Coming back from a season that saw the Ernest Righetti High School Warriors boys’ baseball team make it to CIF State Playoff quarterfinals, this year’s squad is out to prove that last season was no fluke.
Although the team finished the 2016 regular season at 16-16, Righetti went on to win three straight playoff games with many of the same players who are on this year’s roster. If the team’s play so far in 2017 is any indicator, it’s safe to say the Warriors won’t disappoint on the diamond.
“We battled throughout last year, and towards the end of the season we played our best baseball,” said Brian Tomooka, head coach for the team. “I think that run we made in the playoffs last year has carried over into this year. They are experienced and know they have it in them to make a run.”
Righetti dominated opponents in their first games of league play. In two three-game sets against Arroyo Grande and San Luis Obispo, the Warriors allowed only 2.33 runs per game while scoring nearly nine runs of their own per contest (8.66). The experienced squad was especially effective against league-rival San Luis Obispo High School. Righetti won the last two games of the series by very respectable 12- and 13-run margins.
The offense has rarely failed to provide run support so far this season. Even in tightly contested games, the Righetti Warriors are insured by a handful of playmakers. In a close 1-0 win against the Arroyo Grande Eagles, a homer from junior centerfielder Jaden LyBurtus was all the Warriors needed to get the victory.
LyBurtus has been swinging a hot bat all throughout the first half of the season, Tomooka said. His batting average is comfortably over .400 and the junior already has three round-trippers this season. While LyBurtus’ batting average is notably high, it isn’t even the best mark on the team. Senior Matthew Sauer sports an average over .500 and is the team’s ace on the mound.
Sauer has mowed down opposing batters at a remarkable rate. As of press time, the senior averaged more than a strikeout and a half an inning and holds an ERA hovering around 1.00. Sauer, who plays the infield when he isn’t pitching, had his best batting day of the year in the series finale against San Luis Obispo High, when he went four-for-four with two doubles and five runs scored.
Another two-way player who is making major contributions for the Warriors is senior Mitchell Bagby. Besides playing the occasional first base and outfield positions, Bagby is another powerful pitcher for Righetti. Like his teammate Sauer, Bagby picked up the win in each of the first four games that he started on the mound.
“Both are great baseball players. Matt [Sauer] is a great athlete and you can’t really teach the talent that he has. His baseball instincts, his leadership role, his pitching, and his bat play a huge role in our success,” Tomooka said. “And Mitchell missed last year due to some injuries, but this season he has come on strong for us. Mitchell has been a big part of our pitching staff and he has provided some offense for us too.”
Righetti is reaping the rewards of having a more experienced roster. Most of the starting nine is made up of seniors who played on last year’s playoff team. Senior leadership can be seen through the play of catcher Zach Andersen. The starting signal-caller maintains a batting average above .300 and helps hold down a pitching staff that has shut down opposing lineups on numerous occasions this year.
Playing at home has been a huge advantage for the Warriors in 2017. Righetti is undefeated through their first eight games played on the school’s home field. Whether they are playing on familiar territory, the Warriors have still posted an impressive overall record of 13-1 this season as of press time.
Popular prep media outlets have taken notice of Righetti and assigned rankings deserving of a second glance. Max Preps lists the Warriors as the top team in the section division, a top-20 team in the state, and a top-100 team nationally.
But rankings aren’t truly reflective of a team’s success in a season. Most of the season has yet to play out for a promising Righetti baseball team, and the postseason is many games away, Tamooka explained.
“There is still a long ways to go. We are taking it one game at a time and not really thinking about the end right now,” he said. “We just want to go out and have fun like we are right now, and I think that is the key to our success. They are happy to be out there and can’t wait to play.”
If last season taught the Warriors anything, it’s that plenty can happen once the playoffs begin. This year will surely be a little different though—the Warriors are no longer underrated.
Contact Sports contributor Keenan Donath through Managing Editor Joe Payne at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Apr 13-20, 2017.