Matt Sauer, Ernest Righetti High School sophomore and pitcher for the school’s baseball team, allowed no walks and four hits during the Warriors’ game against San Luis Obispo High School on May 4. He threw a complete game and struck out 11 batters, leading his team to a 4-0 shutout.
So far this season, he’s managed 63 strikeouts over the course of 48 innings.
“Baseball’s always been my No. 1 thing,” Sauer said. “It’s always been what I’ve loved.” He prefers to pitch a fastball, which he can fire off between 86 and 87 miles an hour. “Just come right at them, see if they can hit it.”
Brian Tomooka, his coach, said that Sauer’s competitive edge separates him from his teammates.
“He’s got some talent, but the thing that separates him from a lot of guys is that he’s a really tough competitor,” he said. “You don’t get any excuses from him, and he’s just one of those guys who leads by example. Gives it everything he has. Just a great guy to have on the team.”
Sauer said that he’s been playing baseball since his older brother taught him how. He started some games for the Warriors last year, stepping onto the mound as a freshman, and Tomooka said that he’s improved since then, winning the admiration of his teammates.
“For a sophomore, he’s real mature,” Tomooka said. “He has a lot of qualities that you can’t really teach. He’s a great leader, he’s always positive, he’s one of those guys who has the respect of his teammates. He leads by example.”
Righetti went up against Paso Robles on May 8, and Sauer was determined to make up for earlier losses when he spoke to the Sun.
“I want to face them so badly,” said Sauer. “I want to beat them. The first time we lost was too many walks. Too many free runs. The second time our bats weren’t really there, but our defense was OK.” To win them this time around, he said, “don’t give them the free runs, and we gotta swing the bats.”
Tomooka was careful in describing what his team needed to win. “Paso’s a real good team, and they’ve gotten us twice already this year. Our guys are going to be ready for the challenge. We’re going to have to go over there and play pretty good in order to come out with a win. We’re going to go over there and see what we can do.”
This article appears in May 14-21, 2015.