‘Diamond Kings’ win CIF title

Barry Faulkner

The winning streak totaled 17 games, spanning exactly two months. But

by capping it all with a 3-1 victory over Tesoro High in Saturday’s

CIF Southern Section Division IV title game at Dodger Stadium, Corona

del Mar assured its mark on Newport-Mesa baseball history will last

forever.

“Arguably, this is the best team in Corona del Mar history,” said

Sea Kings Coach John Emme, who guided the 1999 team to a CIF Division

IV crown and has talked about the 2004 team’s legacy with Jeff Pries,

the CIF Player of the Year on the 1981 CIF 2-A champions.

“Jeff told me he doesn’t believe any other team has gone

undefeated in league [CdM was 15-0 in league games and 17-0,

including playoffs, against Pacific Coast League foes]. We’ve rattled

off 17 wins in a row and, after starting 2-4, we’re 25-5. Our losses

were against very good, big schools, so, [the best team ever

question] would make for a good water-cooler debate.”

The No. 3-seeded Sea Kings have been awash in victories ever since

a 4-1 Pride of the Coast tournament setback against La Habra April 5.

They have relied on a premium blend of pitching, defense and

productive hitting to amass a 143-62 scoring advantage during the

17-game skein.

Pitching led the way Saturday as senior left-hander Blake Contant

threw a complete-game, three-hitter for his fourth win in this

season’s five-game playoff run. He got the save in the other

postseason win. Contant, who finishes 12-2 with four saves and an

impressive 1.76 ERA this season, surrendered just one hit and two

base runners after Tesoro (20-11) scored a run on two hits in the

first.

Contant, who won 20 of 25 decisions in his three-year varsity

career, retired eight straight after Nik Nelson’s RBI single opened

the scoring. After Nelson drove a one-out double in the fourth,

Contant set down the next nine.

“The thing that made me sleep well last night was knowing Blake

Contant was getting the ball today,” Emme said. He three-hit [the

Titans] the last time [a 2-1 victory April 16] and, sure enough, he

did it again today. He’s a master of both sides of the plate.”

Offensively, senior first baseman Barrett Sprowl got things

started with a two-out, first-inning double inside third. Junior

right fielder Wess Presson followed with an RBI single to center,

taking with it Tesoro’s early momentum, as

well as much of CdM’s anxiety.

“That was big,” Emme said of quickly erasing Tesoro’s lead.

“Although we’ve come from behind many times, it was important for us

to answer their run.”

Sprowl, who went 2 for 3 to finalize his batting average at a tidy

.500 in 106 at-bats, opened the winning rally by looping the first

pitch over shortstop for a single.

After Presson was hit by Tesoro starter Bryan Evans, senior left

fielder Nik Palchikoff walked to load the bases for junior third

baseman Tyler Lance.

Lance, who came in with a team-leading ratio of 24 RBIs in 57

at-bats (42.1%), lined a single to left to plate Sprowl, though a

baserunning mishap cost the Sea Kings an out on the play at second

base.

“I didn’t sleep last night, but, by that second at-bat, I was able

to relax,” Lance said. “I knew that when we pulled ahead, Blake

wasn’t going to let the lead slip away. He’s that competitive.”

Senior Jeritt Thayer, whom Emme called the best defensive high

school shortstop he has ever seen, followed with an RBI single for

all the Sea Kings would need. Thayer was 6 for 6 and was hit by a

pitch in his seven plate appearances over his final two games to

raise his batting average to .463.

Bradbury, who will continue at UNLV, added a single to the Sea

Kings’ eight-hit attack. He finished with 11 home runs this spring,

21 in his three-year varsity career.

Palchikoff, who led the Sea Kings with 31 RBIs this season, also

added a hit.

Defensively, freshman second baseman Jake Lemmerman retreated to

make a sliding catch of a pop-up in shallow right field, while

Thayer, Lance, senior center fielder Parker Ferguson, Presson and

Palchikoff were also responsible for outs.

Senior catcher Dan Marin-Finn, who had the game-winning RBI in

Tuesday’s 6-5 semifinal win over Northwood, and senior third baseman

Corey Azzalino rounded out the strong defensive performance for the

winners.

“The defense did its job today,” Emme said.

The efficiency of Contant and his fielders helped make it an

89-minute game, which ended in the customary dog-pile celebration

near the mound.

“It doesn’t get much better than to cap off your senior year like

this,” Contant said.

“I’m just excited,” said a smiling Sprowl, who noted this year’s

seniors began talking about winning a section title after being

eliminated in last year’s Division IV quarterfinals by eventual

champion La Quinta.

“It’s still sinking in, but this is awesome, absolutely awesome,”

Bradbury said after the Sea Kings’ 23rd win in its last 24 games.

“For this group of seniors to be able to do this together and have

this for the rest of our lives is awesome.”

Tesoro Coach Rick Brail was generous with praise for CdM.

“Corona del Mar is a true champion,” said Brail, who will return

all but two starters for the program’s third varsity season. “[The

Sea Kings] answered all the questions this year. They have risen to

every occasion. They had a great season and they topped it off with a

good win today.”

*--*

CIF Division IV Final

Corona del Mar 3, Tesoro 1

Score by Innings

Tesoro 100 000 0 -- 1 3 3

CdM 100 200 x -- 3 8 1

Evans, Trujillo (5), Evans (6) and Torrie;

Contant and Marin-Finn. W -- Contant, 12-2.

L -- Evans, 8-5. 2B -- Sprowl (CdM), Nelson

(T).

*--*