Modesto builds some confidence during summer baseball

OAKDALE -- The temperature was creeping up toward 100 degrees Sunday morning, and hefty hurler Jesse Cruz was sweating on the mound.

A throwing error extended the inning, and the frustrated Modesto High senior hit the next batter. When the return throw got past Cruz, he slowly walked to retrieve the ball -- head down, back hunched.

"Look at the body language. Battle back to get the next batter," came the voice from the dugout. "Stay on top of this."

It's the advice Cruz and his teammates have come to expect from coach Daryl Galloway, who just completed his fifth year with the Panthers.

"A big part of our job is just getting the kids to believe in themselves," Galloway said. "There's not a history of success, not like you'd find at an Oakdale or Beyer, so we sometimes will expect the worst."

It's why the Panthers' summer season, a 16-game schedule that wraps up Wednesday with a doubleheader at Hughson, has Galloway smiling.

"We won the Escalon Tournament and we've made the semifinals of the (Lee) Hampson Tournament," he said. "It means a lot to us because it's a reward for the kids' work."

Many teams use their summer schedule to work at new positions, and that translates into victories the next spring. Galloway is hoping wins today will give his team the confidence it needs next season.

The Panthers lost Sunday's game, but Galloway was happy to see Cruz rebound from his mid-morning struggle. He is looking to next spring with the goal of having Cruz, Zach Yoppini and Klayton Miller prepared to take the mound.

"This summer ball gives us an opportunity work with the pitchers, and hopefully they take the advice and use it during the offseason," Galloway said. "Jesse, for example, we are working to get more power behind his curve ball. He needs to get more bite on it."

Galloway got four good innings from Cruz, but didn't get to see Yoppini or Miller.

Yoppini had to depart early to go to work, while Miller is focusing on football -- he's expected to return as the starting quarterback next season.

"Zach's dad is a cropduster, so Zach is pretty busy during the summer," Galloway said. "He's not unique, though. We have kids who have to work during the summer, so this is not always their top priority.

"I used to be upset if we had kids missing, but now I look at it this way: If they're working, or working out with another sport, the kids are still showing their commitment."

The combination of culture and cash have a role in Modesto's baseball struggles. Crosstown rivals Enochs and Beyer have a host of kids in travel ball, but there's not a Modesto varsity player in travel ball.

"Travel ball can be expensive and given our socio-economic situation, that's not an option for many kids," Galloway said, referring to the mix of low-income minorities who make up the majority of Modesto's enrollment. "They miss opportunities to become better ballplayers. It's not for lack of desire, it's the money."

Galloway has a few incoming freshmen who play travel ball, and it's that competitive experience that earned them innings this summer season.

The coach would love to see his two candidates for catchers, juniors Rene and Almanza and Cameron Wood, play another dozen or two games.

"The more innings they get right now, the further they'll be next year," Galloway said. "Much of the game is repetition, so when it comes time to do it during the high school season, it's second nature."