After winning four games, Woodbridge closing in on third straight PCL baseball title

Woodbridge players meet with Coach Ryan Brucker after a game earlier this season. (Photo: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).

It was a busy week for Woodbridge High School’s baseball team which won all four of its Pacific Coast League games to remain in first place with two weeks left in the regular season.

Three of the four games in the next two weeks are at the Warriors home field, Ryan Lemmon Stadium.

Three of the victories last week came against Portola, the other against Sage Hill. Woodbridge is trying to clinch its third consecutive league title.

Woodbridge (19-5, 15-2) hosts third place Beckman (13-9-2, 9-6-2) Wednesday and Thursday at Ryan Lemmon Stadium before wrapping up league play next week vs. Northwood (15-8, 11-5) Wednesday, April 26 at Northwood and Thursday, April 27 (6:30 p.m.) at Ryan Lemmon Stadium.

“We played very well last week in our four games,” said Woodbridge Coach Ryan Brucker. “Brandon Abernathy, Jake Amundson and Matthew Kuromoto gave us quality starts on the mound against a good offensive team in Portola.

“The middle of our defense has been very stout and it starts with our catcher Anthony DeMarco. He’s been rock solid for us, and in my mind, he’s as good as anyone in Orange County behind the plate. Chase Quezada anchored our infield at second base, and sophomore Nolan Stottlemyer had an outstanding week at shortstop and third base.

“Offensively we were led by Abernathy, DeMarco and Amundson, who each had six hits in the four games. But, our 5-9 guys really stepped and helped turn the lineup over. Jacob Perez and Alex Serafin did a great job of battling and executing for us. They came up with some big hits that drove in runs, and both of those guys do a lot of things that don’t show up in the box score, but are invaluable to our team.”

Brucker said he’s pleased with where his team stands at this point.  

“I am really proud of this team and the improvement they have shown over the course of the season,” he said. “We started the year pretty banged up and had some of our key guys out with injuries early on. I can’t overstate the resolve these guys have shown. They have fought through the injuries and have found ways to win. This is a tough bunch of young men, and as competitive a group as we’ve had here at Woodbridge.

“We have put ourselves in a good position heading into the last two weeks of the season, and I think the players understand that nothing will be handed to them. Over the next two weeks we have four games against two very good opponents, so we have to take it one game at a time and play Warrior baseball. We will see where that puts us at the end of the season.”   

Stat leaders:

Hitting

Jake Amundson: .415 average, 22 H, 5 2B, 2 3B, 14 RBI

Brandon Abernathy: .355 average, 27 hits, 23 runs, 12 RBI, 12 SB

Chase Quezada: .333 average, 22 hits, 22 runs, 9 SB

Anthony DeMarco: .324 average,, 22 hits, 7 2B, 1 HR, 22 RBI

Pitching

Matthew Kuromoto: 6-2, 0.84 ERA, 51 strikeouts 

Jake Amundson: 4-1, 1.26 ERA, 29 strikeouts 

Brandon Abernathy: 4-0, one save, 1.67 ERA, 23 strikeouts

Justin Durby: 1-0, one save, 1.12 ERA

Jacob Perez, .440 ERA, 15 innings pitched

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