Baseball: Saugus wins its season opener to join 500 Club
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Coach John Maggiora pulled out all the stops for Saugus’ season opener Friday against Burbank Burroughs. He invited Principal Bill Bolde to throw out the first pitch and Dylan Mascarenas provided the fireworks with a two-run home run to spark a 9-2 rout that marked the 500th win in school history.
‘A lot of people are picking us as favorites to win the [Foothill] league,’ said Maggiora, beginning his third season at his alma mater. ‘But it’s always a battle. Hart is gonna’ be good and you can never count out Valencia--they always seems to find a way to come out on top.’
Valencia has won five of the last six Foothill League titles. Saugus won in 2005, the year before Maggiora arrived. The Centurions’ last league title before that was in 1992, Maggiora’s sophomore year under longtime coach Doug Worley.
Saugus finished fourth last spring and missed the playoffs, but with senior left-hander Shawn Smith, senior right-hander Michael Hebert and side-arming junior Kyle Hooper, the Centurions boast perhaps the most formidable pitching staff in the Santa Clarita Valley.
The Centurions are also strong up the middle with junior shortstop Zachary Vincej, who hit .542 and made the all-state squad as a sophomore, and senior center fielder Tyler Brubaker, who hit .354. Brubaker has already signed with Pepperdine and Vincej has verbally committed there.
‘We have all but two starters returning,’ Maggiora said. ‘Our lineup is solid one through nine so hopefully this will be a bounce back season for us.’
-- Steve Galluzzo