CdM ups diamond intensity

Rick Devereux

The Corona del Mar High baseball team had to do some soul searching

before its CIF Southern Section Division III first-round playoff game

against La Serna Friday.

“I met with the seniors and we talked,” Coach John Emme said. “We

had some discussions about their legacy and what they wanted to do.

They decided on Friday to step up.”

The Sea Kings came away with a 3-0 victory and will play host to

Orange today at 3:15 p.m. in the second round.

Emme was concerned about how CdM (17-9) has played during this

season. The defending CIF champions have committed 77 errors,

including two against the Lancers in the first round, and have relied

on a pitching staff that has fashioned a combined 2.07 ERA.

The Sea Kings are batting .289 and have 51 extra-base hits.

“Defense has been our demise all year,” Emme said. “At the plate,

kids have to have a plan and be willing to sacrifice for the team.”

Emme said the team-first approach was evident in the rarely used

suicide squeeze play CdM executed in the fourth inning Friday.

“That’s what you’ve got to do to help the team win,” he said.

“Once the kids embrace the team goals, that’s what can happen. Tyler

Ray did a great job on the bases and Andrew Williamson laid down a

perfect bunt. It was a high pitch and one that a lot of people would

pop up, but he did a great job of laying down that bunt.”

Sophomore shortstop Jake Lemmerman has been performing well at the

plate lately. He is on a seven-game hitting streak in which he is 9

for 24, a .375 average. Lemmerman went 1 for 3 with an RBI double in

the first round.

But Emme said the Sea Kings, who have won six straight playoff

games, need multiple players to contribute.

“Lemmerman has been really swinging the bat well and has found his

grove at the plate,” he said. “But we need everybody. We’re not good

enough to rely on one guy. That’s what Friday was about.”

Emme said today’s game against Orange will be a hard-fought

contest.

“I think we’re very equal teams,” he said. “It’s nice to be on our

home field.”

The Panthers (21-9) defeated visiting Don Lugo, 5-4, in the

opening round, thanks to outfielder Jamie Hernandez, who went 2 for 4

with a double, two RBIs and a run scored.

Hernandez leads Orange with 29 RBIs and his.333 batting average is

fourth on the team.

Dennis Gerbasi, who had two hits, an RBI and a run scored against

Don Lugo, leads the Panthers with a .519 batting average (54 for 104)

and 18 doubles. The outfielder is third on the team with 24 RBIs.

Anthony Welsh is second on the team with 25 RBIs and a .417

batting average. The pitcher/outfielder leads the team with a 1.87

ERA and extended his hitting streak to seven games when he went 1 for

3 Friday. He is 10 for 26 for a .385 batting average during the

streak.

The Panthers have won three of their last four games, including a

10-3 win over Santa Ana, a 12-4 win over Saddleback and an 11-1 win

over Costa Mesa.

Orange and CdM have played five common opponents -- La Serna,

Ocean View, Sunny Hills, Northwood and Estancia. The Sea Kings are

7-1 against those teams while Orange is 4-3.

“We’re not walking in like we’re a big underdog, nor should they,”

Emme said. “It’s a matter of who executes. If we play the game the

way it’s supposed to be played we should have a good chance. And I’m

sure they feel the same way.”

The winner will advance to the quarterfinals Friday against the

winner of Quartz Hill and top-seeded La Quinta.