Lockwood and Filia team up to lead Irvine’s surge into the CIF Division 4 baseball playoffs

Bubba Filia (left) and Grant Lockwood lead Irvine’s baseball team into Friday’s CIF playoffs. (Photos Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).

Two seniors on the Irvine High baseball team, shortstop Grant Lockwood and catcher Bubba Filia have played a key role in helping the Vaqueros baseball team reach the CIF playoffs for the first time since 2013.

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“This success has been something that’s been in the process for the last four years,” Lockwood said as the Vaqueros were preparing for Friday’s CIF Division 4 first round playoff game Friday at 3:15 p.m. against Rancho Alamitos at Irvine.

“This senior group, coming in as freshmen, we really wanted to flip this program around and be the guys that kind of changed everything around so we’re finally seeing that this year and showing people that Irvine is not a team that’s just going to roll over. It’s been a lot of fun. This group of guys is obviously really close.”

The group set high goals before the season, Lockwood said.

“Initially it was just to win CIF because if you’re aiming for third place it’s probably not the best thing to do,” Lockwood said. “We obviously knew there were going to be a lot of good teams in our league and we knew we had to compete in order to make CIF in general.”

“It’s awesome, this is one of the best records we’ve had in a while,” added Filia, who was also the quarterback on the football team which advanced to the CIF playoffs. “It’s a great group of guys and we’re just going to compete hard and try to make the season last as long as possible.

“It’s a great finish. You couldn’t ask for a better group of guys to finish with and a better way to go out. We’re still not done. We have much more work to do and plenty of work ahead of us hopefully.”

Filia said the Irvine squad developed a “winning mentality.”

“Teams felt that in the past they would come in and roll over us because we haven’t been good historically but our guys did a really good job this year of turning that around and flipping our mentality that we could go out and compete with anybody and we did a good job of having some young guys step up,” he said.

Lockwood has a .325 batting average with six doubles, one triple, 14 stolen bases, 10 RBI, 19 runs scored, a .426 on base percentage and has played exceptionally at shortstop.

“Grant has continued to improve his leadership this year,” said Irvine Coach Gabriel Cota. “He is more laid back and the ultimate optimist with his teammates. Grant is the type of young man who is a best friend to everyone.

“On top of being a great baseball player he is also the ASB president at Irvine and carries with him a certain level of maturity and respect from his teammates. Grant will be someone who is impossible to replace, but he has left the program in a better place.”

Filia has a .386 batting average and a .511 on base percentage. He also has 15 RBI, one home run, 10 doubles, three triples, seven stolen bases and 18 runs scored. He has also pitched in relief and has a 1-0 record with three saves, a 1.17 ERA and eight strikeouts in six innings.

“Bubba was one of the best leaders I have been around in a long time,” Cota said. “He was a central piece in the success we had this year because of what he brings on a day to day basis. His numbers are great, but he means so much more to this team besides what he does on game day. Having the mentality of bringing guys in from different backgrounds is always a challenge, but this group has been able to come together and Bubba is a integral piece of that.”

Ironically, the last time that Irvine was in the CIF playoffs, it was the senior season for Filia’s brother Mikey (now at UC Irvine) and Lockwood’s brother Nick (now an Irvine assistant).

This year’s team has had some memorable games on its way to posting a 17-8 overall record and second place finish in the Pacific Coast League.

“Not a lot of people would think about it, but the very first league game against Woodbridge, we won 1-0 on a walk-off walk,” Lockwood said. “That game we lost last year 1-0 in the sixth inning. And that kind of set the tone for the whole season last year and winning that game starting league was huge for us.

“And then midway through the season, we started to get into a little bit of a lull. And then that game that we went out and beat Beckman on the walk-off was what kind of kicked us back into gear and that brought everyone’s spirits back up again, showing us that we can beat anybody.”

It was the only league loss of the season for Beckman, which went on to win the PCL title.

Lockwood, who has played four years on varsity, the first two seasons at second base, said the players are excited about the first playoff game.

“We have a group chat and we’re making sure that everyone is publicizing it and telling everyone to show up, so we’re expecting a pretty big crowd and we’re hoping to make a run,” he said.

“To have the support of the school and the campus and the students and faculty is huge for us and hopefully we get a lot of people out here to come support us on Friday,” Filia added.

Filia has been Irvine’s catcher and has been instrumental in working well with the Vaquero pitchers.

“It’s awesome, it’s kind of like being the quarterback for football,” he said. ” Those two go hand in hand and I love it. I wouldn’t trade it for the world and I love being the catcher for great guys like this.”

He also tried his hand at relief pitching this season and has come through in the clutch.

“That’s new, I was consistently pitching when I was 10 years old and took some time off, but I came out this year and thought I could help the team and gave it a shot and doing all right at it,” Filia said.

Marc Filia has been referred to often through his career as “Bubba” a nickname he got from his grandfather after he saw a picture of him shortly after he was born.

“My mom’s dad saw a picture of me when I was six months old and I was really fat and chubby and had big cheeks….and it stuck ever since,” Filia said.

While he lost that look many years ago, Filia said it’s a nickname he cherishes.

“My grandpa passed away about seven years ago so it’s something I keep with me to remember him by,” Filia said.

Lockwood and Filia’s performances have earned them a spot on the South all-star team in the prestigious Orange County all-star baseball game.

“I was a little surprised, I’m not going to lie,” Lockwood said. ” I was stoked obviously. It took me a second to process how big a deal it was but that just goes into me and Bubba doing our best to show Orange County that Irvine is as capable of anybody and to give Irvine some representation.”

“It’s cool to represent and to be able to play with some of the best guys in the county,” Filia added. “Both my older brothers (Mikey and Eric) played in the game. It was kind of on my bucket list of things I wanted to do but I’m just happy to be selected and to be able to play with a bunch of guys like that.”

Both players appear to have promising futures in college baseball: Filia at UC San Diego and Lockwood at Cal Poly Pomona.

“It’s a great program going into, it’s on the uprise and it’s a great group of coaches, loved the campus, loved the facilities and it was the best possible fit for me and my family,” Filia said of playing baseball in San Diego.

Lockwood said he is excited about playing for Cal Poly Pomona for Coach Randy Betten

“I met coach (assistant coach Joe) Villa at the showcase and he had only seen me play a few times and I went on a visit and they wanted me right away,” Lockwood said.

It was a perfect fit because of the coaching staff and the players and his parents would be able to go and watch his games.

“Everything just fell in place for me and I’m really excited about it,” Lockwood said.

Both Lockwood and Filia want the season to continue for a while. They’re proud of what the team has accomplished.

But it’s just the start, Lockwood said.

“This isn’t going to be a one and done thing,” Lockwood said. “If you look at our juniors and sophomores and even our freshmen, there is talent everywhere. There is more talent than we’ve ever had so it’s going to be going on for a while, especially with Cota.”

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-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com