Mission Bay senior Francisco Valdez stepped up to the pre-season rankings as one of the top pitchers in the county Wednesday, April 23, when he threw a perfect game while the Bucs defeated Clairemont High 13-0.
The win pushed the Buccaneers to the top of the Western League with a 5-1 team record.
“It was my goal this year to throw (a perfect game),” Valdez said. “When I looked at the scoreboard in the 5th inning, I began to bear-down ” I felt we could make it happen.”
A perfect game (in a high school 7-inning game) is 21 up and 21 down; no hits, no walks, no hit batters.
In Mission Bay High’s 54-year history of premier baseball success, no player has pitched a perfect game, until now.
“By the fourth inning I looked at the other coaches and we knew he was rolling along nicely,” said head coach Greg Farrar. “Francisco is a bulldog ” he is a competitor, he wants the ball. He was in control and got the job done.”
In addition to his command of the plate, Valdez has able to rely on his pick-off moves to control games this season.
“It has helped my ERA (1.85) a lot to work on my pick-off moves,” Valdez said.
“His pick-off move is huge,” Farrar said. “His command and ability to hold the runners close helps the whole team’s confidence.”
The defense also helped keep the perfect game on track according to Farrar.
“A lot of guys had a big day,” he said. “Jesse Moore switched from third base to short stop with Brian Sagun. Moore made a big do-or-die play at one point to keep the hitless streak alive.”
The offense did their part too, generating 13 runs on 15 hits against the Chieftains.
“The offense was going off,” Farrar added. “Evan Taylor went 3-4 with a two-run homer and 5 RBI.”
The Bucs improved to 16-8 (5-1) at the mid-point in Western League play.
Farrar is in his second year as head baseball coach after 9 years as assistant to Dennis Pugh, who has been at Mission Bay since 1973. Farrar consulted with Pugh and asked if there had been any other perfect games.
“Only once when I threw batting practice a few years ago,” Pugh said.
Pugh remains the athletic director at Mission Bay High while he heads the baseball program at CSU San Marcos.
The Bucs will host Point Loma Friday, May 2, at 3 p.m. Then Mission Bay will host Coronado May 7.