High School baseball: Carmel captures 10th straight Gabilan Division game

SALINAS – Tradition aside – and there are 50-plus years of league championship banners hanging in the gym – the makeup of the baseball program at Carmel High is more of a reflection of the entire athletic department.

When sharing athletics – in this case, 12 of the 16 baseball players on the roster play multiple sports, most of the personnel on the Padres roster are seasonal athletes.

Yet, as the second half of the Gabilan Division season unfolds, Carmel is once again chasing a league title after Wednesday's 2-1 win over Salinas at Washington Middle School.

"It's the mentality of the school across all sports," Carmel coach Mike Kelly said. "A lot of times, all I hear after practice is ‘who is going to go work out?’. The school has created that culture."

The Padres, who host Salinas on Friday, have won 10 straight Gabilan Division games since a season-opening loss to hold a two-game lead over Hollister and Palma.

Owners of 33 league titles, the reigning Central Coast Section Division III champions are 3-0 in one-run games against teams in the Gabilan Division.

"It speaks to the character of these kids and us figuring things out," said Kelly, who has won 13 league titles and nine CCS championships in two tours of duty. "They're not afraid to play in tight games."

Of course, it doesn't hurt when you have one of the top players in the state on your roster in Stanford University-bound pitcher Matt Maxon.

Having committed to Stanford as a freshman four years ago, the Herald's Baseball Player of the Year last year is unbeaten on the mound, with 59 strikeouts in 36 innings of work.

"We have an advantage in that nearly the entire team is intact, and we made a deep playoff run last year," Maxon said. "We know how to handle tight situations."

A three-time member of The Herald's All-County baseball team, Maxon has had an impact at the plate as well for the Padres, hitting .400 with a county-leading eight homers this spring.

"What he does is elevate everyone around him," Kelly said. "Just his presence is a confidence booster. He raises everyone's confidence. He can change a game with his arm and bat."

Maxon typifies a Carmel athlete, insisting on playing football this past fall, even though he has a scholarship for baseball to a nationally ranked program, and could get drafted this summer in the MLB Amateur Draft.

"I think playing multiple sports not only gives you a different perspective, but makes you a better athlete," said Maxon, a two-time member of The Herald’s All-County football team. "We have a good school of culture in sports.”

Perhaps what has kept Carmel humble during its run of wins is it suffered a pair of non-league losses to West Coast Athletic League powers Valley Christian and St. Francis.

"We have to have a few more productive at-bats in games, instead of having 14 good at-bats, we have to get 16 or 17," Kelly said. "We have to do a better job of controlling the free passes we give other teams."

What pleased Kelly in Wednesday's win over Salinas was the support of the defense, while the pitching of Lucas Rocha and sophomore Kenny Sanchez limited the walks.

Rocha is beginning to round into form after suffering an off-season injury, while Sanchez is 3-0 with a save this spring.

"The pitching is there," Kelly said. “Our staff is starting to hit its stride. Others are stepping up. We need to remain strong defensively and get a few more quality at-bats."

With a fastball in the mid-90s, Maxon, who will likely throw Friday, sports a 1.94 earned run average this year for Carmel, with one shutout to his credit.

"We need to eliminate the free 90s (feet on the bases)," Maxon said. "We need to clean that up on defense, limit the errors and walks. This is a deep roster."

While Maxon's bat has gotten a lot of attention for its power, Alex Hirschfield is hitting .400 with a .500 on-base percentage, while John Beretti drove in both runs against Salinas.

In addition, returning all-league shortstop Sean Carr is working his way back into shape after an injury saddled him for five games, while all-county receiver Dean Briant has solidified the catching position.

"One-through-nine in the lineup is contributing and doing some damage," Maxon said. "There are different moments when someone comes through."

What Carmel has shown off this spring is its team speed, as it has stolen 51 bases, 17 from Maxon, showcasing the ability to move runners up a base in tight games.

"The big thing is we’re getting healthy," Kelly said. "The guys that have been standing in have been fantastic in that next man up mentality. That's a tribute to our depth. That's been helpful."

So is the fact that because three-quarters of the team play multiple sports, most are driven by competition, having excelled in other sports in big moments.

"Competition helps, no question," Kelly said. "It's a different and fresh perspective they get from another sport. We are pretty much aligned as coaches. The aspect of these kids is trying to better themselves in healthy ways."

What stood out for Kelly back in November is when he started a play-catch routine for those who wanted to throw the ball around, all 16 players took part.

"Even though they were involved in other sports, every kid showed up," Kelly said. "We don't take up too much of their time. But the kids are willing to put the time into the sport. We are seeing the results."

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