Sports
East County Baseball Teams Shuffling for Position
Grossmont, Monte Vista lead their respective leagues as schools look to make a playoff run.
There are no sure things when it comes to the Grossmont Hills and Grossmont Valley baseball league pennant races this spring. Bottom line is, it’s a constant shuffle.
In the GHL, Grossmont (13-5 overall, 3-1) is on the heels of front-running Valhalla (9-9, 4-1) just one-half game back with 10 games remaining.
The Foothillers are facing league road games this week at Helix (Tuesday), Steele Canyon (Wednesday) and West Hills (Friday), all at 4 p.m.
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Helix (15-4, 1-3), which bolted to a 12-0 start, finds itself on an uphill road. The Highlanders have a shot at climbing up the standings if they can knock off the Foothillers at home on Tuesday, Steele Canyon on the road on Wednesday and Steele Canyon at Petco Park on Friday. A sweep is what the Scotties need. All three of those games begin at 4 p.m.
The Highlanders are coming off a 3-1 finish in the Santa Maria Righetti Classic.
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Will that momentum provide a spark for the Highlanders in their quest for the GHL pennant? Who knows. Pitchers Jake Reed (5-0, 2 saves, 0.41 ERA) and Mauro Olivarria (4-1, 1.95) are the Highlanders' cornerstones. Right fielder Rashad Harlin (.472), catcher Diego Reynoso (.404) and center fielder Kacy Smith (.379) are the mainstays of the Helix offense.
Grossmont counts on Robby Nesovic (.458, 4 HR, 11 RBI), Tyler Timmer (.357) and Alex Connor (.342) to fuel the Foothillers’ offense.
Realistically speaking, West Hills (5-10, 0-4 GHL) is saddled with a spoiler’s role in the Grossmont Hills League, while Santana (5-12-1, 0-4 GVL) must shoulder the same burden in the Grossmont Valley League. Neither team is likely to claim a league crown, but both could capture a San Diego CIF playoff berth.
Brandon Byrd (.444, 14 RBI) and Brandon Beard (.390, 3 HRs, 14 RBI) spearhead the West Hills offense.
Catcher Cameron Balough (.400, 3 HR, 20 RBI) is the mainstay of the Santana offense.
The Wolf Pack and Sultans are lacking in the pitching department, which all but eliminates them from title contention. Neither team has a “lights out” pitcher.
Not to be overlooked is Monte Vista (14-6), which leads the GVL with a 5-0 mark.
Senior southpaw Nick Sabo is a double threat for Monte Vista. The Long Beach State-bound pitcher is 5-1 with two saves and a 0.76 ERA. Sabo also owns a .424 batting average with five home runs and 16 RBI.
Mathematically, Mount Miguel remains in contention with a 2-1 GVL record (7-11 overall). The Matadors’ kingpin is Juwun McCray, a double threat with a .392 batting average, 27 stolen bases and a 3-2 pitching record.
Special to Patch.com from East County Sports.com
