From the Bench: Titans pumped to play at Petco Park
Poway High School teachers might be wondering by now why members of the baseball team have been daydreaming in the classroom a little more than usual this week.
The Bench can tell you why in two words: Petco Park.
Excuse the Titans for imagining the bright lights and the brand new super-sized scoreboard inside one of the most amazing stadiums in all of Major League Baseball.
Excuse them for picturing themselves warming up on what soon might be the only well-watered lawn in the entire city.
And finally, teachers, don’t take it personal when you notice a player glancing at the clock every five minutes on Friday afternoon. By then, these Titans will be just hours away from turning all those dreams into reality.
Yes, Poway hit the San Diego Section lottery last winter and is one of 14 high school teams that will play at Petco Park over Friday and Saturday. Not only did the Titans luck out by being selected, they landed the best day and time.
Poway will face Mt. Carmel under the lights Friday at 7 p.m. Before those two square off in a Palomar League game, Grossmont will play Steele Canyon at 1 p.m. and Kearny will play Hoover at 4 p.m.
“It is like a dream come true,” said Poway sophomore Blake Wagenseller, who entered this week hitting .444 with 13 RBIs and two home runs. “I have seen other high schools play at Petco and I have always wondered if Poway was going to ever play there. Now we have the opportunity and we are really pumped up.”
Tickets, which are good for all three games Friday, are $15 and includes a free Padres ticket to their May 1 game against the Rockies. Contact Jack Pellegrino at jmpellegrino@cox.net to purchase.
Senior Tyler Nevin and junior Jeff Pellegrino will be playing at Petco Park for the second time, as the two played there in the fall with the Padres scout team. But it doesn’t make this any less special.
“I have played there before, but not when it is in the condition it will be on Friday,” said Nevin, who is hitting .426 with one home run. “They just had a concert there when I played there before. This time it is right after opening day.”
No matter the outcome of the game, the players are going to remember Friday night’s experience for the rest of their lives. It is an opportunity most of them will never have again.
“It is something we cannot stop talking about,” Nevin said. “It is a chance to play on one of the nicest fields in the country. We are going to have the butterflies going the whole week leading up to it.”
Big lacrosse games on tap: There are a few big boys and girls lacrosse matches on the horizon.
Poway and Rancho Bernardo boys are on a collision course for a Palomar League first-place showdown.
The two entered the week undefeated in league play and will meet for the first time this season on Tuesday at Rancho Bernardo at 7 p.m.
Last season, Poway won the only meeting (second game was cancelled due to fires) 8-4. The Titans are ranked No. 2 in the section and Rancho Bernardo No. 6.
On the girls side, Poway and Westview entered this week undefeated in the Palomar League and are scheduled to meet Friday at Poway at 7 p.m.
The Wolverines are ranked No. 11 in the section and the Titans entered the week ranked No. 12.
Black Mountain Battle: The fourth annual Black Mountain Battle softball game between Westview and Del Norte is Saturday at 6 p.m. at 4S Ranch Sports Park.
The Nighthawks are still searching for their first win in the contest, coming agonizingly close in 2013 and 2014.
Westview scored five runs in the top of the seventh to beat Del Norte 11-9 in 2013 and then beat the Nighthawks 14-9 in a nine-inning thriller last season. Del Norte already owns one big win this season, beating Rancho Bernardo for the first time in school history. The Nighthawks entered this week with a 5-8-1 record, while the Wolverines entered the week with a record of 9-4.