HS BASE: Lancaster proving to be a pleasant surprise in playoffs

Expected to finish somewhere in the middle of the pack in the lightly regarded Golden League, Lancaster High is the Cinderella of the Southern Section baseball playoffs.

With mostly new faces after graduating nearly every key starter from the previous season, Lancaster (19-8) lost five of its first six games and never even got a sniff of the weekly Div. III top 10 polls, but they've made it to the quarterfinals at 3:15 p.m. Friday at Bonita in La Verne (22-4-1).

Riding a 10-game winning streak, Lancaster is gaining confidence every day.
A year ago, the Eagles advanced to the semifinals - the furthest of any team sport in the school's 15-year history - but when you're in the middle of desert two hours from Los Angeles, sometimes no one notices.

"Being all the way out here, we've kind of come to accept it," fourth-year coach Tony Holiday said. "We need to win on a regular basis to earn any respect, and that's what we're trying to do."

Jakari Bass (6-0), a junior left-hander, is the scheduled starter, and he has a streak of 14 consecutive wins dating back to last season.

Lancaster's other key players include seniors Cameron Summers (.474, seven home runs, 31 RBIs), Neal White (.440, two home runs, 23 RBIs) and Cash Oliver (.430, two home runs, 19 RBIs, 12 stolen bases).

Holiday expects a stiff challenge.

"Once you get to this point, all the teams are good," Holiday said. 'They can hit and pitch very well. Right now, we just need to play our game and let the chips fall as they may. That's pretty much what we've been doing all season."

-- Gerry Gittelson