Prieto Does One Of His Best Jobs
By Mitch Chortkoff
Observer Sports Editor
After Culver City and Santa Monica tied for the Ocean League baseball championship a year ago both teams began this season hoping to contend again with young talent.
Both had lost key players to graduation and the Centaurs’ problems magnified early when star catcher and co-captain Garrett Gerngnani suffered a broken arm.
A solemn Rick Prieto announced that Gerngnani would be out for the season.
The games proceeded with junior Jon Kocker catching, but soon he too suffered an injury that removed him from action.
Prieto, a veteran of 15 Culver baseball seasons, had seen just about everything during his career but this was a new challenge.
Christopher Caines, a junior listed on the roster as a shortstop and catcher, became the third Centaur to catch and handle the pitching staff. Ultimately he played shortstop and Skyler Blocker became Culver’s fourth catcher of the season.
Now we come to the pitching. It was evident that junior righthander Tyler Mark was the ace but Prieto’s task was to determine who would emerge as his second starter.
Once Ocean League games began it was necessary to come up with a second starter since league games are played on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which make it impossible for the No. 1 guy to pitch both times.
I credit Prieto for giving others a chance in non-league games and then deciding on junior Lucas O’Conner for the important role as the No. 2 starter.
O’Connor was Culver’s backup quarterback during the football season and is quite a competitor.
After winning some and losing some early in the season in non-league and tournament competition the young Centaur team finished second in the Ocean League with an 8-2 record.
Meanwhile, Santa Monica coach Sheldon Phillip-Guide, in only his second season, developed his team nicely too.
Santa Monica was 0-8 at one point while playing a difficult non-league schedule and then 3-11. But the Vikings went 10-0 in the league.
When the CIF Division 3 playoffs began Santa Monica lost in the first round but Culver City won three games, a surge that tells me Prieto did one of the best jobs in his career.
You point for the playoffs from the first day of the season and his methods proved highly successful.
The seniors can be proud of their accomplishments. The group consists of Ryan Mattingly, Jacob Metzinger, co-captian Ryan Mulvihill,, Rodney Bradley, Sean Cogman. And Brandon Tostodo.
“The commitment by the players and coaching staff allowed us to have a successful season,” said Prieto. “We challenged our players at every practice to be the best they can be and they responded.
“We asked our players to play positions they are not accustomed to and they did. We asked our players to leave everything on the field during the playoff run, and without question they did.
“I am so proud of our varsity baseball team.”
Prieto is optimistic about next season with numerous undergraduates coming back.
This group consists of Mark, Darian Sylvester, George Aceves, Blocker, O’Conner, Brian Ibarra, Tyler Adkison, Mario Fragoso, Kocker and Caines.
In its playoff run Culver won two playoff games in Orange County. That’s not only good for the Centaurs’ program it’s a boost in prestige for the Ocean League.
For Prieto, his coaching staff and his players it was a job well done, even a model of what a dedicated group can accomplish.
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