Granger pitchers Kenny Sifuentes and Alec Wade have no problem walking to the mound and delivering one-liners to each other.
It doesn’t matter if it’s in the dugout or in the middle of a bases-loaded jam - one of them is always there to find a way to lighten up the moment.
“He tells me stuff all the time,” Sifuentes said. “Sometimes he’ll just come up and make fun of me. When he’s pitching, I’ll do the same thing to him.”
And if humor’s the secret to their domination of Class A competition, it’s certainly been effective.
Undefeated against Class A teams, the Lions’ pitching duo has helped put Granger just two wins away from its first state tournament appearance.
Granger (23-8) will open its Region IV finals series against No. 9-ranked Flatonia (22-5-1) at 7 p.m. Thursday at Fireman’s Park in Brenham.
Neither Sifuentes nor Wade is an overpowering, strikeout-type pitcher.
But their ability to use all edges of the plate has made them tough to rough up.
Wade, a senior who also plays third base, enters the regional finals with a 1.93 earned-run average and 7-2 record. In the playoffs, Wade has allowed two earned runs in three starts - all complete-game victories.
Sifuentes, a junior who also plays right field, enters the Flatonia series with a 10-1 record and 2.95 ERA. His lone loss came to 2007 2A state champion Rogers.
“They really concentrate on hitting their spots,” Granger coach Stephen Wisdom said. “We want to make them hit spots and not just stand up there and throw strikes.”
Hitting spots and changing location is what’s helped get the Lions this far.
Sifuentes and Wade shut down an aggressive, high-scoring D’Hanis team that entered the regional semifinals averaging 11 runs per game.
The Lions’ pitching duo held the Cowboys to just one run and four hits, with Sifuentes following Wade’s three-hit shutout with a one-hitter in a series-clinching 2-1 win.
“If anything, I’m more aggressive,” Wade said of pitching against an aggressive lineup. “All I’m trying to do is hit my spots, get routine outs and let the defense make the plays.”
Wade’s also been helped out having experienced catcher Mike Holly behind the plate.
He’s been able to throw in the dirt consistently to try to get hitters to chase a pitch without fearing a wild pitch or passed ball.
“(Wade) and Holly do a great job of finding an umpire and knowing where he likes it,” Wisdom said. “It might not necessarily be a routine strike, but they’ll find it.”
What makes Wade even harder to hit is his ability to change speeds and locate pitches based on where he thinks an opposing batter can’t hit.
“Wade is real good at throwing a few different pitches,” Wisdom said. “It’s hard for a hitter to sit in there and get a good read because it’s always something different.”
Sifuentes is good at always giving opponents something different to look at - but for a different reason.
“Sifuentes’ inconsistency almost makes him harder to hit,” Wisdom said. “He may throw one in the dirt outside and he may throw one to the backstop. But then he’ll pipe one down the middle.”
Needing just three outs to clinch the series against D’Hanis, Sifuentes walked two of the first three batters - a dangerous prospect with a one-run lead.
But Sifuentes settled down to get a strikeout and a groundout to end the game.
Even with the seventh-inning drama, Sifuentes finished his one-hitter that helped send the Lions to their first regional finals.
“He’s stepped it up in the playoffs,” Wisdom said. “He’s been more consistent in the playoffs than he was during district. He’s grown up a bit, gotten some innings in . . . it just took awhile to get that consistency back.”
Sifuentes’ improvement in the playoffs has coincided with the end of track and field season.
A speedy sprinter, Sifuentes finished two spots out of a state berth in the 100 meters. He won titles in the 100 at the District 28-A and area meets.
What’s also helped both Sifuentes and Wade as the season has gone along is a slight change in mindset.
At times, Wisdom said, both had a tendency sit back and work spots instead of simply firing fastballs for strikes.
But Wisdom thinks he’s got his pitchers to stop trying to save energy for later innings and simply focus on the next batter.
“We’ve always told them to give us everything they’ve got now and we’ll see what happens later,” Wisdom said. “We’re always pushing for them to be a little bit more aggressive.”
rschneider@temple-telegram.com
