LONG BEACH – Last Saturday night at Blair Field, Elsinore High School’s baseball team secured a long-sought moment of glory, defeating St. Anthony 2-0 in the CIF Southern Section Division 5 championship. The win marks the Tigers’ first section title in 55 years, a poignant achievement for a program with storied dreams of championship gold.
“We worked so hard to get here,” said junior pitcher Jacob Farias. “This was more about proving things to ourselves, more than anyone else.”
Farias took the mound and turned in a dominant performance, striking out five while allowing just one hit over 4 2/3 innings. Together with sophomore Andrew Jimenez, who clinched the game with a stellar seven-out save, the Tigers delivered their third postseason shutout, capping off an unforgettable playoff run.
From the first pitch, Elsinore carried the energy of a team that refused to be denied. Jimenez, who also led off for the Tigers and drove in both runs, gave St. Anthony plenty to contend with.
“I wanted the ball in my hand,” said Jimenez, whose fierce determination was evident on both sides of the ball.
The Tigers struck first in the third inning. After a leadoff walk by Javon Huerta, who advanced on a wild pitch, Brody Boyd legged out a bunt single to move Huerta to third. Jimenez then grounded into a double play, but not before Huerta crossed the plate, giving Elsinore a 1-0 lead.
Farias, who dominated early, faced a moment of adversity in the fourth inning when he loaded the bases on consecutive walks. But with poise under pressure, the junior delivered a crucial strikeout and coaxed a ground ball to escape the jam unscathed.
“You could see him lock in,” said Elsinore coach Don Nicholson. “He pitched an incredible game, gave up the one hit, and kept us right where we needed to be.”
Elsinore added an insurance run in the fifth when Boyd crushed a triple to deep center field. Jimenez followed with an RBI groundout to double the lead to 2-0, an advantage that felt insurmountable given the Tigers’ form.
“Brody’s triple gave us that cushion we needed,” Nicholson said. “These guys delivered when it mattered most.”
With Farias finishing his brilliant outing and handing the ball to Jimenez, the sophomore closer dazzled. Jimenez struck out the side in the sixth inning, then locked down the win with back-to-back strikeouts to end the seventh.
“Every athlete dreams of being in a big moment,” Jimenez said. “And when you’re there, you give it everything you have.”
The victory underscores an extraordinary season for the Tigers, who finished 23-7 overall and won 17 of their last 18 games. This season also marks their most single season wins in over 20 years. All three of their playoff shutouts came during a postseason campaign where they outscored opponents 22-7.
Elsinore now advances to the CIF State regional tournament, riding high on momentum thanks to a roster brimming with balance. The Tigers, who are seeded No. 7, will face No. 2 seed Mt. Carmel (San Diego) in their first-round matchup. Game time is set for 4 PM on Tuesday, June 3.
For St. Anthony, the loss marked the end of an impressive 12-game winning streak. The Saints, who had standout offensive performances all season, were stifled in this game. Senior star Benny Lane, who boasted a .456 batting average and nine home runs coming into the matchup, was held hitless and struck out twice. St. Anthony will also move on to the CIF State regional tournament as the No. 8 seed, and will face No. 1 seed, Dos Pueblos.
For the Elsinore community, the long-awaited championship is about more than just numbers or game stats. It represents a new era for a program and a town that have been waiting decades for this moment.
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