CIF baseball playoffs schedule correction:

Theresa that last blog was mine. by Sports fan original directed toward you.

Results will not be easy in Division 4. Even Bishop Amat, who owns St Paul, lost in the Semi's.

It would even be tougher in DIII.

I know you guys have some real good athletes, but this is southern california == baseball capital of the world.

Hum… Spt.Fan.Original; how could we not be a great team and program, with all the great athletes at St.Paul and” who” come from a large area outside of Santa Fe Springs. The baseball program receives a lot of school funds, OK not like the football program, but we could not pay the light bill without football.
The school needs results. I thank the Principle who is willing to change old ideas and bring new solutions.

to Theresa J: They did make progress. They just are not a great team...

What if you parents have Morales fired and they hire someone worse? Will you have him fired too?
Sounds like Whittier High School.

St. Paul has improved a little. They are quarterfinalist in Div IV. They better stay there for a while and not think about moving up.

I know you all are tired of my blogs but to realize the quality of local play, which is good but not great, and how difficult it is to win a CIF Championship or even make the "Final Four" I will use an example of the playoffs this year.

St. Paul beat La Serna 5 to 4. Cal-Hi beat La Serna two out of three. Downey beat Cal 29 to 0 in a doubleheader the same day I think Chatsworth be Bishop Amat 10 to 0. Well Lancaster just beat Downey 3 to 0.

Think about all the baseball in SoCal. The baseball world in SoCal is huge.

The AD can't and now won't save coach Morales. The fireworks are about to erupt. So much was put into the baseball program, and we were told the team would make progress and keep moving up in the divisions.
St. Paul can't compete in or with the other private schools and a lot of the public schools.

89 SP alum
supposed to win a couple of CIF titles? Who said? Parents? Do you have any idea at all how hard it is to win a CIF title? Do not count making it to the finals last year because you did not beat anybody good(in division V) getting there. When you got there you lost to a very good B.A.

This year, in division IV (III, II, and I are better)you made the quarters by beating a couple of good clubs, but are on heck of a long way from winning a title.
There are approximately 72 teams in the division. How do you figure "supposed to win CIF Titles"? You overrate the local area.

Encinas and Carillo are awesome players. To win a CIF title you need hitters throughout the line up. Also the league St. Paul plays in is very weak. Cantwell!! Teams that win it all are usually in a tough league where they are used to tough competition day in and day out!

I agree with “only an observer”; the Principle is considering what to do. I think we have Coach Pete Gonzales all over again. Coaches brought in Chris Wilson and a few others and tried to win a title.
But they’re not Catholics, so the coaches want to win at any cost. Maybe that’s why the alum doesn’t bring their kids to St. Paul. I seen SP’s team every game their defense is park and recreation. I v been at the school for some time now. I say just watch the next few months will blow the SP baseball circle away.

St Paul had a better year in the playoffs than I expected. They won 2 very, very close games then lost a close one.
They deserve credit by reaching the top "8" in the division. If they would have had confidence defensively I guess they would still be riding high.

They did learn that Division IV is a lot better than Division V though. There are no Montclair Preps (who?), lowly Azusa's, Paraclete's (that tiny school in the upper desert?) or Serrano (who is a good ballclub) in Division IV. The teams listed are the teams they beat last year in the playoffs and what had all of you St. Paul fans "RAVING" on this blog until you got swept by the Lancers. (No I am not a Lancer fan)

to Delreyl: If your judging the quality of your Swordsmen by comparing St. Paul to the local non parochial schools you guys will never get further than you did this year. The place we live in is possibly the baseball capital of the world. So, you had a better year than the other locals. And there are 50 other teams in the bigger picture of LA and Orange counties that can beat ya.

The local teams are competing against even tougher competition while in the playoffs.

You saw it moving from V to IV. Much tougher!! Well Division III, II, and I are even better!!! So stop popping off. Kaiser is a good ballclub having reached the "final four" this season. BUT, they have only won 2 CIF playoff games over the previous 4 seasons. Certainly not a CIF Powerhouse.

California high school lost to a "final four" team also!!

Good luck Chris Carillo!! Encinas you can really pitch

so where and who do the st paul slime school play next?
oops nowhere & nobody. just wait were going to knock the slime into next year, get ready football is almost here.we went easy on the slime in baseball but not football.

89 SP Alum,

First of all, if you would have read my entry, you would have seen that I started it by congratulating the St Paul Baseball team for beating the Div IV defending champions; Northview. There was no bashing there. Of all the entries that I have made, I have never once called out any one player by his name. I know better.

So I take it you would rather I say that today the starting pitcher for the St Paul Swordsmen had a no hitter through 4 innings. But you don't want me to say that this is the main reasons this team went as far as they did in the playoffs, because this is an opinion right? You also wouldn't want me to say that Coach Morales should have recognized that his star pitcher was tiring, but he still left him in there longer then he should have (Didn't worry about saving him for the next game right). Again an opinion. What about the next pitcher comes in and get ground balls (does his job), but his infielders commit errors on routine plays. I can say that cause I observed it right? With that said, the St Paul Baseball team was eliminated in a Div IV quarter finals playoff game today 5 to 4. I can also say that cause I observed it, right!

Now 89 SP Alum, to answer your 3 questions at the end of your entry, the answer is NO, none of the above. I tell you what, I do know SP parents, players, and Alumni that would probably express the same things, I have observed but are afraid to do so due to them fearing repercussion toward their kids (ie riding the pine and not getting any playing time). You probably already know that, right?

The frustration (motive) that I have with the people running the St. Paul Baseball program is, that they were handed this talented group, and they wasted opportunities to win with them (down to the last year with this current group of boys). They are not teaching these boys the correct fundamentals of Baseball (wasting their talent). The offense took a major nose dive this year.

Going back to the sub 200 avg, that is not part of my book, thats a fact. A team that can't give their pitchers the run support that they need is not going to win. They just got eliminated from playoffs today. This is the group that was suppose to win a couple of CIF titles, but have not lived up to expectations. Now with that said, this team only has one more chance to make it to the finals and win it all (the majority of the team will be seniors next year).

I don't believe that this is being a critic, I'm only stating facts and what I have observed (a critic would bring up all the other problems that are occurring but I'm not going to do that neither). Good luck next year SWORDSMEN BASEBALL, bring home that CIF TITLE.

how is big pete g. doing at montebello? i herad hes changing the world over there.

El Rancho's baseball program a joke??? What team in the Del Rio League has dominated the way El Rancho has in DRL baseball most of this decade??? I'll take a third place during a rebuilding year where practically no one returned, not too shabby if you ask me.

only an observer:

give some credit when credit is due. Even I have shut up. Well St. Paul shut me up by reaching the quarterfinals in a much tougher division than the weak Division 5 of the past.

"Only an Observer" ????? - What a joke!

Changing your name to "Only A Critic" would be more accurate. An observer does not take an active part in what he/she is observing! Kind of like reporters... they REPORT without opinion, right!!?? At least in most cases!!!!
Granted SP's baseball program can't compare to other historically great programs, Casey Morales is doing a great job with the atheletes at hand. Sub-200 averages may not cut it in your book, but hey, if they're winning games and advancing through the playoffs, back off and give them credit. I'm sick of all the SP bashers!
Do you have a boy on the team? Is he ridin' pine and not getting playing time? Is that the deal? What's your motive for the bashing?

Mr. Murray when does the conversation start about football? There’s seems to be quite a few coaching changes. Could you let us know how their doing at their new school. I am sure there’s a lot of excitement at those schools and rightfully so.

thats why ST Paul is the better team in the area, not the low lives cal hi condons or la serna weak cant win!!!!!
who still in the playoffs? sweet sixteen my axx!!
please dont come out to batting practice.

If La Quinta looked past La Serna they should not have. Cal-Hi and Tyler Liebert beat them last year. La Quinta was a pretty powerful cif contender under legend Dave Demarest; they were a consistent quarterfinalist/ semifinalist kind of a club.

But since Demarest left two or three years ago they have not won a CIF game (I think). I guess he could really coach and always start his best in the opening game of the playoffs.

Some believe the 1st round is the most important round of the playoffs. A time to develop "confidence in the CIF Playoffs"! Look what Gonzales' Calhi did when they finally won a first round game(I think it was in 2000). After many many years in a row of winning league then losing in the first round to teams like La Mirada and other good ballclubs they finally won a "first round" CIF game. The rest is history; they won the whole thing. A CIF Championship. CONFIDENCE! knowing you can win in the playoffs is a large part of the battle.

I guess La Quinta's replacement for Demarest does not think that way!

After reading the article the other day, what a great job and attitude by La Serna's Langstaff. He could of hung his head and felt sorry for himself. What character. Instead he hits "in the clutch"! 4 Game winning hits. What a great kid he must be. Pinch hit game winning hits. Congratulations.

Good first round win La Serna. That is two years in the "sweet sixteen"

What's going on with this blog? did Mr Murray take an extended vacation, or did the people lose interest in the subjects that are currently on the blog?

First off I would like to congratulate St Paul for knocking off the Defending Div IV Champs (Northview). I was at the game yesterday, not taking anything away from the St Paul boys, but there was only three hits allowed by the Northview pitchers (5 unearned runs allowed). And the three hits were delivered by the same player (St Paul's catcher). The St Paul pitchers are still the main reason this team is still battling in the playoffs. The St Paul offense has disappeared since early in the season.

I dont understand the Coaching staffs philosophy but this is a major problem that has not been addressed. If you look on Maxprep.com you can see the teams batting avg, and also the individual players avg. I see a lot of players batting under the Mendoza line (thats under 200). There are only 3-4 ballplayers that are carry this team as far as the offense is concerned. I've watched almost every local teams batting practice, the other day I watched St Paul's, and I have to say with all do respect, what a joke. The fundamentals of hitting are completely missing. There is no coaching going on during the practice. If this is not changed any time soon, their luck is going to run out.

I for one don't understand the loyalty of these coaches (Morales) toward players that are not producing (and that are not going to produce) . This is High School Baseball not little league or pony, you have to have your best players on the field and not trying to please parents or wait for ballplayers that are never going to develop. Does the coach owe these kids families any favors? I tell you what if you look at the good baseball programs, you would not see more then half the team batting under 200. This sends a bad message to kids that want to attend St Paul for their baseball program and that are going to do the work and then not be rewarded for it that includes some that are already in the program.

I also observed Mr Morales talking to a Don Bosco player at the end of the game, wonder what thats all about? Doesn't he have a team to prepare for the next playoff game? Only an observation.

Congratulation elrancho! You get on with your bad self…..good luck because times are hard right now.

75,000 as a 23 year old? Times ARE tough. I think they meant you will make 75,000 in your lifetime. What a joke just like El Rancho's baseball program.

I have moved on anonymous, nothing wrong with cheering for my dear alma mater... i'm about to get hired for a $75,000 a year job as a 23 year old :) life's pretty good for me...

poet:
thats right theres no tomorrow. you can wake up now you were dreaming.wipe up the drool and lets get back to reality. wah wah wah

to elrancho...its over. period. move on with your life

Baseball is a game you must respect or it will bite you in the butt. The La Quinta coach learned that the other day by not starting his #1 pitcher Hill against La Serna, thinking he could save him for the next game. Everyone knows (or should know) that in a tournament you play like there's no tomorrow. Besides, how disrepectful to La Serna: they have been ranked for much of the season, while La Quinta has not. And even when they brought in Hill, LS racked him with 12 hits.

Good luck to the Lancers on Tuesday. My prediction: Just as they beat #1 Crespi in the second round last year, they'll do the same to #1 Beckman this year.

How in the world did Alhambra beat Gahr!! …… Gahr beat Downey twice by 11to4 and 11to6. I guess that why you play the game. Downey beat us “Cal Hi” back to back games 29to0. But it was early in the year.
Was anyone at the Alhambra game? Sure like to know what happen

The pitcher for Downey was 5’7” and a buck fifty soaking wet, with a great arm and bat, both times he came up to the plate he pulled the ball for home runs and RBI’s. We have to give him his props, plus “Very good team” too.
Victory has a hundred fathers and defeat is an orphan. But not at the Ranch !!!! Even with the score 0-16 L , you young ”ER Dons” had some bright spots. We all can’t wait for next year, you’re our Dons.

Give it your best Dons and have fun! Win or lose we are behind you. It’s a beautiful day to play baseball.

Its not over till its over anonymous...

too much for El Rancho..Better luck next year

Great game Aldecoa, lead your team. This is the time to transcend all expectations and bring cohesiveness to the club. The greater the challenge the sweater the spoils of victory. GO DONS!

The starting pitcher for Downey is “ace” Senior # 16 Bryant De La Campa; this kid is good, to El Rancho stay focus and leave it all on the field. I believe if # 5 Joey just stays within his game and the young players just play hard and not over think, good things will happen. Good luck and a lot of your fans will be there.