Diablos Play for Title Tonight at Dodger Stadium

 The Mission Viejo baseball team has played a myriad of roles this spring. The Diablos opened under the spotlight, ordained as one of the country’s best ballclubs by many before the season’s first pitch could be uncorked. Along the way, an injury to one of the squad’s top sluggers and a dozen-day, rain-induced break briefly robbed the team of its identity.

Mission Viejo’s most recent role has the makings of a classic comeback story. One that will end this evening on the sport’s biggest stage this side of Chicago -- Dodger Stadium.

A few hours from now, members of the team will board a bus, put on their game faces and, per tradition, rock out to Scarf’s techno hit, “My Odyssey.” The Diablos (22-13) embark on the final installment of their season-long odyssey tonight, when they meet Etiwanda (18-11) in the CIF Southern Section Division 2 final at 7:30.

The journey may have been a bit more meandering than Mission Viejo and its fans would have hoped, but it ultimately led to the desired destination. The Diablos completed May with a pedestrian 5-4 record, but tough losses to Mater Dei and Capistrano Valley have proven to strengthen the squad.

“I think they put a lot of pressure on themselves early because they knew we were in for a dogfight [with our schedule],” Mission Viejo coach Chris Ashbach said of his players. “I don’t think they were reading the press and thinking ‘Oh, we’re so good.' They were just trying to live up to [expectations].”

Those expectations took a hit when Ryan Muno, the team’s top returning home-run hitter and RBI producer, missed most of April and a large portion of the Diablos’ Sea View League schedule because of arthroscopic knee surgery. Mission Viejo lost three of its first six Sea View games, while Trabuco Hills jumped to a commanding lead and coasted to the league championship.

Muno, a San Diego State signee, returned to the active roster earlier this month and his addition paid immediate dividends.

“He’s a presence in the four-hole,” Ashbach said. “I don’t want to degrade anyone that we’ve had playing there, but Ryan Muno is a Division-1 hitter and he’s going to San Diego State for a reason. Just him stepping on the field and being a part of our lineup creates something different. It kind of solidified things.”

The senior rejoined the group just as his teammates’ bats were beginning to heat up, and the Diablos’ suddenly dynamic offense averaged seven runs per contest in May, when the team went 7-2 and reeled off six consecutive victories to reach tonight’s title game.

Mission Viejo smashed 16 hits in Tuesday’s 11-7 semifinal victory over visiting Santa Barbara. The Dons didn’t stand a chance against a batting order receiving contributions from top to bottom.

Suddenly, the Diablos are displaying the level of play that so many envisioned earlier this spring.

Perhaps designated hitter Jake Kuluris described it best, when he put Mission Viejo’s mercurial season into perspective shortly after dealing the Dons a crushing blow with his two-run, third-inning home run.

“We struggled a little bit at the beginning of the season,” the senior said. “But we’re rolling right now. We‘re picking each other up, executing.... We‘re doing everything.”

Standout leadoff hitter Austin Saenz, who owns a .495 average and is headed to Cal State Fullerton, has been the catalyst for a veteran bunch. A group of 16 seniors continues to stave of elimination, coming together in crunch time.

“It’s been really special for these seniors,” center fielder Boog Powell said. “Not many people thought we’d still be playing at this point. We weren’t ready to be done and entered the playoffs fired up and motivated.”

That mindset has propelled Mission Viejo past the obstacles that have met the team in May.

“I don’t think our effort has changed because it’s always been there since spring training,” Muno said. “Attitude has been the difference. We’re really playing with a purpose and putting the pressure on every team we face.”

Only Etiwanda stands in the way of Mission Viejo and the first title of Ashbach’s 14-year era. Tonight, the coach looks to another senior to seal the deal when he gives the start to right-hander Willie Kuhl, another Cal State Fullerton commit.

“I feel great about handing the ball to Willie; I wouldn‘t have it any other way,” Ashbach said. “That’s the guy we want to have the ball. He wants it. You couldn’t draw it up any better.”

Kuhl earned his seventh victory of the season in last Friday’s 12-2 quarterfinal victory over Damien of La Verne.

“Willie is a bulldog,” Muno said. “We know he’s going to go out there and pitch his butt off. He’s going to take us deep into the game and give us a great shot to win.”

Etiwanda emerged from the wild-card round, defeating second-seeded Arcadia, 3-2 in their semifinal game. The Eagles are likely to send senior Justin Davis to the mound against the Diablos. In his last start, Davis held Redlands to four hits and two runs in nine innings.

He’ll have his hands full against a team hitting its stride at the most opportune time.

“We’ll be prepared,” Ashbach said. “It’s just a matter of going out there, having fun and executing.”

###

Here's some information for those attending tonight's game from the fine folks at OC Varsity:

Tickets: $5 for children 13 and younger and for students with valid student identification; $10 for adults. All seating is general admission. Expect all seating to be on the field level. Tickets good for both of that day's games, as Woodbridge plays Beckman in the Division 3 final at 4:30 p.m.

Entry: The field-level gate in the left-field corner. Ticket booths are in that area, too.

Parking: Free. Use Lot G. Expect only one gate to be open, the Sunset Gate.

Click here for a map of the stadium parking lot and entry points.