Coming into the first round of the CIF Division 1 playoffs, the Bruins (21-10) have the best total record of any team in the Moore League (one better than Millikan’s 20-10).  Thanks to a 7-5 league performance, they only had the four-seed from the Moore League, and have already had to play one game this postseason—a win over Roosevelt on Tuesday that gave Wilson their 21st of the season.  Wilson also carries a record of success over the last two years that no-one can match, with two trips to Dodger Stadium and one CIF ring.

Friday at 3:15pm at Capistrano Valley, none of that may matter, as the Bruins will face one of the country’s best teams in the Cougars, and the country’s best prep pitcher in Tyler Matzek, a projected top-10 pick in the upcoming MLB Draft, and whose fastball has been clocked at 94mph. 

“Well,” said Wilson coach Andy Hall after the Roosevelt win, “That’s Division 1 baseball in the Southern Section.  But every team has a guy who can give it to you.”

He’s right about the talent-stacked Southern Section, but Matzek definitely stands alone, with an ERA of 1.23 on the season and 84 strikeouts in 68 innings of work (with only 24 walks). 

The good news is that the Cougars don’t hit phenomenally, averaging just five runs a game, with a team batting average of .300.  If the Bruins can get a man on early and work him around for a quick, cheap run, they could manage to get a shutout from J.T. Mazalewski or Tommy Nance.  But while the Bruins can hit with the Cougars, they’re unlikely to get more than a run or two off of Matzek, so if you’re rooting for a Bruin victory, you’re rooting for a low-scoring game.