BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — Mission High junior Andy Martinez has been one of the best hitters in the area, he has been a workhorse on the mound, and he even has 26 steals on 27 attempts.
There isn’t much he can’t do on the field.
“He’s been an all-around player since his freshman year, but this year he has taken it to the next level,” Mission coach Rick Lozano said. “That kid is unbelievable. I have been here 30 years, and I have never seen anything like him.”
Martinez has helped the Eagles get to 8-3 in District 30-6A, which is good enough for second place with one game left in the season.
Mission lost out on a chance to go to the postseason last year because an ineligible player on another team allowed the team ranked just behind Mission in the standings to pick up a win by forfeit during the final week of the season. The Eagles missed the berth by one game.
“After the way it ended last year, we wanted to have a cushion,” junior catcher Juan Garza said. “Thank God we played well enough to earn a three-game cushion, and I think that allowed us to just go out there and play ball.”
Martinez has been on fire with his bat this year. He is hitting .525 with 21 RBIs, 14 doubles, six triples and four home runs.
The Eagles have a potent lineup that can produce runs, but reliable pitching was lacking early on. Martinez stepped into that role, and even though he hasn’t always been prefect, he has powered through innings to help his team. In 31 2 / 3 innings, Martinez has a 4.42 ERA with 37 strikeouts.
“He’s a good help all over, but he has been an especially big help on the mound,” Lozano said. “He’s been pitching those big games that we are winning, and he goes deep into every game. He’s a big-time player.”
His double-play partner, sophomore shortstop Steve Villarreal, has also been a bonus with the bat in his hand. He is hitting .369 with 20 RBIs and three home runs.
“He has a lot of potential,” Lozano said. “He just needs to take better at-bats. … He leads the team in walks. They tend to pitch around Steve. He doesn’t see much to hit, and it kind of frustrates him.”
Much of the frustration for the Eagles stems from mental errors. Mission has struggled with double-play balls and has totaled 40 fielding errors this year.
“We just can’t let ourselves down,” Garza said. “We have been in a couple games where we are down right away 4-0, and that’s just how it is the rest of the game. Even two runs down. The mentality has to change, so we don’t give up on games anymore.”
Garza was part of last year’s team that missed the playoffs in agonizing fashion.
“I took on a lot of blame for last year, and I took it personally,” Garza said. “So, in the offseason, I worked on a bunch of things, and thankfully I got a little bit better.”
His number have greatly improved at the plate. Garza is hitting .406 with a team-leading 22 RBIs and two home runs.
“He’s been hitting the ball well,” Villarreal said. “He’s improved a lot from last year. He has been hitting a lot of hard shots. He’s been helping us out, by driving in those runs.”
Martinez hits leadoff, and Villarreal and Garza hit third and fourth, respectively. The top of the lineup is in playoff form. The question for the Eagles will be if their pitching and defense can give their bats a chance.
Villarreal believes they can.
“We just have to stay focused and play as a team.”