loaded in the third, striking out

the No. 3 hitter for the final out. Only three Mustangs reached second

base, as Cuyler’s defenders executed well, including a pair of

around-the-horn double plays and an inning-ending caught stealing by

catcher Rory McKeever.

“(Cuyler) threw very well,” Bauermeister said. “He moved the ball in and

out and mixed his pitches.”

Offensively, senior leadoff man Alex Swanson was the key for the winners.

He went 3 for 3 with an RBI double, one run and one stolen base. The

steal upped his Orange County-leading total to 28, though Mesa catcher

Fajardo later nailed him at second for his only ill-fated theft attempt

of the campaign.

A determined at-bat by junior second baseman Wes Hockinson, who worked a

walk by fouling off three would-be third strikes, triggered a two-run

second for the hosts. He was also the pivot man on the aforementioned

twin killings.

First baseman Andrew Johns raced behind the dugout to haul in a foul pop

in the fourth and McKeever sprung from behind the plate to snag a botched

sacrifice bunt attempt in the air in the fifth.

Swanson singled and Knecht reached on an error to open the first. After a

flyout, Swanson led a successful double steal, which put him in position

to score on Eric Snell’s subsequent groundout. Another Mesa error, its

second and final miscue, allowed Knecht to score.

After Hockinson’s gritty walk and a McKeever single, Swanson whacked a

double against the base of the right-field fence to plate Hockinson in

the second. A wild pitch brought McKeever home and Cuyler did the rest,

improving to 5-2.

“(Cuyler) showed against University (a complete-game, six-hitter in which

the league champions prevailed, 3-0, Friday) he could dominate a game and

he did it again today,” CdM Coach John Emme said. “He established strike

one and he got it all going. He’s picked up his pace lately and his last

two outings have been nearly identical. He used to be a human rain delay,

pacing in between pitches and thinking too much. Once he stopped thinking

so much, he became much more effective.”

With the win, the defending CIF Division IV champion Sea Kings (13-11,

6-6 in league) tie idle Laguna Beach for second place. And though the

Artists won the three-game series, 2-1, both teams will enter the

playoffs as No. 2 representatives, since they are in different divisions.

“Our goal was to make the playoffs, so we’re pleased,” Emme said.

Mesa (10-15-1, 4-8) wasted a brilliant relief performance by Franco. The

junior right-hander allowed back-to-back singles after coming on in the

second, but yielded only one additional hit in 4 1/3 solid innings. He

faced the minimum in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth and is part of a

quality nucleus returning.

“We have just about everyone back (Fajardo, center fielder Josh Little

and designated hitter Lyle Yourex were the only senior starters

Wednesday), so we believe we’ll be in good shape next year, said Mesa’s

Bauermeister.”

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE

Corona del Mar 4, Costa Mesa 0

Costa Mesa 000 000 0 - 0 2 2

Corona del Mar 220 000 x - 4 6 2

Haubrick, Franco (2) and Fajardo; Cuyler and McKeever. W - Cuyler, 5-2. L

- Haubrick. 2B - Swanson (CdM).