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Portola High’s baseball team, under Coach Michael Nagamatsu, is getting ready for its first varsity season in the Pacific Coast League.
The Bulldogs, who have started out the season with a 3-2 record, play at Beckman on Friday, March 1, at 3 p.m. in their league opener against the defending league champion Patriots.
Portola is a young team, but Nagamatsu is hoping his players can have a solid season in the league. The school opened in 2016 with just freshmen and sophomores.
“We don’t have any seniors, we’re all juniors,” Nagamatsu said. “We have some sophomores and one freshman and we’re establishing a good tradition here. We’re working hard and all the guys are buying in.”
Nagamatsu said the team’s goal is to reach the CIF playoffs.
“We have one goal and that is to make CIF (playoffs) and I think that will surprise a lot of people,” he said. “Guys are working hard toward that goal every day.”
Nagamatsu is originally from Seattle and has been in Orange County for about five years.
“I was a scout for the Arizona Diamondbacks for four years and I played collegiately and professionally, and now I’m coaching,” he said.
Nagamatsu was with the Baltimore Orioles organization before being released. He then signed a contract to play and be a head coach in Austria.
He’s also been a travel ball coach. The Portola job is his first head coaching job in a high school.
“I wanted to get back into coaching so I got this job and I was hired before the school was even finished,” he said.
“This (the field at Portola) was just dirt so we actually had our first summer camp at Northwood High School and we didn’t even have equipment. I ended up using all my stuff.”
Nagamatsu said he is happy to be coaching at the new on-campus field at Portola.
“Everybody who comes here says: ‘This looks like a college campus,’” he said. “Everything is brand new.”
Portola prepared for the start of league play by competing in the Newport Elks Tournament last week.
The Bulldogs wrapped up the tournament losing to Estancia 11-3 on Friday, Feb. 22.
Portola also lost to Nogales 14-10 on Wednesday, Feb. 20.
But, the Bulldogs started the week by defeating Santa Ana Valley 11-0 on Feb. 18, and five Bulldog pitchers combined on a no-hitter.
Kaeden Foucart started and went two innings, recording four strikeouts. Aidan Russell then went two innings and struck out six, Jamison King pitched one inning and struck out two, Josh Liu went one inning and struck out two and Josh Park went one inning and struck out one.
Portola was led offensively by Luke Shen, who was 3 for 4 with three RBI.
Then on Tuesday, Feb. 19, Portola defeated La Quinta 15-2.
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