As the most consistent hurler on the Santa Maria Pilots’ pitching staff, Brandon Creath is quietly emerging as the team’s ace.
While his Pilots have struggled for much of the season, Creath has shined. As of press time, the 6-foot-3 right-hander has posted a sparkling 1.77 ERA, giving up just seven earned runs in 35 innings.
Creath said patterning his controlled and accurate style after Boston Red Sox star pitcher Diasuke Matsusaka has paid off.
“It’s been pretty effective for me. The thing that I try to do most is throw a lot of strikes, so that’s been working for me pretty well,” Creath said. “The defense has been helping out a lot, too.”
Creath is 3-2 in six starts, leading the team in wins. His biggest victory came July 4, when he pitched a complete game victory against the Conejo Oaks to get the Pilots to the championship game of the Packers Invitational tournament.
Pilots’ manager Cesar Reyes said Creath’s steadiness has helped keep the team competitive.
“He’s been our go-to guy on the mound for us this summer,” Reyes said. “You know what you’re going to get out of him. You’re going to get strikes, and he’s going to challenge you with everything he’s got.”
While Creath began his freshman season at Allan Hancock College as an outfielder, he finished as a pitcher, posting a 3-0 record and an 8.05 ERA. Reyes, who also coached Creath at Hancock, said he’s seen him develop into potentially one of the top starting pitchers for the Bulldogs.
“He’s going to give you his all,” Reyes said. “You never have to worry about him getting his work done during the week before he pitches, because he’s always out here.”
Creath is a Righetti High School graduate, and—appropriately enough for a Pilot—he’s studying aeronautical engineering. He said he’s enjoying the collegiate atmosphere of his first summer league and looks forward to returning to Hancock an improved player.
“This is definitely helping me out a lot, because we’re playing some really good teams that are ranked really high,” Creath said. “It’s getting me better prepared mentally for the season and helping me realize what I have to do to get some good batters out.”
This article appears in Jul 16-23, 2009.