The Santa Barbara Foresters are headed to Wichita once again.
Third baseman Derek Legg had a home run and four RBIs on Sunday as the two-time national champs climbed out of a 2-0 deficit to beat the Menlo Park Legends 6-2 in the Rawlings California Cup championship game at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
The win gives the Foresters (23-8, 16-8 CCL) an automatic bid to the National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita, KS, next month. The only other way the Foresters could have qualified would be to win the California Collegiate League title. They are currently one game ahead of the San Luis Obispo Blues in a quest for their ninth straight title.
“Not that we don’t want to win league, but obviously our overall goal is to get to Wichita and win that. It’s good, because now we can be rested going into Wichita and that’s important for our whole team,” said Legg, who was named the Tournament MVP. He hit a homer and a triple in the semifinal on Saturday to complement his performance in the championship game.
The Legends scored on a triple and throwing error in the first, then made it 2-0 on a solo home run by Grant Nelson in the second. Legg singled in Michael Ratterree to cut the lead in half in the bottom half of the inning. Ratterree then singled home Jeff McVaney to tie the game in the third. Legg stepped up and crushed a home run over the right field fence in the fourth to put Santa Barbara in the lead.
“I was kind of amazed by how far it went. I’m not used to doing that, so I was surprised,” he said.
The Foresters would load the bases with no outs in the eighth and cash in for three runs, with the final two coming via another Legg single.
“I don’t think there’s any question about the Most Valuable Player of a tournament. I’ve never been involved in a tournament like this where there’s such a clear-cut guy,” said manager Bill Pintard, who was doused with a gatorade bucket of ice water after the game. “You can count on him. When he’s out there on the field playing, either at the batter’s box or defensively, you can count on Derek Legg.”
Eighteen Foresters will play in Wednesday’s CCL All-Star Game in Glendale, which will be televised live on Fox Sports West at 6 p.m.
All-Tournament Selections?
INFIELD
1B Aaron Hernandez, MLB Academy Barons
2B Michael Ratterree, S.B. Foresters
3B Derek Legg, S.B. Foresters
SS Christian Summers, S.B. Foresters
OUTFIELD
Wynton Bernard, O.C. Pioneers
Tygger Pederson, Menlo Park
Brett Vertigan, S.B. Foresters
CATCHER
Mario Landeros, Conejo Oaks
DESIGNATED HITTER
Jeff McVaney, S.B. Foresters
UTILITY
Joe Goldenberg, OF, Menlo Park
Grant Nelson, 3B, Menlo Park
Blake Brown, OF, S.B. Foresters
PITCHERS
J.C. Aguayo, Conejo Oaks
Corey Zirbes, Menlo Park
Curtis Camilli, Menlo Park
Patrick Smith, MLB Academy Barons
Codey Morehouse, S.B. Foresters
OUTSTANDING PITCHER
Codey Morehouse, S.B. Foresters
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Derek Legg, S.B. Foresters
