ELAC and Cerritos College are going to be very familiar with one another once the week concludes.
A string of three games against ELAC for the baseball team will have it fighting to win at least two of the next three games in the regular-season series if the team wants any hope in ranking first place.
The schedule consists of Cerritos facing ELAC on Tuesday at home, Thursday in an away game and Saturday at home again.
Two games out of first place, the baseball team has an overall record of 15-12 and a conference record of 7-5.
Shane Preston talked playing better by batting with more efficiency and strength, but the important part is actually doing it.
That’s where Preston credits the coaches for stepping in.
“He said, “(Coaches) Hector (Zamora) and (Ken) Gaylord have really been working on us and helping us on the fundamentals.”
Benny Arce also emphasized the coaches’ influence.
“Our pitching staff usually does a good job before running us down,” he said. “And us as hitters, we’re just trying to get some good hits and make those fast balls go the other way.
“Our coaches do a good job in preparing us, telling us who we’re facing or if players are right-handed, left-handed; curve-balled or fast-balled. We work on stuff like that during batting practice so I’m not coming in blind.”
Preparation also involves adjustments.
Stringing along with consecutive games provides predictable execution, so the team is seeking to eliminate that.
A freshman-prominent team also makes opponents, like ELAC, unfamiliar at first glance.
Daniel Lopez said, “Well, every team is different. We’ve never really played ELAC, so there will be adjustments. It’s important to come in early and just put some work in regardless.”
As far as techniques go, Arce did not hesitate to bring out the baseball lingo in order to specify what the team plans for these next three games.
“It’s about trying to score runs, trying to get runners over, manufacture runs, sack buns, our BIs, less strike-outs; all that.”
Preston added, “Hopefully we’ll sweep ELAC and win conference.”
