By Aaron Valdez
Going into this year’s postseason, expectations were low for a Muir baseball team that hadn’t made the playoffs in over 30 years.
However, the Mustangs went on six-game winning streak late in the season that helped them finish third in the Pacific League standings and earn a spot in the CIF-SS Division 5 playoffs.
This momentum transferred over to postseason play as Muir defeated Twentynine Palms 5-2 in the opening round and Rancho Christian 6-0 in the second round. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, they were finally brought down to earth by a seasoned El Rancho squad in the quarterfinals.
The Dons managed to jump out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back from there. Muir’s bats were no match for El Rancho ace Damien Ureta, who pitched a complete game while only surrendering two hits to go along with four strikeouts.
First baseman Ely Resendiz was the only Mustang to record a hit as Ureta retired Muir’s final nine batters en route to a 3-0 victory. Despite the playoff exit, the Mustangs can hang their hats on one of its better seasons in recent memory.
