LA COSTA CANYON HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

La Costa Canyon's Baseball program has returned to the San Diego Section Division I CIF Championship game for the third time in it's eight years of existence against Avocado League Champion Fallbrook. The Warriors have reached the CIF Baseball finals for the first time in their 111 years of playing Varsity Baseball. The Avocado League Champion Warriors (15-0;30-4) swept Palomar League Champion Rancho Bernardo twice in the CIF Playoffs to reach the Championship game. La Costa Canyon (10-5;24-9)beat Granite Hills and then defeated district rival Torrey Pines in two games to earn the right to defend their CIF Division I Championship. Fallbrook defeated La Costa Canyon three times during the regular season. On April 16th at La Costa Canyon the Warriors turned two "triple" plays to preserve a 1-1 tie through 5 innings and then hit home runs in the 6th and 7th inning off Maverick ace Doug Konoske for a 4-1 win. On April 28th with Wes Schiller pitching the Mavericks took a 5-0 lead at Fallbrook but the Warriors tied it at 5-5 after 5 innings and a 6th inning home run, their third of the game, won it for the Warriors 6-5. On May 12th at Fallbrook the Warriors hit two more home runs to take a lead and the Mavericks 3 run rally in the top of the 7th inning fell short as the Warriors won 7-6. Fallbrook at 30-4 has won 19 consecutive games but the large expanse of Tony Gwynn Stadium at San Diego State will help neutralize Fallbrook's power advantage. Fallbrook has hit 62 home runs, the Fourth highest in San Diego CIF Section history. The Mavericks started off the year with a string of bad luck injuries but they have rebounded with a great team effort led by Seniors Doug Konoske, Nick Burke and Scott Clement to earn the return trip to the stadium.