The article below originally appeared in the San Mateo Daily Journal and is being reprinted with permission.
It’s still early and it would take a lot of factors to make this happen, but the CSM and Cañada College baseball teams both have legitimate shots to advance to the State Final Four in late May.
Both teams are on a roll; Cañada entered Thursday’s play at 4-0 and in sole possession of first place in the Coast Conference Pacific Division and 12-2 overall. CSM, meanwhile, also was in sole possession of first place in the Coast Conference Golden Gate Division with a 4-0 mark and 11-2-1 overall record.
Six players for Cañada — David DiPaola, Tony Cooper, Evan Warner, Bobby Scott, Daniel Johnston and Zack Turner — are doing the bulk of the work offensively, while Anthony Armanino and Brandt Norlander have been the two pitching workhorses.
DiPaola is batting .500 and slugging .800, and Cooper, Warner and Scott are all batting .400 or over. Armanino (0-1) has only one decision, but sports a 3.63 ERA — downright solid by junior college standards. Norlander is a perfect 4-0.
Like Cañada, CSM has received a number of strong performances from a number of players. Offensively, Justin Maffei, Joey Wallace, Ryan Allgrove, Pat Burford, Thomas Wood and O’Koyea Dickson have led the way, while the pitching staff has been led by Justin Burns, Glenn Wallace and Devin Bradley.
Maffei is hitting .531, Joey Wallace is slugging .860 and Dickson has team-high marks of three home runs and 15 RBI. Burns has been downright filthy; he’s pitched 16 inning while allowing just one run, none earned.
Baseball fans should circle March 20 on your calendar, because that’s the only regular-season meeting between the teams this season, at CSM. Barring a collapse or a series of injuries from either team, Cañada and CSM are both capable of making deep playoff runs.
