The Saugus Centurions baseball team is gearing up for what first-year head coach Mike Miller hopes is a strong finish to the regular season and a deep playoff run.
Starting the season at 11-6 and 4-3 in the Foothill League, good for fourth place in the standings with just three weeks to go, the Centurions went 1-1 during spring break this week. They lost to Muir on the road on Tuesday, 4-3, before bouncing back with a 17-4 home win on Wednesday over the Oakwood Owls.
“It was a good bounceback win,” Saugus (12-7, 4-3) head coach Mike Miller said in a Thursday phone interview. “They played really well yesterday.”
Saugus collected 14 hits on Wednesday and saw four players record multi-hit days. Senior James Frias led the way with three hits, including a double, three RBIs and a run scored.
“When he goes, we go,” Miller said. “He’s a very good player, and he had a rough start to the season hitting, and in the last probably eight games just been really hitting the ball well and getting on base for us.”
Senior Justin Barrett and sophomores Banning Sheff and JD Lawless each recorded two hits. Lawless and Barrett each drove in a couple runs, while all three scored twice each.
Sheff and Lawless are part of a sophomore class that Miller thinks has been crucial to the team’s success so far this season and should be big parts of the two upcoming seasons as well. Abraham Ramirez is another sophomore who has broken out with a team-leading 21 hits to go along with 17 RBIs, three triples and 15 runs scored.
“Our sophomores are very good,” Miller said. “JD Lawless, Banning Sheff and Abe Ramirez have really stepped it up in the lineup. They’ve been hitting. Their defense, all three of them are really, really good. They’re plus defenders. Plus, you know, they’re learning to hit, because the Foothill League is tough for hitting because there’s so many good pitchers.”
Miller has a few pitchers of his own to call upon who have been effective. Senior Kaleb Haag has been the ace of the staff, putting up a 1.75 ERA over 32 innings pitched, and has also been a force at the plate with 18 hits, 13 RBIs, 18 runs scored and five doubles. He didn’t pitch in either game this week as the Centurions look forward to four games next week.
“Ever since fall, he’s our leader of our staff,” Miller said. “He’s a great teammate. He’s just pitching really well right now. He’s very competitive. He works his tail off every single day. He’s just one of those guys that he’s a good pitcher because of the work he puts into the game.”
Five pitchers combined for Saugus on Wednesday to get the win. Sophomore Chase Kline struck out three and allowed just one hit and one earned run over 3 1/3 innings. Sophomore Tyler Roberts and junior Noah Garcia each tossed a scoreless inning.
The Centurions have five games left in their league schedule. Up next are two games next week against Golden Valley, followed by Saugus’ league bye the week after and then two games against Castaic the last week of April.
Saugus also has a makeup game on the road at Hart on Saturday, May 3, at 10 a.m. after the previously scheduled contest was postponed due to rain and lightning. Saugus beat Hart at home last week, 8-2, the first, and only, loss the Hawks have suffered in the league so far.
Miller said every team in the league is going to give a battle, but he believes his squad has what it takes to finish the season strong and keep its playoff spot.
“We’re gonna give everything we have,” Miller said. “This team is gonna fight and claw and do everything it can to make the playoffs and make some noise in the Foothill League. And I think we’re very excited as a team where we’re at and we’re really, really ready to finish this season strong. We put a lot of work in this fall, and we’re ready to put that work to test and be ready to go.”
