The Mission Bay baseball team starts the second half of the regular season this week in hopes of closing strong and defending their CIF Div. IV section championship. Mission Bay has a 6-6 record and will travel to take on University City in back-to-back games as it begins league competition.

“We’ve won some good close games and we’ve lost some close games,” said head coach Dennis Gildehaus. “We’re a competitive team that works hard and battles in the field, which is all you can ask as a coach.”

The Bucs started off the season with two convincing victories, 16-3 over Pacific Ridge and 8-0 over Sweetwater before suffering their first loss on March 4 to Classical Academy 9-6. MBHS then won its next two in resounding fashion, 17-1 versus High Tech SD and 18-0 against Lincoln before dropping three straight, first to Mater Dei Catholic 2-0 then Mar Vista 5-2 followed by a nail-biter to San Ysidro 8-7.

The Bucs were able to bounce back by winning their next two games, both by one run, 2-1 versus Imperial High and 6-5 in extra- innings against Hilltop. Mission Bay lost its last two to Maranatha Christian and San Dieguito Academy.

“There’s probably four or five of us that if we play well we can win league,” Gildehaus added. “University City is going to be one of the favorites, they have a couple of really strong pitchers so they’ll be tough.”

Among the best players for the Bucs this season are senior catcher Flynn Barnes along with pitchers Isaac Trujillo and Harold Gildehaus. Mission Bay will have 10 games remaining, including a match versus La Jolla on April 15, who they split their two games with last season. The remaining schedule will also include two versus San Diego High, Morse, and Canyon Hills before closing out the regular season against Mira Mesa on May 9 and 11.

The Bucs hope to go on a run that will see them repeat as champions, which would be their seventh overall in school history. Before winning the title last year in a dramatic 5-4 victory over Fallbrook, Mission Bay was previously crowned champion back in 2004.

Photo by Steve Sidell