Warren High throws combined no-hitter at Angel Stadium
The Warren baseball team is pictured after its game against St. Margaret's Monday, March 13 at Anaheim Stadium. Warren won, 9-0, as eight pitchers combined for a no-hitter. (Photos by George Danhash).
ANAHEIM – A no-no at Angel Stadium!
It doesn’t get any better than that for eight Warren High School pitchers Monday night (March 13), as they combined for a 7-inning, 9-0, no-hitter against St. Margaret’s in a non-league game played at Angel Stadium.
The eight-pitcher no-hitter might be some kind of record, but there seems to be no category in the CIF record book.
“It was a fun night for sure,” said Warren tenth-year baseball coach Scott Pearson the day after in the team clubhouse. “It was exciting, it was fun, and the novelty will wear off. The reality of league will kick back in. It is cool.
“Any no hitter is exciting. It was special, but a perfect game would be even better,” said Pearson, who was a pitcher in his youth.
It was a special night for 27 Warren baseball players, as they played on a Major League Field.
“It was amazing,” said Warren sophomore pitcher Angel Cervantes, who started on the mound for the Bears. “Just the experience of being able to step on the mound was just amazing. Especially with my teammates and their motivation, which kept me in the game and their positivity helped me throughout the game and make me deal.”
Cervantes started and had a perfect game through four and a third innings before giving up a walk to the second batter in the fifth inning.
That prompted Warren Baseball coach Scott Pearson to change pitchers and start the string of seven more to get that experience of a lifetime.
In fact, Pearson would have pulled Cervantes out after three innings, to start the subbing in of the rest of the staff, but the young hurler was throwing a perfect game.
“Thank God (Angel) walked that guy, because it would have been really challenging to pull a kid pitching a perfect game at Angel Stadium,” said Pearson, who still wanted to get more of his pitchers in the game. “Angel told me as I was taking him out of the game, ‘thank you coach for letting me pitch so long.’”
Pearson, who also had all six of his coaches go out to the mound for the remaining pitching changes, did make his first trip to the mound and removed Cervantes to a big applause from the crowd.
Pearson, relaxing in the clubhouse with his team on a rainy Tuesday the next day after the game, asked his pitchers what was going through their mind on the no-hitter.
“I said was there anything that was going through their mind that I didn’t want to give up that hit (to ruin the no-hitter),” Scott said. “They all said no and knew we were going to get the guys out.
“Most likely, and hopefully not, but it was a once in a lifetime to play at Angel Stadium.”
In fact, Pearson explained that he just may have a former player, Adrian Chaidez, to play at Angel Stadium soon, as he is on the Astros Double A team, the Corpus Christy Hooks.
One light moment that Pearson saw was senior outfielder Branden Lepe with a bag of dirt. “Lepe came up to me with a bag of dirt and asked if I wanted any dirt,” said Pearson, inquiring in return to his outfielder. “You mean you took all of that dirt?”
Pearson went on to talk about the opportunity for the kids.
“It’s a thrill of a lifetime for them,” he said. “I was telling them (Tuesday), I couldn’t imagine when I was in high school getting the opportunity to play at Angel Stadium. I would have been so excited. I’m really happy for the kids. I’m super happy that I got all 27 kids out there.”
Pearson even managed to get Alex Landeros in the game, who was hurt, as a pinch runner.
Perhaps, the one pitcher that really felt the pressure was the eighth and last pitcher, senior Xoel Garcia.
Garcia, who is a lefty, came in for the last out.
“When I went out there, I just wanted to stay in the zone and my focus was to throw strikes,” he said. “When I got out there, I didn’t want to be the one to ruin the no-hitter.”
He didn’t disappoint, as his one batter hit a grounder to junior third baseman Randy Arcos, who calmly threw across the diamond to senior first baseman, Julian Angulo for the out. Bedlam then followed for the Warren team as they mobbed Garcia and Cervantes and anyone else in the dog pile, as it made its way to short right field.
“That play was in slow motion for me,” Garcia said with a smile. “We have so many good arms on this team. I was glad to be a part of it.”
There was actually a game played and here are some highlights:
Lepe led with three hits in four at bats and scored three runs. The only other player with multiple hits was senior first baseman Julian Angulo, who had two singles, a stolen base and a run scored.
With one hit each was: Cervantes (Run, RBI), Andrew Sanchez, Brandon Ibarra (R, RBI), Richard Peraza (2 RBIs), Ivan Perez (RBI), Gabriel Lizarraga and Jayden Lujan (R).
The Bears took a 1-0 lead in the second inning, after there were two outs and Brandon Ibarra singled and eventually scored.
Two more runs came across in the third inning with singles by Lepe, Cervantes and Sanchez. Both Lepe and Cervantes scored for the 3-0 lead.
With two outs in the fourth inning, Lepe singled and came home on a single by Cervantes to lead, 4-0.
Warren capped off the scoring with five runs on three singles and three walks in the sixth inning as they sent 11 batters to the plate.
Warren Athletic Director, Samantha Miyahara, was in attendance with her husband and two kids and was taking in the moment and said of the incredible opportunity for the kids.
“I am incredibly proud that our program is able to afford such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to our student-athletes and their families,” she said. “Our coaching staff does a tremendous job ensuring that everyone gets a chance to make a play in that arena. The win was great, but the experience was priceless. Creating moments and memories like these are just one part of what makes this program so special.
“I believe our student-athletes truly appreciate this opportunity, and they do not take a single moment for granted. They cherish every at-bat, every out. Our district affirms that our students deserve the best, and this game is yet another way in which our district exemplifies that the best is exactly what our students get.”
Eight pitcher no-hitter results:
Starter Angel Cervantes – 4 IP, no hits, 6 Ks, walk, 14 BF
Holden Hungerford - .2 IP, 2 Ks, 2 BF
Marcello Casillas - .1 IP, 1K, 1 BF
Tyler Fleer - .1 IP, 1 BF
Alex Valencia - .1, 1 BF
Derek Munoz - .1, 1 BF
Javier Vargas - .1, 1 BF
Xoel Garcia - .1, 1 BF
What they said:
Holden Hungerford, Warren senior pitcher: “I wasn’t really thinking about the pressure. Just have the fun out there. I will never top this…..ever. It was exciting to be there. It’s a Big League field. It felt so much bigger out there.
Just walking in there, you just feel like you’re a Big Leaguer for a day. It’s a whole different feeling, especially looking around the field.”
Marcello Casillas, Warren senior pitcher: “I wasn’t really thinking about the no-hitter, just to compete. When you first go out there and step on the mound, you just go wow. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Once you step on the mound, ‘OK, it’s time to go.’ I threw that first pitch and I was happy it was a strike.”
Branden Lepe, Warren senior outfielder: “Right when I stepped on the grass, I felt like there were fans everywhere, even though there wasn’t. I could just imagine. From the start from the first inning, I was nervous. My chest was just pumping the whole game.
“I had three hits at Angel Stadium. It was the experience that I was there.”
Julian Angulo, Warren senior first baseman: “It was cool that you’re on the same field that Big Leaguers play on. I was on the same base that Mike Trout stood on. It was pretty cool. It’s pretty surreal. You try to treat it as a normal game, but you’re playing at a Big League Stadium. I went 2 for 4 and an RBI. Not too many people can say they got a hit at a Big League stadium.
“You try to focus on the game because you’re still trying to win the game, but there’s moments you’re looking up in the crowd and see your family there supporting you and you see the crowd. It’s a good feeling.”
Tyler Fleer, Warren junior pitcher: “The no-hitter was definitely big. We just blocked it out. It was definitely something I’ll never forget. That’s for sure. I spiked one for sure in the dirt.
“[Playing at Angel Stadium] was definitely glorified and definitely better than if it was at Warren. I felt very blessed. As soon as I heard Angel (Cervantes) was going to start, I knew it was going to be a good day.
“Coach P’s (Pearson) 36 years….. I trust him, I believe in him.”