The Sobrato baseball team closed strong, but not strong enough
to earn it a spot in the Central Coast Section playoffs.
Morgan Hill – The Sobrato baseball team closed strong, but not strong enough to earn it a spot in the Central Coast Section playoffs.
The Bulldogs won their final three games – including a 15-2 decision over Independence at home Friday – but their 16-10 overall record and 13-8 mark in the Blossom Valley Athletic League Santa Teresa Division wasn’t enough to get them over the hump.
“We were a point and half away from making the playoffs,” Sobrato coach Shorty Gutierez said, referring to the CCS power points that determine teams making the playoffs. “One more win could’ve changed our season. It’s pretty upsetting that it happened, but when I look back at it, our goal was to be one of top three teams and we finished third.”
Gutierez, whose team was 3-21 and 1-17 in the Tri-County Athletic League season last year, fought successfully at the beginning of the year to get his team into the Santa Teresa Division, the “B” league in the three-tiered BVAL.
“I had to fight for us to get in that division,” he said. “They wanted to keep us in the ‘C’, but I felt our team would be able to compete.”
The Bulldogs did more than compete, as evidenced by their 13-win improvement and third-place finish in the league.
“Next year I expect a little bit more,” Gutierez said. “We’re showing that we’re turning that corner. I plan on being committed. I want to build a winning program here.”
In the season finale, Sobrato broke it open with seven runs in the sixth inning to take the mercy-rule victory over the 76ers. The Bulldogs built a big advantage with eight runs in the first three innings.
The game marked the first Senior Day for the Sobrato baseball program, which is in its third year of existence. Tim Buich, Antonino Davi, Ryan Evanger, Taylor O’Connell and Bryan Yates all were playing in their final game for the Bulldogs.
“They did a great job,” Gutierez said of the five seniors. “They set the tone for the program.”
Evanger went 2-for-3 on the day with a double and two RBIs. He also earned the win, going 3 1/3 innings and allowing one hit and striking out five. Danny Nelson reached base five times, going 3-for-3 with three RBIs, three runs scored and two walks.
Gutierez felt the season turned around about the midway point when grades came out and the team lost some players, but also gained a few others.
“It made for better nucleus,” he said. “There was better team communication and that made for a better team on the field.”
He was also happy about the improvement in the number of athletes in the program. Last season, the team finished the year with 11 players on varsity and was struggling to field a competitive team at the end of the year. This year, the season ended with more than 30 players on the varsity and JV teams combined.
“We had a good number of guys come out this year so that made for a competitive team,” Gutierez said. “In our community, people need to see that we’re winning and this is just a start.”
