Millikan vs. Mission Viejo
6:30pm @ Blair Field

After one of the most memorable and incredible seasons in the school’s baseball history, the Millikan Rams look to start another winning streak in the CIFSS Playoffs against the Diablos of Mission Viejo.  Both of these teams are coming out of good leagues, and both found success with some scrappy play.  These clubs won’t hit it over your head too often, but with how fundamentally sound they are, they usually don’t have to.

LAST GAME
The Rams dropped their finale and the chance to finish undefeated in the Moore League, while the Diablos had to play their way into the bracket.  Mission Viejo beat Riverside King on Tuesday, 2-0. 

PITCHING
Obviously, coach Scott Glasser is sending ace Josh Frye to the bump, but Glasser is unsure who the Diablos will counter with.  They threw their ace, Willie Kuhl, on Tuesday so they could bring the righty Wade Kellick or lefty Matt Florer.  Kellick has given up more hits, but he also has more K’s.  Millikan could see Florer late in the game to face first baseman Jon Singleton.

OFFENSE
As mentioned above, Mission Viejo is a lot like Millikan.  They are not big hitters, but they produced those two runs on Tuesday with some good small ball and base running.  Austin Saenz leads the team with 26 stolen bases, but most of the team is a threat to run.

WILD CARD
Every game has one, and this one might have already happened.  Earlier this season, Millikan played Tesoro and Aliso Niguel, both members of Mission Viejo’s South Coast League.  No one’s sure how much the South Coast talks to each other, but one or two phone calls could give the Diablos a decided advantage in some crucial situations.

PREDICTION
This one will be close, and that’s nothing new for the Rams.  In the end, Millikan will prove more scrappy than Mission.  2-1 Millikan