By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor

When Rio Hondo Prep (17-7) takes the field on Saturday at 4:15 at UC Riverside, the Kares will be making their first appearance in the CIF-SS (Division 6) title game since 1999.

If RHP defeats Costa Mesa (15-11), it would be the school’s first championship in baseball.

The Mustangs have defeated De Toledo, The Webb Schools, Vista del Lago and Calvary Murrieta in that order, and did so by a margin of 27-6 to set up their showdown with the Kares.

Costa Mesa enters the contest on a six-game win streak.

They boast a .322 team batting average and the collective ERA amongst its 10 pitchers is 3.71.

For their part, RHP is riding a four-game win streak and they’ve earned postseason victories over St. Genevieve, Sultana, Carpinteria and St. Anthony by a combined total of 33-8.

The Kares have a .298 team batting average and a 1.91 team ERA.

RHP, as mentioned in a recent story, dropped its final regular season game, 10-1, against Prep League rival Flintridge Prep.

They were swept by first-place Poly and the second-place Rebels, and it wasn’t even close.

The Kares were outscored 49-20 in those six games and finished in third place in the Prep League.

That third-place position in the Prep League standings also resulted in first and third round road games.

But before the playoffs even began, RHP coach JT Parker decided it was time to shake things up.

Parker called a meeting and according to his players, the Kares changed their focus, practice dynamics and a number of things that have paid huge dividends.

And it didn’t take long to realize the postseason might be fun and successful.

In their first-round match up at St. Genevieve in Panorama City, RHP cruised to a 14-3 victory.

In that game, seniors Jake Lang and Evan Foor had five hits apiece and combined on five runs and six RBIs.

Foor also surrendered just one earned run over six innings to earn the victory.

Their sophomore buddy, Jack Van Cleve, contributed an inning of relief, and at the plate, he walked twice, doubled and scored a run.

And the Kares were off and running.

While there have been many contributors to the Kares success, the heart of that lineup starts with Foor, Lang and Van Cleve, each of whom star in other sports at the Arcadia school.

Evan Foor was also a quarterback for the football team.

The senior has helped lead a remarkable run in his final season at RHP.

This season alone, Foor is 5-1 on the mound, with a 1.54 ERA, and he’s struck out 54 batters in 54 2/3 innings.

He also boasts a .390 batting average, with 30 hits, 18 runs, 23 RBIs, eight doubles, two triples and a home run.

Jake Lang has contributed mightily with his bat, but he’s also 2-0 on the mound and has not allowed a run in his 10 innings of work.

Lang has struck out 15 batters.

Offensively, Lang is the star attraction.

He’s hitting .432, with 35 hits, 26 runs, 15 RBIs, nine doubles and six triples.

Lang has a 495 on-base percentage, .695 slugging percentage and a , 1.186 OPS.

Jack Van Cleve might be young.

But the sophomore doesn’t get rattled and he’s already established himself a star.

He’ll also take over the leadership duties next season after Foor and Lang have moved on to college.

Van Cleve’s main contribution is pitching.

He’s won a team-high six games (6-3), with a 2.10 ERA.

Van Cleve is also hitting .299 in the No. 6 spot in the RHP lineup.

Van Cleve has collected 20 hits, 18 runs, 18 RBI, eight doubles and a triple.

As well as the big-three has done, they wanted it to be known that this historic season would have never been possible without the hard work, sacrifices and contributions of every player and coach in that RHP uniform.

Anderson Lang (.302 average, 19 hits, 16 runs, 12 RBIs), Alex Vazquez (.276, 16 hits, 16 runs, 17 RBIs), Gio Ortega (.276, 16 hits, 14 runs, 10 RBIs), Bryant Flores (.279, 17 hits, 17 runs, 10 RBIs) and Dylan Davis (.224, 13 hits, 11 runs, six RBIs, three doubles) have all done their part.

Vazquez has also won a game on the mound and has struck out 10 batters over his 10 innings of work this season.

As much as RHP wants and hopes to win tomorrow afternoon, they can rest assured knowing on that 47-mile bus ride home that win or lose, they’ve become the poster boys for never giving up and what can happen when every member in the same uniform believes in one another and is willing to sacrifice everything they have for the greater good.

We asked each of the three RHP players to give us their thoughts on their individual roles as they see it, the reason the Kares have earned a title-game appearance and something they admire about their two teammates in this story.

Additionally, we asked the RHP staff to comment on these three leaders and how the program was able to change their focus late, which has led to this moment.

Their answers are just below.

Quotable:

RHP head coach JT Parker: “After the loss to Flintridge Prep, our guys realized we had to get back to playing our style (of ball) if we wanted to do anything in the playoffs. We shook things up in practice and paid a lot of attention to situational hitting and execution and made every rep count. We asked Jake and Evan to take on the leadership role and they’ve done that. They’ve also gotten hot in the playoffs, which has been huge. Evan is hitting .643 and Jake isn’t far behind at .588. Jack has shown a lot of maturity as a sophomore, playing big in our toughest games. He’s super reliable at short, and has come up clutch in the playoffs with runners in scoring position.”

RHP assistant baseball/head football coach Mark Carson: “All three are great athletes. At Rio, we encourage our students to play multiple sports and Jake, Evan and Jack epitomize that. They all started on our football team and Jack and Evan were also starters in basketball. That kind of overall athleticism translates well to the aggressive style of baseball we like to play.”

RHP senior Jake Lang: “I see myself as someone who had to set the tone early in the season to create a mutual goal for the team. We have a great group of guys & honestly our success has been a team effort, we play & get along really well. That leads into why we’ve gone so deep. We had to learn that we aren’t going to be the team that hits bombs to win a game.

Some guys are going to have to sacrifice an at-bat or two to help us get some runs on the board. Whether that’s bunting or swinging at a pitch we didn’t like, we trust the process. I’m thankful that these dudes trust my pitch calling even if it seems risky down in the count, their trust in me & my trust in the to get the next pitch is sealed tight. We know we have the same goal at the end.”

RHP senior Evan Foor: “I believe my role on this team is a guy that’s going to bring high energy, stay loose and keep everybody else loose as well. I am a mentor and help the younger guys at practice on the mental and mechanical side of baseball. I also feel like my role is getting guys ready for the big moments like we have on Saturday.

RHP has made a deep run (in the playoffs) due to the hard work we put in. At lunch, guys are out hitting & fielding ground balls. The guys organize practice on weekends and we run our own practices. On the mental side, we are a team that is mentally tough. That’s our best attribute, we are always undersized and out-manned In football, basketball, & baseball. We are mentally strong enough to overcome a lot, and our entire team is resilient.

The two things I admire for both (Lang and Van Cleve is they work hard and they challenge everybody, which includes themselves. Jake is a guy that gives everything to the team & you can count on him in a high pressure situation. Jack is a young guy, but he plays like a senior, and he loves to compete. He’s going to give you 110% every time he steps on the field. He’s going to be a force when he’s a senior. I’m proud of both of these guys for being leaders on the team.”

RHP sophomore Jack Van Cleve: “We each have our own role to play. When I’m pitching, all I try to do is throw strikes and let our defense make plays. We have played our brand of baseball. Our coach said at the beginning of the playoffs, that if we want to go far, we have to play our type of baseball. Jake and Evan take charge in practice, they know the game well, and they share the same love for the game as I do.”

Poly senior and Prep League rival, Franco Alonso: “They’re good guys. It has been fun competing with them for all these years, and I wish them the best of luck going into their championship game. The Prep League is representing. I’d also like to add that they were not only great competitors, but they were also a class act in everything they did. I remember when Jackson Treister got hurt and after the game, they all shook his hand. This is one of the many reasons I have the utmost respect for them.”

CIF Division 6 Playoff Results:

May 3: RHP 14, St. Genevieve 3

May 7: RHP 6, Sultana 0

May 10: RHP 5, Carpinteria 0

May 14: RPH 8, St. Anthony 5

May 18: Costa Mesa vs RHP (4:15) at UC Riverside

Foor, Lang and Van Cleve playoff stats:
Semifinal vs St. Anthony:

Van Cleeve: Five innings pitched, four runs (three earned) on seven hits, three walks & three strikeouts to earn the win. He also went 2 for 4, including a double and an RBI.

Foor: Two innings pitched, one unearned run on three hits, two strikeouts to earn the save. He went 2 for 2, with a walk, single, home run, two runs and four RBIs.

Lang: 2 for 4, with a double and two runs scored.

Quarterfinal vs Carpinteria:

Foor: Three-hit shutout, RBI double and run scored.

Lang: Single, RBI and run scored.

Second round vs Sultana:

Van Cleve: Three-hit shutout, one walk and three strikeouts in an economic 78-pitch outing. He went 1 for 3, with an RBI and run scored.

Lang: Single, double, run scored.

Foor: Walk, double, three RBIs.

First Round vs St. Genevieve:

Foor: Six innings pitched, two runs (one earned) on six hits. He walked six and fanned seven to earn the win on the mound. Foor went 5 for 5 at the plate, with two runs scored and four RBIs.

Van Cleve: One inning pitched, allowing an unearned run on one hit. He struck out one batter. He walked twice, doubled and scored a run.

Lang: 5 for 6, with a triple, three runs scored and two RBIs.

Career (varsity) stats at RHP:
2019: (17-7)

Lang: .432 average, 35 hits, 26 runs, 15 RBIs, nine doubles, six triples, 495 OBP, 695 slugg, 1.186 OPS; 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 14 strikeouts in 10 innings.

Foor: .390 average, 30 hits, 18 runs, 23 RBIs, eight doubles, two triples, home run, 461 OBP, 584 slg, 1.045 OPS; 5-1, 1.54 ERA, 54 strikeouts in 54 2/3 innings.

Van Cleve: .299 average, .20 hits, 18 runs, 18 RBIs, eight doubles, triple; 6-3, 2.10 ERA, 61 strikeouts in 53 1/3 innings.

2018: (12-8)

Foor: .400 average, 24 hits, 22 runs, 20 RBIs, five doubles, triple; 4-4, 4.34, 50 strikeouts in 48 1/3 innings.

Lang: .449 average, 31 hits, 25 runs, 18 RBIs, 10 doubles, three triples, home run.

Van Cleve: .242 average, 15 hits, 11 runs, 14 RBIs, six doubles; 3-2, 3.00 ERA, 39 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings.

2017: (15-10)

Lang: .500 average, 22 hits, 19 runs, 15 RBIs, eight doubles, triple, home run; 1-2 on mound with 1.25 ERA,Lang 16 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings.

Foor .365 average, 19 hits, 10 runs, 22 RBIs; 7-2 on the mound with 4.72 ERA, 43 strikeouts in 46 innings.

2016: (12-10)

Evan Foor: .171 average, seven hits, nine runs, two doubles.

Getting to know Jake Lang:

Favorite team: Angels

Favorite player: Mike Trout

Favorite movie: The Sandlot

Favorite musical artist: Buddy Brown

Someone famous I’d like a conversation with: Mike Trout.

Getting to know Evan Foor:

Favorite team: Dodgers

Favorite player: Manny Machado

Favorite movie: American Sniper

Favorite musical artist: Meek Mill

Someone famous I’d like a conversation with: Alex Bergman

Getting to know Jack Van Cleve:

Favorite team: Angels

Favorite player: Mike Trout

Favorite movie: The Sandlot

Favorite musical artist: Drake

Someone famous I’d like a conversation with: Kobe Bryant