It\u2019s rare to find a high school baseball pitcher who can change a game with his sheer presence.<\/p>\n
But this season, not only does Long Beach have that type of talent, the local Moore League has three elite senior pitchers in Lakewood\u2019s Anthony Eyanson, Millikan\u2019s Myles Patton and Wilson\u2019s Charlie Royle who are all going to join NCAA Division 1 programs next season.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re watching something special,\u201d said 38-year Lakewood coach Spud O\u2019Neil, who compared the battles between these pitchers to the same type of games from Lakewood\u2019s Shane Watson and Wilson\u2019s Chase De Jong a decade ago. Both of those local legends were taken early in the Major League Baseball draft.<\/p>\n
Each member of the talented trio uses different strategies and styles to lead his respective team, and all three will have a chance to make history on Wednesday. It will be the last league doubleheader of the regular season on Bohl Diamond at Blair Field as Lakewood plays Wilson at 3:30 p.m. and Millikan takes on Long Beach Poly at 6:30 p.m.<\/p>\n
Lakewood’s Anthony Eyanson has posted the most impressive statistics this season. The athletic right-hander is currently riding a 28-game scoreless innings streak that rivals the longest in league history. At one point last week, he had 12.1 consecutive hitless innings in league play that included an epic seven hitless innings against Patton and Millikan.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen he\u2019s on the mound, the whole vibe just changes,\u201d Lakewood first baseman Jared Stephenson said of Eyanson. \u201cEverybody\u2019s confidence goes up once he\u2019s on the mound. As you can see, it\u2019s just lights out. We don\u2019t really want anyone else on the mound pitching for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eyanson, who is going to play at UC San Diego next year, is also contributing offensively for Lakewood. He\u2019s been involved in a run scored against every team in the league. That raw athleticism could get some MLB attention.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Neil said Eyanson’s durability comes from his hard work before games.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s the best athlete in the league and he\u2019s the hardest working guy on this team for the last few years,\u201d O\u2019Neil said. \u201cHe\u2019s so strong at the end of games because he does things on his own. He\u2019s amazing. Just amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a great feeling knowing that all your pitches are clicking when you\u2019re on the mound,\u201d Eyanson said. \u201cAnd just knowing that you\u2019re in control of the game is a great feeling as a pitcher, because it gives you confidence for your team to hit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, for Millikan, Myles Patton has been the Rams\u2019 stalwart ace for two seasons. Last year, the slender lefty helped Millikan win its first CIF-SS championship since 1992 while giving up just two runs and striking out 31 batters in 20 postseason innings. This year, he\u2019s pitched all of the big games and helped Millikan sit in first place in the league for most of the season.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re lucky to have him,\u201d Millikan senior Humberto Tene said of Patton. \u201cHe puts 100 percent in all of the time. Without him, I don\u2019t think we would be here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patton is the type of deliberate pitcher who takes a deep breath before every delivery and barely shows any emotion on the mound. He thinks that a calming presence helps his team perform in big games.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve battled through a lot of games and had huge victories just like this,\u201d Patton said after the recent win over Lakewood. \u201cIt\u2019s nothing new for us. We keep our composure and never give up. We don\u2019t get down on ourselves. We always know we have a chance to win it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patton won\u2019t be leaving after this season because he\u2019s signed with the Long Beach State Dirtbags, so his comfort level on Bohl Diamond at Blair Field will pay dividends in the future.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a very humble kid; he goes about his business the right way,\u201d Millikan coach Ron Keester said. \u201cHe wants to prove it every time. He wants to go to Long Beach State and go further so he\u2019s out there to get better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of all three elite local pitchers, Wilson\u2019s Charlie Royle has gone through the most physical challenges this season. The big right-hander, who is going to Cal Poly, suffered a back injury that has kept him from starting games for the last month. They thought it was a possible spinal fracture, but a second opinion has relieved those concerns.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s his team,\u201d Wilson coach Andy Hall said of Royle. \u201cThis has been his team for the last four years, and especially the last two years. He\u2019s our heart and soul.\u201d<\/p>\n
Instead of shutting it down for the year and saving himself for college, Royle has come out of the bullpen to close out key victories over Poly and Millikan this month.<\/p>\n
\u201cPhysically, I actually feel pretty good,\u201d Royle said after striking out three of the four batters he faced in the win over Millikan. \u201cThe back really wasn’t hurting that much. Obviously the adrenaline’s kind of worn down now, so it’s a little sore and tense. But the atmosphere out here was electric tonight. And it was super fun to go out there and be able to do that for my team.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s definitely a competitor,\u201d Long Beach Poly senior and Royle\u2019s childhood friend Ryan Skjonsby said. \u201cHe wants to win. I know he\u2019s a hard worker and I know he\u2019s got confidence. He\u2019s going to give it his all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since Long Beach State, Cal Poly and UC San Diego are all in the Big West Conference, it’s fair to assume these three pitchers could face off again in college. But first, they all want to finish their senior seasons on a high note.<\/p>\n
Millikan (18-7, 10-1) can clinch the Moore League title by beating fourth-place Poly on Wednesday. However, if the Jackrabbits can pull off the upset then Lakewood (16-9. 8-2) and Wilson (16-9, 8-2) have a chance to claim a share of the championship.<\/p>\n
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