June 1, 2007
Wilson, Canyon go for title
Bruins, Comanches seek to end title void.
By Ben Villa, Staff writer
LONG BEACH - Very few people have experienced what it's like to win a CIF Southern Section championship for the Wilson High baseball team, but Ray Steele is one of them.
He was on the last Bruins team to win a CIF title, that coming in 1950 when they beat Santa Barbara.
On Thursday, Steele remembered what it was like.
"It was outstanding," he said. "At the time though, it didn't seem like much but looking back on it, it was quite a feat. It's a shame they haven't won one since."
That could change tonight. Wilson can complete the greatest season in school history at 7:30 p.m. with a win against Anaheim Canyon in the CIF Southern Section Division I final at Dodger Stadium.
This is the fourth time in the last nine years that the Bruins, who are ranked No. 1 in the nation by Baseball America with a 31-3 record, have reached the final.
The last time was in 2004 when they lost to Arlington, also at Dodger Stadium.
"It's been a storybook season and honestly, I think the whole city of Long Beach is pulling for us," Wilson coach Andy Hall said. "We put ourselves in a position to achieve our final goal and we're going to do the same things against Canyon that we have done all season.
"We're going to take it one pitch at a time and we're going to fight and scratch to win one more high school baseball game. Our guys have played some tough games in the playoffs and we're battle tested. I've never felt more sure that we're going to be ready for a game than I am about this one."
The Bruins advanced to the championship game after they came from behind to beat Esperanza 5-4 in their last at bat Tuesday. Tonight, Hall will send senior left-hander and University of Connecticut signee Elliot Glynn (8-3, 2.07 ERA) to the mound in the hopes he can deliver the team's first championship in 57 years.
Glynn was in uniform during the 2004 final at Dodger Stadium but he didn't play.
"Dodger Stadium was the greatest place I had ever seen," Glynn said. "It had the greenest grass and the bluest skies. It was a great experience, but I was called up for that game. I didn't really contribute. This year is different and that's what makes it so special.
"I have a role on this club and our goals haven't changed all season. We want to win a championship."
Wilson's opponent, the Comanches (20-10), don't quite have the resume that Wilson has, but they figure to be just as motivated.
Canyon finished the regular season in third place in the Century League and entered the playoffs with a rather high 4.03 team ERA.
However, in four out of their last five games, the Comanches have allowed one run or less. The only exception was in their last game, a 5-3 win over Mater Dei in the semifinals. This marks the fourth time in the last 12 years that Canyon is playing for a championship and it is still looking for its first title.
If that's going to change tonight, it will probably be because its offense came through. The Comanches are batting .355 as a team and senior Mike Seppanen leads them with a .493 batting average while Gregg Winger is hitting .465.
First baseman Bobby Moulas may be the team's most dangerous hitter. He is batting .431 with six home runs and 35 RBI.
Senior shortstop Christian Colon, who signed with Cal State Fullerton, is hitting .435 with three home runs.
"Canyon is a team that's blessed with physical players and they're motivated," Hall said. "They haven't got the big prize yet and they're hungry to get it done as well. Colon is a great baseball player who can hit and at shortstop, he scoops up everything. They have talent.
"What's important for us to remember is that we're close to accomplishing everything we wanted. We can't control whether or not we finish No. 1 in the country, there's teams that are still playing after us. But as long as we win Friday, we'll have no reason to hang our heads. And I couldn't think of anybody else I would want on the mound more than Elliot. He's a great leader and a great performer.