<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
Poly baseball coach Toby Hess said early this season there was only one way his young Jackrabbits would make the playoffs.<\/p>\n
\n
“If Mario Gordon pitches well, we will definitely be in the postseason, and if he doesn’t, we won’t,” Hess said.<\/p>\n
Despite a roster full of underclassmen, the weight of a school’s success on his shoulders, and a record that is not indicative of his dominance, Gordon has delivered a CIF spot for Poly.<\/p>\n
The Jackrabbits (13-15, 6-4) could finish as high as second place in the Moore League, but to do so, would need a victory (and season-sweep) over Lakewood tonight at 6:30 at Blair Field.<\/p>\n
Gordon is 3-5 with a 2.81 ERA, has three saves and four complete games, but he could just as easily be 6-2 with some added run support.<\/p>\n
He’s also struck out 40 batters in 47 innings, and has a better than 2-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.<\/p>\n
Gordon is hitting .276 with 21 hits and 10 RBI’s, but he knows his value in on the mound.<\/p>\n
“I live for getting the ball in big games, and I hate to lose,” Gordon said. “I knew coming into the season that we had a lot of younger players that needed some time to get used to varsity pitching, and we’ve struggled. But we have a chance of finishing second and that would be an incredible accomplishment after the way we started.”<\/p>\n
Poly was blanked in the Moore League opener, 2-0, to Josh Frye and Millikan, but it was a 2-1 setback to Jordan two days later that nearly brought Gordon to tears.<\/p>\n
“I came off the field and was thinking about how horrible it would be if we didn’t make the playoffs my senior year, and I decided I was going to do something about it,” Gordon said. “I knew somehow I needed to make more of a contribution than I was to help us win more games.”<\/p>\n
So, it was time to shut up or put up, and Gordon did the latter.<\/p>\n
With quite possibly the postseason on the line, Gordon shut down Wilson, the winningest team over the past two seasons (60-9-1) in Long Beach-area baseball, 5-2.<\/p>\n
He then beat Lakewood a week later to give Hess his first victory over the Lancers since taking the reins at Poly, and the Jackrabbits have hung around second place the last couple weeks of the season.<\/p>\n
Said Gordon: “My dad (Mario Gordon Sr.) has had an incredible impact on me, and despite being my number one fan, he never allows me to think I’m better than I am. He has been instrumental in helping me with both the mental aspect and with my mechanics.”<\/p>\n
Mario Gordon Sr., was a catcher at Wilson in 1986, and had instant credibility with his son.<\/p>\n
Gordon is realistic with his ability, and is always trying to find an edge.<\/p>\n
“I don’t have the best stuff, and I don’t throw the hardest, but I know the game well and take notes on batters and know how to approach each guy,” Gordon said. “It can be intimidating to pitch in a league with so many great pitchers, but it also makes me better.”<\/p>\n
“Mario is a great kid and is very resilient on the mound,” Hess said. “He is a guy who knows he’s getting the ball every time we have a big game and he embraces it. We wouldn’t be anywhere near where we are without him.”<\/p>\n
Gordon might not realize it, but he has the respect of his teammates, coaches and his peers in the Moore League, because of the class he displays on and off the field.<\/p>\n
Gordon recalls a time when he was a young boy that his father had him make a choice that would deeply affect his life.<\/p>\n
“My dad told me to pick someone I could look up to and emulate what they did right, so ever since I was a little kid, I’ve always wanted to be like Derek Jeter because he is someone who seems to say and do all the right things,” Gordon said.<\/p>\n
Even his rivals respect the Jackrabbits’ ace.<\/p>\n
“Mario is a great pitcher, and is their workhorse,” Lakewood standout Matt Duffy said. “He is someone you know you better have your best stuff when you face him, because he is such a great competitor.”<\/p>\n
Gordon appreciates the accolades he’s received, but knows a fifth-straight playoff appearance for Poly wouldn’t have been possible without help.<\/p>\n
Senior outfielder Kevin Nanbara (.430 average, 33 hits, 24 runs and 13 RBIs) has been Poly’s best hitter all year and is someone Gordon credits for keeping him sane when things weren’t going well for the Jackrabbits.<\/p>\n
“Kevin is a great teammate, great friend and I wouldn’t have any of this success without him,” Gordon said. “He has helped me with his bat, his glove and is also someone I can talk to.”<\/p>\n
Nanbara said Gordon’s presence on the mound brings instant confidence to his teammates.<\/p>\n
“We all know when Mario is pitching that even when he’s in a jam, he’ll make a big pitch and get out of it,” Nanbara said. “He also is someone who keeps us loose with his sense of humor.”<\/p>\n
Gordon acknowledges he’s thrown a lot of innings, but feels well enough to give Poly a chance to win every time he takes the mound.<\/p>\n
Said Gordon: “I’ve thrown a lot of pitches, but I pace myself well to keep sharp. I never try to blow people away early by throwing too hard in the first couple innings.”<\/p>\n
The season will come to an end in the next few weeks, but Gordon hopes he’s left an impression his younger teammates will keep with them when he’s gone.<\/p>\n
“I hope when they think of me, they remember I was someone who never gave up on his team or his teammates and played hard until the last out. I want them to never give up, no matter how bad things may seem.”<\/p>\n
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