SAN JOSE — Archbishop Mitty doesn’t have a flashy record. It wasn’t red hot when the regular season ended. If the seeding had held in the section playoffs, the San Jose private school would have been done after one game.
But Mitty isn’t finished.
Three days after the Monarchs celebrated winning the Central Coast Section Division I championship, they had no letdown on Tuesday as the Northern California regional playoffs began.
Carson Seeger pitched a complete game and Makoa Sniffen had three hits in four at-bats and knocked in four runs — three on a sixth-inning triple — as Mitty prevailed at home over Granite Bay 8-2 in a first-round Division I game.
The Monarchs, seeded third, will play at second-seeded St. Mary’s-Stockton in the semifinals on Thursday. St. Mary’s edged Valley Christian 4-3 in 10 innings on Tuesday.
Mitty (20-12-1) advanced behind Seeger, who needed 101 pitches to reach the finish line. He struck out seven and allowed one earned run.
“Carson’s been a horse for us all year long,” coach Brian Yocke said. “Super proud of him. He’s been probably one of the most consistent pieces. We’ve had obviously an up-and-down season. We rode him to consistency in a lot of those ebb and flows.”
Archbishop Mitty pitcher Carson Seeger (21) and catcher Andrew Sauceda (2) celebrate their 8-2 win against Granite Bay High in the seventh inning of a NorCal Open Division playoff game at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, May 28, 2023. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Superb defensive plays by shortstop Waylon Walsh and center fielder Connor Anderson helped Seeger, who mostly breezed until he was involved in a scary moment in the fifth.
With the bases loaded, the Mitty pitcher hit Granite Bay shortstop Connor Culverson in the head. Noticeably bleeding, the junior stayed down for a couple of minutes while he received assistance from a trainer.
He eventually jogged back to the dugout but did not return to the game.
Seeger said he felt bad for Culverson but had to regain his composure quickly once the game resumed.
He struck out the next batter to keep Mitty in front 3-1.
“That was unfortunate,” Seeger said. “It was the second time I’ve done it this year. But you just bounce back. Trust in your stuff — especially the guys behind you — and good things will happen.”
Sniffen’s single to left with one out in the third gave Mitty a 1-0 lead. A throwing error gave the Monarchs a two-run cushion and Andrew Sauceda’s single to center made it 3-0.
The Monarchs put the game away in the sixth. The big blow was Sniffen’s triple down the left-field line that cleared the bases, stretching the home team’s lead to 8-1.
“It was just a two-strike approach,” Sniffen said. “He threw a pretty good slider but I got my bat to it. It went right down the line. Probably about a foot to six inches right off the line. It stayed fair, and I just kept running.”
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Granite Bay finished 24-10.
The playoff game was Mitty’s first on its home field since Live Oak, as a seventh seeded, ended the Monarchs’ season last spring in the first round of the CCS playoffs.
That loss was devasting for a Mitty team that won 21 regular-season games.
But the Monarchs say was unfolded last year set the foundation for what is happening now.
“It was the culture that those guys left,” Sniffen said. “Last year’s team definitely had a huge impact on us, Now we’re just getting hot at the right time. We’re playing well. All cylinders are clicking. Our pitching and defense and definitely the bats have been getting hot.”
Archbishop Mitty’s Connor Anderson (11), Nico Rodriguez (1) and Derek Allen (7) head back to the dugout after scoring against Granite Bay High in the sixth inning of a NorCal Open Division playoff game at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, May 28, 2023. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Archbishop Mitty’s Nico Rodriguez (1) scores past Granite Bay pitcher Jack Ghufran (7) following Derek Allen (7) and Connor Anderson (11) in the sixth inning of a NorCal Open Division playoff game at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, May 28, 2023. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Archbishop Mitty’s Mason Manglicmot (6) eludes a collision with teammate Waylon Walsh (23) as he makes a catch for an out against Granite Bay High in the sixth inning of a NorCal Open Division playoff game at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, May 28, 2023. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Archbishop Mitty pitcher Carson Seeger (21) follows the ball for the last out of their 8-2 win against Granite Bay High in the seventh inning of a NorCal Open Division playoff game at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, May 28, 2023. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Archbishop Mitty’s Connor Anderson (11) bunts for a single against Granite Bay High in the sixth inning of a NorCal Open Division playoff game at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, May 28, 2023. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Archbishop Mitty’s Makoa Sniffen (35) steals second against Granite Bay’s Brenden Pops (24) in the fifth inning of a NorCal Open Division playoff game at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, May 28, 2023. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Archbishop Mitty’s Alex Ford (4) steals second against Granite Bay High in the sixth inning of a NorCal Open Division playoff game at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, May 28, 2023. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Archbishop Mitty’s Alex Ford (4) reacts with teammate Ethan Chase (20) after Ford scored against Granite Bay High in the sixth inning of a NorCal Open Division playoff game at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, May 28, 2023. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Archbishop Mitty’s Makoa Sniffen (35) collides with the fence after attempting to catch a ball in foul territory in the fifth inning of a NorCal Open Division playoff game against Granite Bay High at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, May 28, 2023. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
