Results tagged “Citrus Belt League Baseball” from Yucaipa Now

By Bob Otto / Staff Photographer

HUNTINGTON BEACH - The 2009 Thunderbirds baseball team shattered school records, won the Citrus Belt League Championship, won the prestigious Millington, Tennessee and Chino tournament championships, and attained lofty state and national rankings.

But the one prize they had their eyes firmly fixed on all season long - a California Interscholastic Federation Championship - will forever remain an unrequited dream. The Huntington Beach Oilers made sure of that by defeating the Thunderbirds, 10-2, on Friday in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division II Playoffs.

Yucaipa simply did not play its "A" game by committing five errors that helped pave the way to victory for the 18-12 Oilers, who finished third in the Sea View League with an 8-7 record and entered the playoffs as a wild card team.

Meanwhile, the Thunderbirds, one of the finest teams in coach Jeff Stout's 33 years, finish 27-3 and as the Citrus Belt League Champions with a 13-1 record.

"We were ready, but for whatever reason we didn't make the plays," Stout said. "Five errors aren't going to win you too many ball games. Errors have been kind of a nemesis with us all year long, but we've been able to make up for it with our bats."

YUCAIPA - The #1 seed Yucaipa Thunderbirds (25-2 overall, 13-1 Citrus Belt League Champions) representing the Citrus Belt League drew a home game on Thursday in the CIF Southern Section Division II Baseball Playoffs against the winner of the wild card game between Righetti and Crescenta Valley on Tuesday.

Righetti (13-13 overall, 10-8 league) of Santa Maria plays in the Pac-7 league where the Warriors finished in fourth place. Crescenta Valley of La Cresenta competes in the Pacific League where the Falcons placed third with a 9-5 record, 16-9 overall.

Game time is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. at Thompson Field, Home of the Thunderbirds.

Bob Otto / Staff Photographer

YUCAIPA - The Thunderbirds clinched the 2009 Citrus Belt League Championship with 23-0 victory over the Eisenhower Eagles of Rialto on Thursday at Thompson Field, "Home of the Thunderbirds."

The 2009 title marks the 17th league championship the Thunderbirds have won in Head Coach Jeff Stout's 33 year career at Yucaipa High School. They finished the league season with a 13-1 record, 25-2 overall.

A recap of the Thunderbirds' Citrus Belt League scores:
1. 10-3 victory over Rialto.
2. 9-1 victory over A.B. Miller of Fontana.
3. 10-7 victory over Redlands.
4. 20-1 victory over Fontana.
5. 2-12 loss to Redlands East Valley.
6. 35-1 victory over Eisenhower of Rialto.
7. 13-2 victory over Carter of Rialto.
8. 7-0 victory over Rialto.
9. 9-5 victory over Redlands East Valley.
10. 16-7 victory over Carter.
11. 15-1 victory over A.B. Miller.
12. 16-3 victory over Redlands.
13. 12-1 victory over Fontana.
14. 23-0 victory over Eisenhower.

Yucaipa won the 2009 Citrus Belt League Championship with a 23-0 win over Eisenhower Thursday. It's was the Thunderbirds first outright league championship since 2003.
By Bob Otto / Staff Photographer

YUCAIPA - They took second in 2008, third in '07, another second in '06, and they tied for the league title in 2005. But winning an outright Citrus Belt League baseball championship has been a slippery mountain to climb for the Thunderbirds.

But on Thursday the drought came to an end as Yucaipa overwhelmed the Eisenhower Eagles, 23-0, to claim the undisputed CBL Championship - a championship the Thunderbirds last held in 2003. The win improves Yucaipa's league record to 13-1, 25-2 overall, While Eisenhower finishes its season at 1-13 CBL, 2-19 overall.

"Our goal this year was that we wanted to start off with a league championship," said Jeff Stout, now in his 33rd year as head coach of the Thunderbirds. "We've not won league in the past few years and we've had to play a wildcard round (in CIF Southern Section Division II Playoffs), or we've had to play a pretty formidable team early and we've been exiting."

Yucaipa's Wyatt Padgett had a huge day at the plate, driving in six runs, with a 4-for-4 performance, including a three-run home run. Here his teammates greet him at home plate after his first inning homer.
By Bob Otto / Staff Photographer

YUCAIPA - The Thunderbirds defeated the A.B. Miller Rebels of Fontana, 15-1, in a Citrus Belt League game on Tuesday. See the teams in action.

Click Here For Photo Gallery

Yucaipa defeated A.B. Miller, 15-1, in Citrus Belt League play on Frank Martin's one-hitter and the explosive bats of the Thunderbirds.
By Bob Otto / Staff Photographer

YUCAIPA - One point pitchers agree on unanimously: It's much easier to pitch when your team is scoring runs.

And Thunderbirds Frank Martin agrees wholeheartedly. Not that he needed a lot of runs on Tuesday in a Citrus Belt League game with A.B. Miller of Fontana. The lefthander tossed a one-hitter at the Rebels, while his teammates pounded out 16 hits, as Yucaipa improved its CBL record to 10-1 in a 15-1 romp over the visiting Rebels.

"Our hitting is really coming around," said Martin, who with the win improves to 6-2 with a 1.93 ERA on the year. "We are working a lot on hitting with coach (Lou) Sosa and it's paying off."

Martin allowed his lone hit in the first inning to Mike Dragoon, whose single to left field scored lead off batter, Anthony Michaud, who reached first base on an infield error.

But from that point on Martin was tough by getting ahead of the batters, and mixing a good fastball with his sharp-breaking curve. Martin allowed only three balls to leave the infield - all routine fly ball outs to centerfield. And he struck out 10, walked 2, and hit 1 batter.

"I felt good today," Martin said. "I felt like my fastball was jumping; it hasn't been like that recently, and I felt confident in all my pitches."

Thunderbirds surge into first in CBL battle with Wildcats

By Bob Otto / Staff Photographer

By T.J. Berka / Staff Writer

YUCAIPA - Yucaipa catcher Cody Meservey, a safety on the football team, hardly fits the stereotype of the plodding, slow-footed backstop. Redlands East Valley learned that the hard way Thursday.

With the game tied in the bottom of the sixth, Meservey led off with an infield single and beat out three Redlands East Valley force attempts to score the go-ahead run in a 9-5 Yucaipa victory.

The victory broke a three-game losing streak to the Wildcats for Yucaipa (20-2, 8-1) and put the Thunderbirds a half-game ahead of REV (14-6, 8-2) in the Citrus Belt League standings. Meservey's hustle made it all possible.

"I don't think they had a scouting report on him," Yucaipa coach Jeff Stout said. "If they did, they'd know that Cody is a football player and can fly. He's not a slow catcher."

After Meservey's single, Grady Espinosa laid down a sacrifice bunt toward REV pitcher Griffin Murphy. Instead of taking the routine out at first, Murphy whipped around and tried to throw out Meservey at second unsuccessfully.

By Bob Otto / Staff Photographer

YUCAIPA - The Yucaipa Thunderbirds knocked off the Redlands East Valley Wildcats, 9-5, on Thursday in a Citrus Belt League match up of the two top contending teams for the league championship.

(My esteemed colleague in the sports department, T.J. Berka, will have a game story in the SUN tomorrow morning.)

Also check out T.J.'s Blog Click Here For Berka's Sports Blog

Click Here To See Photo Gallery

File Photos / By Bob Otto

YUCAIPA - Both teams have 7-1 league records. Both teams are scoring runs in bunches. Both teams have solid pitching. And both teams would like to kick the stuffing out of each other.

So the Citrus Belt League showdown on Thursday at Yucaipa High School's Tommy Thompson Field, between the Yucaipa Thunderbirds and Redlands East Valley Wildcats baseball teams promises to be a thriller.

For starters, at stake is a leg up in the battle for the CBL championship. Secondly, after a kick-in-the-butt, 12-2, thrashing by the Wildcats on April 17th at REV, the Thunderbirds probably have a little "revenge" on their minds. And thirdly, this has been a great rivalry over the years.

Look for both teams to score runs. Yes, I know, the Wildcats held the Thunderbirds to 2 runs and 3 hits in that first game, but I consider that an aberration. It won't happen again - Yucaipa just hits the ball too well, one through nine.

File Photos / Bob Otto Staff Photographer

YUCAIPA - The Thunderbirds baseball team finds itself flying high these days as USA Today has the T-Birds ranked #4 in the nation among the "Super 25" high school baseball teams.

The USA Today's Top Four

1. Jesuit of Tampa, FL (19-0)
2. Lakeland, FL (16-0)
3. Bellaire, Houston, TX (17-1-1)
4. Yucaipa ( 14-1)
The T-Birds only loss came on April 8th, 4-5, to Torrey Pines of Rancho Buena Vista in the San Diego Lions Tournament where the T-Birds finished 3-1.

While #4 in the nation is fantastic, Yucaipa also claims the #1 spot in the CIF-SS Division II Coaches' Baseball Ranking as of April 6.

1. Yucaipa
2. El Toro
3. Crespi
4. Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks
5. Palos Verdes
6. Upland
7. Arcadia
8. St. Francis
9. San Luis Obispo
10. Vista Del Lago

However, Yucaipa will have its hands full this week with three Citrus Belt League foes trying to shoot them down from their lofty perches. On Tuesday, Yucaipa hosts Redlands (9-6, 2-2 CBL); Thursday they host Fontana (8-7, 3-1 CBL); and on Friday they take on the always tough and current CBL leader Redlands East Valley (8-4, 3-0 CBL) at REV.

Yucaipa currently has a 2-0 record in CBL play. All three games are scheduled for 3:15 p.m.