Prep baseball: McGrath leads San Marin to first section title since 2018

San Marin junior hurler Sean McGrath has been virtually unhittable since the high school baseball postseason began.

McGrath was up to his old tricks again, firing a two-hit, complete-game shutout as the Mustangs galloped past Campolindo (Moraga) 6-0 at College of Marin on Saturday to capture the North Coast Section Division III title.

San Marin (22-8), which had not won a section title since 2018, advances to the opening round of the NorCal CIF regionals Tuesday. Time, place and opponent will be determined Sunday.

“He’s the man,” San Marin coach Jamie Vattuone said about his ace pitcher. “He challenges batters – he definitely knows what he’s doing out there – and he throws strikes. When he gets up there on that bump, you know he’s going to battle.”

McGrath never faced a stressful moment against Campolindo. He faced two batters over the minimum, struck out six and did not allow a baserunner beyond first base.

“Sean is one of the best pitchers I have ever caught,” said senior catcher Cole Chamberlain, who is headed to University of Texas on a baseball scholarship. “He hits all his spots and he’s very consistent.”

San Marin’s slick senior shortstop Anthony Scheppler said the Mustangs carry extra swagger just knowing McGrath is on the mound.

“He’s definitely special,” Scheppler said. “He’s not only a great pitcher, but he’s also got that moxy on the mound that fires us up naturally.”

San Marin leadoff batter Joey Cipollina took the praise for McGrath a step further.

“He’s the best pitcher in Northern California,” Cipollino said. “We would not have come this far without him. We rode him a lot throughout the season.”

McGrath said he was pounding the fastball and utilizing an effective changeup most of the outing.

“I threw mostly fastballs and changeups,” McGrath said. “I used the changeup to keep the batters off balance and attacked with the fastball. The curve was not really there early but we went back to it with some success late in the game.”

The Campolindo pitching staff, which had allowed only four runs in three previous NCS outings, allowed that many runs to the Mustangs in four innings,

Cougars starting pitcher Joey Ceccin struggled with his control from the outset, plunking Cipollina on the first pitch of the game.

With one out and runners at second and third, Scheppler was intentionally walked. Jake Simpson worked an unintentional walk to drive in the first run. Tyler Keehn stepped up next and drew another walk as the Mustangs secured an early 2-0 lead.

San Marin, which had five hits in the game, added a single run with two outs in the second when left-handed swinging Scheppler scalded a run-scoring single to right.

The Mustangs scored another run in the fourth in an extremely unconventional way.

With one out, Cipollina scorched a double down the left-field line.

Chamberlain, another left-handed batter, stepped up and drove a fastball to the base of the fence, which was hauled in by the Campolindo right fielder.

Cipollina tagged up and scored all the way from second base.

“Cole hit a deep fly to right and I was already cruising around third when coach (Vattuone) waved me home,” Cipollina said. “I couldn’t wait to slide headfirst into home plate.”

Vattuone said it was a key run in the contest and thoroughly fired up the Mustangs.

San Marin put the game away in the sixth on a towering homer by Chamberlain.

The blast was initially a three-run shot but, before the first base umpire was finished, the play resulted in only two runs and an out.

The umpire told Chamberlain he had run into the baserunner in front of him, resulting in an out.

“I didn’t touch or pass the baserunner [Cipollina] in front of me,” Chamberlain said. “I told the home plate umpire about it but he said there was nothing he could do about it.”

Vattuone, who talked to the umpires about the play immediately after it happened, said he probably would have raised a bigger stink about the call if the game had been closer.

“I told Cole, that’s still a home run in my heart,” Vattuone said.

Cippolina, Chamberlain, Scheppler and designated hitter Trevor Krejdovsky were all on base three times for the Mustangs. Chamberlain drove in three runs.