Familiarity will be a word to describe the undertone of Saturday’s LA City Section Open Division baseball final between No. 1 Birmingham Charter (26-4) and No. 2 El Camino Real (21-9).
The game is set for 1 p.m. at Dodger Stadium. Tickets can only be purchased on site. Parking is free.
Saturday will be the fourth time the two teams play this season. Birmingham won two of the three West Valley League bouts. The two juggernaut programs aren’t just familiar with each other, they’re all too familiar with Chavez Ravine.
For Birmingham, it will be the program’s sixth finals appearance since 2018. The Patriots won in 2018, 2019 and 2023.
“No matter who you play, Dodger Stadium never gets old,” Birmingham coach Matt Mowry said. “I played in the City myself. It’s always something you look forward to. It’s a memory you have for a lifetime.
For El Camino Real, it’s the Royals’ fourth appearance in the same stretch, losing in 2018 and 2021 before breaking through last year in a win over Venice. The 2018 loss came to Birmingham, 4-3.
“We only return three varsity guys (from last year’s championship team),” ECR coach Josh Lienhard said. “The team is brand new. … I’ve just been trying to get the boys to believe.”
In recent years, Birmingham has the better track record. All-time, El Camino Real holds the legacy card. ECR will be looking to win the program’s 11th City title, which would be the most all-time, and break away from its tie with Chatsworth — each with 10. Birmingham is looking for number nine.
WHO’S ON THE MOUND?
Pitching at Dodger Stadium in the City finals is one of the most prestigious high school sports opportunities in America. Performances — both good and bad — are remembered forever.
It will be a battle of juniors on Saturday. Birmingham will start Nate Soto. El Camino Real will have Hudson December on the mound.
Soto is 6-1 from the bump this season with a 2.06 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 52 ⅓ innings.
“He does a great job keeping his composure,” Mowry said of Soto. “He mixes his pitches and is very competitive.”
December is 5-3 with a 2.56 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 57 ⅓ innings.
“We returned no pitching from last year,” Lienhard said. “Jackson (Sellz) and Hudson (December) have been huge for us.”
Both would be considered each team’s No. 2 arm. El Camino Real can’t use Jackson Sellz (10-1) and Birmingham will be without Carlos Acuna (11-0) on Saturday after both threw complete games in the semifinals on Wednesday.
BATS TO WATCH
El Camino Real seniors JJ Saffie and Shane Bogacz lead the team in hits with 38 and 34 on the season, respectively. RJ De La Rosa, who delivered the go-ahead two-RBI single in the semifinal to complete the comeback win over Granada Hills, leads the team in RBIs with 23.
Birmingham’s top hitters include Julius Monroe-Truitt, Aiden Martinez, Toni Mendoza and Larkin Fleming. Mendoza (from Chatsworth) and Fleming (from Notre Dame) have only played the latter part of the season after transferring in this season. Mendoza has 17 hits and 10 RBIs in 15 games while Fleming has tallied 23 hits and 16 RBIs in 17 games.
TAFT VS. VERDUGO HILLS IN DI FINAL
The Division I final will also be played at Dodger Stadium on Saturday. Taft (13-17) will take on Verdugo Hills (13-18) at 10 a.m.
Verdugo Hills needed extra innings in its 2-1 semifinal win over Sylmar Wednesday night. Miguel Wong knocked in the game-winning run with a single in the top of the 10th inning. Taft beat Venice 2-0 in its semifinal victory.
Taft will be back in a City final for the first time since 2021, but has never played at Dodger Stadium. In 2021, the finals were at home sites due to COVID-19. Verdugo will look to win its first City title since 2018 when the Dons beat Carson 4-2 to lift the Division I trophy.