Baseball:

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor

Amongst the thousands of seniors throughout the state of California who had to endure a massive gut punch when the 2020 baseball season was officially canceled, San Dimas’ Liam Rocha and Blake Johnson had every reason in the world to be angry.

And before getting into their stories, it should be stated that neither Rocha nor Johnson are angry, but they are thoroughly disappointed.

The Saints had gotten off to a 6-1 start overall and 2-0 in Valle Vista League games.

Rocha was considered the ace on the mound and one of the Saints best hitters, and Johnson served as the No. 2 starter.

Aside from the excitement of Rocha and Johnson being a combined 3-1 on the mound, with a 1.00 ERA or just north of there, San Dimas was amped for things to come, which included appearances in both the Boras and National Classic tournaments in April.

But that all came crashing down with the sudden emergence of a worldwide pandemic.

Once they received word that their high school careers were over and the state was going into a virtual lockdown, Rocha and Johnson had to decide whether they were going to feel sorry for themselves, be lazy or find a way to be productive during the current quarantine.

Rocha and Johnson decided on the latter.

In fact, not only did these two young men decide not to take advantage of the opportunity to sleep in, they also forged a bond to get through these unprecedented times together.

Rocha and Johnson wake up almost every morning before 8 a.m., eat, stretch and then meet up to get some work in.

And before anyone starts to form a negative thought in their head, both Rocha and Johnson take this pandemic very seriously and they do respect and adhere to the social distancing regulations.

It’s just their way of being productive and getting ready for Rocha’s time at Cal Baptist and Johnson’s next move to Rio Hondo College for the 2021 season.

But for now, let’s look back at what both Rocha and Johnson had to go through before starting off their senior years in such a solid way.

Liam Rocha played four years for longtime coaches Mike Regan and Mark Chiappelli.

Over that stretch, San Dimas went a combined 77-17 overall and 30-2 in Valle Vista League contests.

After hitting .370, with 27 hits, five doubles and 15 RBIs in his sophomore season, Rocha was injured and missed the first one-third of the 2019 season, and batted just .311.

Rocha was one of San Dimas’ most versatile and valuable athletes, playing six of the game’s nine positions.

And after working his butt off to get him through the ups and downs of 2019, a new challenge arose from his coaching staff.

Rocha was asked to become a starting pitcher for the first time at San Dimas in 2020, and he handled it the same way he always has, and that’s answering the call to contribute in any way his coaches and teammates needed him to.

So, Rocha became the presumed ace.

After dropping the season opener against Rancho Cucamonga, Rocha bounced back and handed Bonita its first loss of the season back on March 3.

Rocha is such a competitor and worked so hard that eventually he felt comfortable throwing four pitches in any count, despite not having much experience on the mound.

He finished 1-1, with a 1.08 ERA, walking two and striking out 16.

As mentioned, playing pitcher, catcher, first base, third base, left field and some time in right field made him easily one of the SGV’s most versatile baseball players.

“Liam was a four-year guy for us,” San Dimas coach Mike Regan said. “He didn’t play a ton his first year, but he worked hard and actually became one of the best catchers in the valley. He got hurt his junior year, but he did everything he could to contribute. Liam became one of our best outfielders and he made significant growth year by year. I even asked him this season if we needed him back at catcher would he be able to do it and Liam said he could. He was a dynamic player, who also became a good leader as well.”

Aside from his effectiveness on the hill, Rocha also got off to a .435 start at the plate, with 10 hits, seven runs, five RBIs, four doubles and a triple.

Over his career, Rocha finished with 53 career hits, 33 runs and 30 RBIs.

These days, he splits time between his mom and dad’s place and Rocha said both parents are his biggest fans.

While he does wake up early daily and meets up with Johnson 4-5 times a week to get in a workout, Rocha has still allowed himself to have some fun as well.

He plays his share of ‘Call of Duty,’ and has seen his share of Netflix, including the hits ‘Tiger King’ and ‘Don’t F with Cats.’

His workout buddy and fellow pitcher, Blake Johnson, described Rocha this way.

“Heading into high school, Liam and I didn’t know each other. But from the beginning, we sort of hit it off and built a great relationship since our freshman year,” Johnson said. “I love his competitive spirit. He wants to beat everyone at anything he’s doing and he’s the kind of guy you want on your team.”

Lastly, we asked Rocha to describe the way he hopes his younger teammates remember him and the example he set.

“I hope as a guy who bought into the program and someone who worked hard to help San Dimas win in any way I could. I also hope they continue to work hard, because if they do, they will succeed in this program,” Rocha said.

Blake Johnson had a much darker path and far less time to shine.

But make no mistake about it, this lean right-hander is battle tested and he came out on the other side looking like a true warrior.

Towards the end of his eighth-grade year, his dad and hero, Jeramie Johnson, was given the devastating news that his cancer had returned and that he had just four months to live.

Jeramie Johnson actually coached with his son’s future skipper (Mike Regan) in the late 1990’s and he was a teammate of current PCC coach Pat McGee, while playing at APU.

His father’s death was such a scary and sad time for both Blake and his younger brother, Aiden, who is now 16.

Their shared love of the game of baseball was something both Jeramie and Blake held sacred and it’s something Blake still uses as his way of reconnecting with his father.

Blake said his mom (Stacy Johnson), who he calls the toughest person he knows, and his grandpa, Rich Shaon, played such important roles in helping Blake and his brother move forward through the heartbreak of losing a father so young.

“I look back on that time and I get motivation, because of my dad’s persistence of fighting this and my mom putting us first, while also having to deal with the loss of her husband. My grandpa was incredible too, and it made it possible to slowly move forward while grieving.”

But as much as Blake loves baseball, success did not come early and it did not come often.

Through his first three years in high school, Johnson had just 4 1/3 innings of varsity experience and he was sent down to JV that same junior season.

Instead of allowing his frustrations to take over, he took the advice of San Dimas’ other co-head coach, Mark Chiappelli, and read a book on mental toughness.

Johnson said the lessons learned within that book was invaluable in helping him turn the corner.

And that brings us to 2020.

In a team-high 14 innings of work, Johnson went 2-0, with a 1.00 ERA.

He defeated both Charter Oak and a VVL contest against Baldwin Park.

He walked four, struck out 14 and surrendered just two earned runs before the season came to a premature end.

Johnson also made a tactical decision to throw sidearm and became a pitcher that relied more on hitting spots and letting his defense make plays behind him.
His hard work and success, though, has not gone unnoticed by his coaches, teammates or from local colleges.

Johnson will pitch next season at Rio Hondo College in Whittier.

We asked Mark Chiappelli about his impact on Johnson, and he said, “coaches can only do so much. Blake was a sponge and wanted to take everything in and worked his ass off on making a difference. He’s a tremendously hard worker and a perfectionist (almost to a fault in a way). He’s a great kid, a hard worker and has a great head on his shoulders.”

Johnson also believes his father is in fact proud from Heaven watching both Blake and Aiden compete in a sport they had a collective love for.

Lastly, we asked Blake what he’d want to tell his dad about his oldest son’s life in 2020.

“I want him to know that we miss him, we love him and we can’t wait to see him again in Heaven. And most importantly, Dad, don’t worry about mom. We are looking after her and loving her and she’s fine.”

Jeramie Johnson is without question proud, because both of his boys are representing the family name in the best and most courageous way possible.

Liam Rocha’s Career Stats:

2020:.435 batting average, 10 hits, seven runs, five RBIs, four doubles & one triple

2020: 1-1 on the mound, with a 1.08 ERA, 2 walks, 16 strikeouts

2019: .311, 14 hits, 11 runs, six RBIs, three doubles

2018: .370, 27 hits, 11 runs, 15 RBIs, five doubles

2017: .154, two hits, four runs, four RBIs

Blake Johnson’s Stats:

2020: 2-0, 1.00 ERA, 14 IP 2ER, 4 walks, 14 K’s

2019: 1-0, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts

San Dimas Records, 2017-2020:

2020: 6-1 overall, 2-0 in Valle Vista League Games

2019: 23-5, 10-0

2018: 27-5, 9-1

2017 21-6, 9-1

To view a photo gallery of Blake & Liam, please click on the Facebook link here: (2) Facebook