Danny Zandona went the distance and got the win for the Dons.
Harvard Westlake, Santa Barbara High’s opponent in Friday’s CIF Division 2 baseball quarterfinal game at Eddie Mathews Field, has some local ties.
Matt LaCour, the Wolverines’ coach, attended UCSB and was an assistant coach for Gaucho head baseball coach Bob Brontsema in 1996 and 1997.
“Our 1996 team advance to the NCAA Tournament at Stanford,” LaCour said. “That team included Michael Young, Barry Zito, Justin Lehr and David Willis. I coached first base, threw batting practice…”
LaCour’s younger brother, Bryan, played at UCSB from 1997-99.
DONS DEFEAT HARVARD WESTLAKE IN CIF PLAYOFFS
Matt LaCour has taken the baseball knowledge he gained in Santa Barbara to help some of the best programs in Southern California.
Before arriving at Harvard Westlake four years ago, he was part of two L.A. City Section championship teams at Chatsworth and another at El Camino Real.
He has put Harvard Westlake on the baseball map with outstanding pitching and solid defense. The Wolverines won the tough Mission League title with a 10-2 record.
The pitching staff is led by 6-6 junior Lucas Giolito (9-1, 1.00 ERA), who’s committed to UCLA. He threw a 1-0 no-hitter in Tuesday’s second round against Arroyo Grande and worked six shutout innings in the Wolverines’ 5-0 first-round playoff win last Thursday.
Santa Barbara doesn’t expect to see him on Friday. Freshman Jack Flaherty figures to get the start. He’s 6-1 with a 1.92 ERA. No. 3 pitcher, senior Connor Dillman, is 4-0 with a 1.24 ERA.
The Wolverines (23-7) have allowed only 91 runs in 30 games.
They’ll be facing a Santa Barbara team that has scored 20 runs in its two playoff wins and 187 for the season.
The Dons are 10-0 at home this year, with their last home outing being a 13-3 thrashing of Aliso Niguel in the first round of the playoffs.
Santa Barbara will send ace Danny Zandona (9-1, 1.34) to the mound to face a Harvard Westlake attack that’s led by sophomore Arden Pabst (.439 average). The Wolverines’ other big hitters are sophomore Joe Corrigan (.360), senior Wes Peacock (.341) and Flaherty (.330).
The senior-laden Dons’ batting order is led by Zandona (.431), Collin Dewell (.400), Pepe Gil (.356) and Spencer Fraker (.353). Junior Kees t’Sas is batting .346.
