Merced Union High School District

As a third-year varsity starter, there aren’t many situations that are going to rattle Benny Centeno. The senior right-hander has earned the nickname “Big Time Benny” from his coaches and teammates after logging over 140 innings in his three varsity seasons and compiling a 19-3 career record.

 

So it was no surprise when Centeno pitched himself out of three bases-loading jams without surrendering a run to help the Gauchos defeat Los Banos 2-0 on Wednesday afternoon to clinch the outright Central California Conference championship. It’s the fifth consecutive CCC title for the El Capitan High program.

 

“This means everything,” Centeno said. “All four years I’ve been here at El Cap, we’ve not lost the CCC title. It’s just like our motto. Every year we come back and just keep going. Next up is the playoffs.”

 

Centeno followed up his shutout victory over Golden Valley last week with six more scoreless innings against the Tigers. He struck out six and pitched around eight hits and two walks as he stranded 10 runners on base. Centeno pitched out of bases-loaded jams in the second, fourth and sixth innings. 

 

“When the bases are loaded, I just kind of shut out everybody. I tune everything out,” Centeno said. “I just focus on me and (catcher) Angel (Rivera). I’m just pitching to him every time.” Centeno improved to 7-1 this season with a 2.02 ERA. It was El Capitan’s fourth consecutive shutout as a staff. 

“We call him ‘Big Time Benny,’ because he comes through,” said El Capitan coach Aaron Ruiz, whose team improved to 20-7 overall and 13-1 in the CCC. “He makes pitches when he needs to make pitches. It's been amazing to watch all year long the way he’s stepped up, I think he's taken it personal this year, being a senior, and seeing guys around him get recruited a little bit. He wanted to kind of put something on his shoulders, and he definitely has carried us all season.”

 

Los Banos sophomore right-hander Colton Kocher did his best to keep Los Banos in the game and he kept the Gauchos off the scoreboard through the first four innings. El Capitan finally broke the scoreless tie in the fifth. The Gauchos loaded the bases with two outs and Matt McQuillen delivered a hit to drive in Cooper Gaoiran with the first run of the game.

 

The Gauchos tacked on an insurance run in the sixth with an RBI-single by Centeno to extend the lead to 2-0. After the Tigers led off the seventh inning with a single, Ruiz turned to sophomore left-hand Brennan Casey to close out the victory. Casey got a pop up and then a game-ending double play to record the save.

 

“We haven't had the chance to go to Brennon, but we have all the confidence in the world in him,” Ruiz said. “With our staff right now, he just hasn't got the innings, he's our future, so we want to make sure we can put him in situations like that.”

The game-ending double play set off a Gauchos celebration behind the mound as they captured their fifth consecutive CCC championship. After shaking hands, McQuillen ran down the line with five fingers held out in front of his face. “This is relying on a lot of guys all up and down throughout our lineup,” Ruiz said. “It’s our pitchers out there battling like Benny today and our guys having their backs with clutch ABs. That kind of sums up our season…You can't ever take it for granted because baseball is a humbling game for sure.”

Atwater 9, Golden Valley 0 – Logan Sanchez struck out 11 and surrendered just one hit in six scoreless innings to help the Falcons win their sixth consecutive game to improve to 21-5-1 overall and 11-3 in the CCC. Kayson Faulk had three hits and two RBIs and Diego Romo added two hits, two runs scored and two RBIs to lead the Atwater offense.

 

Buhach Colony 6, Merced 1 – Dylan Newkirk doubled, tripled, scored three runs and drove in two to help lead the Thunder to their third victory in their last four games. Jacob Medina added three hits and pitched a complete game to pick up the victory.

Shawn Jansen is the MUHSD Program Manager Digital Media. He can be reached at Sjansen@muhsd.org.