The Culver City High School varsity baseball team is hoping to stay undefeated this week and especially next week in Ocean League action. The Centaurs are 11-0 in the Ocean League and 16-6 overall. On Thursday, April 24, the Centaurs play a home game against Hawthrone at 3:15 p.m. On Tuesday, April 29, they stay at home to face Santa Monica in a show down for first place. The Vikings are currently 10-0 in the Ocean League and 15-6 overall.
On Thursday, May 1, the Centaurs continue their home and away series with Santa Monica when they visit the Vikings home diamond for a 3:15 p.m. game near the ocean. “The best thing that is going on with this team right now is they are really turning the corner, and they have an understanding of what it really takes to win,” said Culver City head baseball coach Devaughn Wallace after a game last week. They have won 8 out of their last 10 games and they are currently riding a five-game winning streak.
“We have lost some close games at the beginning of the season now we are able to feel comfortable and we are working hard and putting it all together,” said Wallace. With solid pitching, outstanding fielding and good hitting, the Centaurs are moving closer to getting ready for the CIF playoffs.
The Ocean League is not as strong as last year’s Bay League, but Wallace says the mental toughness game remains the same regardless of what league you play in. “It’s always about mental toughness,” Wallace said. “Mental toughness works both ways. It not only works when you are doing bad, it works when you are doing good. It takes you to a place where you always have to refocus and be ready to get the job done.”
It takes ability to get the job done and the Centaurs have talent. The pitching unit is led by Anthony Yepez, Ben Naverez, Niko Webber-Smith and Nolan Riesenberg. Having a reliable catcher is very important and Culver City has two of them, Nick Cablk and Felix Perez. The hitting is solid, and the fielding is outstanding.
Wallace knows, being a former Centaur catcher, the captain of the ship is the catcher. “It’ very important to have a very good catcher. He controls the game. He calls the pitches; he controls the run game, and he has to be a wall behind the plate. Having a good catcher is a very important factor when you have a winning program. We have two very good catchers.”
The Centaurs came into this season with an experienced pitching staff. With three No. 1 pitchers in Yepez, Naverez and Webber-Smith and up and coming Riesenberg, Culver City appears to be ready for the post season.
Centaur first baseball Aaron Carrillo-Munoz thinks the team can play even better. “This team has so much potential that we are not showing. If we just stay locked in, we can play better than most of the teams we face. I think we can be a really good team.”