CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION 8 BASEBALL PLAYOFFS: Artesia bit by the quarterfinal bug again, edged by Schurr in nine innings

May 26, 2026

By Loren Kopff • @LorenKopff on X

For the second straight season and third in the last four, Artesia High’s baseball team found itself in the quarterfinals. But unlike last season’s 8-2 loss to Notre Dame High out of Riverside exactly a year to the date, or a 7-1 setback to Fillmore High in 2023, the Pioneers found themselves in a tussle with a chance to reach the semifinals for the first time since 1997 when that team fell to Canyon High 4-0 in the CIF-Southern Section Division III title game.

Artesia hosted Schurr High last Friday, a team whom the Pioneers blanked 3-0 in last season’s second round playoff game and was stymied by the pitching of Joey Amano for the better part of six innings. But in the top of the ninth inning, Liam Lu led off with an infield single, moved to second on an error and scored two batters later on a double by David Torres as the Spartans edged the Pioneers 2-1 in a Division 8 quarterfinal contest. Artesia ends the season at 12-16, the worst season-ending record for any Artesia baseball playoff team since the 2001 squad, coached by Scott Luke, wrapped up that season at 10-18 after a first round loss.

“Any game is winnable, but I knew it was going to be tough,” said Artesia head coach Jose Serrano. “I know last year we beat them, but they’re not a bad team. They didn’t quit either. I knew it was going to be a game where it was going to be one or two hits here and there going our way. Unfortunately, today we didn’t have the guys step up and be the guy.

“In any sports that you play, you need a hero,” he continued. “You need a guy who can get that winning base hit, the winning shot, the winning touchdown. In any sport you need that guy and honestly, the whole year has been like a broken record player.”

It’s not like the Pioneers didn’t make things interesting throughout the contest. They had at least a runner reach base in every inning except the ninth, and in every frame except the second, sixth, and eighth, Artesia was staring at a two-out situation before someone reached base.

The Spartans struck first in the top of the second when junior Jorge Vidal walked Javon Bryant to lead off the frame and hit Lu on the next pitch. Following a strikeout, Bryant moved to third on a fielder’s choice from Torres and came home on a throwing error. After that, Vidal settled down to retire 16 of the 21 batters, allowing a pair of hits and walking one in the process. In all, he went seven innings, throwing 95 pitches, striking out four, walking two and yielding a pair of hits.

“He was our closer the past two years, and then midway through this year, he asked me to be a starter,” said Serrano of Vidal. “From day one against [John] Glenn, I saw something in him that [told me] he was going to be my ace, and he led this team after that and became our ace, and he showed it in this game.”

In that start against Glenn High on Mar. 31, Vidal threw a complete game, two-hitter in a 3-0 victory to give Artesia its third win in 13 games. His second win was a 16-0 conquest against Whitney High on Apr. 17, pushing the Pioneers to four games under .500. His previous start was a complete game, three-hitter against Banning High on May 14 to begin the playoffs.

Offensively, the Pioneers got one runner to second through the first four innings until senior center fielder Emmanuel Rocha singled to the right field gap and scored when senior shortstop Devon Torrez reached on an error. After that, the Pioneers had four baserunners with none getting to third.

“It’s tough; it’s tough when you have a guy at second base with two outs and a base hit wins the ballgame going to the semis and it doesn’t happen,” said Serrano.

He was referring to the sixth inning when senior catcher Adrian Romero led off with a single to center but was unable to advance as the next three batters were out by way of a sacrifice, a flyout and a strikeout. In the seventh, Rocha singled with two outs and stole second and Torrez was hit by a pitch. But a strikeout ended that threat. Then in the eighth, Vidal beat out an infield hit with one out and stole second where he was stranded. Of the 10 baserunners Artesia had, only Rocha was able to get past second. He was two for four while senior third baseman Ivan Rodriguez, Torrez, Romero and Vidal all collected a hit apiece.

“They showed a lot of fight today and I have to give it to them,” said Serrano of his team. “We didn’t quit. It was amazing to see that; it was amazing to see guys who wanted it. Like I said, it came down to who wanted to be a hero, and unfortunately, we didn’t have that today.”

Of the eight seniors on the team, all but two were in the in the starting lineup. Next season, the Pioneers will be situated in a more formidable league of five teams that will include former Suburban League rivals Bellflower High and Norwalk High along with Oxford Academy and Whittier High.

“It’s exciting; it’s exciting to see something change,” said Serrano. “The 605 League was a great league. Nothing against Cerritos or Oxford, but it was a good, consistent league. I think every year it was something different. But changing the league up, I’m looking forward to it.”