Mr. Patient: JJ Saffie is ready for Dodger Stadium

On the eve of the City Section championship baseball sport at Dodger Stadium, let’s explore a sometimes forgotten character trait: Patience.

When JJ Saffie walks onto hallowed ground Saturday as a beginning left fielder for 10-time City champion El Camino Real High in the Open Division championship sport against Birmingham, he will likely be ending a journey few need to journey these days.

He spent three years on the junior varsity workforce ready and grinding before getting his probability to start on varsity this season.

“Very patient,” he said. “Freshman year, played frosh-soph, called up for a few JV games. Sophomore year, on and off starter on JVs. Junior year is when it started clicking for me. I found my bat, I found the style I like to play, I started hitting real good.”

He was half of an excellent JV workforce his junior yr, called up as a pinch runner for the playoffs. He developed energy and a knack for hitting balls over El Camino Real’s left-field fence during batting observe.

“I’ve hit two windows and six cars,” said the 18-year-old, who likes to trigger mayhem for insurance coverage corporations.

He’s hit two home runs this season and change into a key participant for the Royals.

Now he will get to start at Dodger Stadium, a second every high college baseball participant in the City Section desires of reaching.

“I’m a big believer in good things will come to those who are patient,” he said. “I knew I needed to be patient, work on my game and eventually success would come my way and I’d have my opportunities and here’s my opportunity. I’m trying to prove that Saturday.”

El Camino Real needed a two-run single by RJ De La Rosa in the underside of the sixth inning on Wednesday to defeat Granada Hills 4-3 in the semifinals at Cal State Northridge.

“I saw my pitch,” De La Rosa said. “I wanted to take advantage. It was the bottom of the sixth. The team needed me most and I pulled through. It was an amazing moment. These boys are my brothers. I will fight for them. I will do everything for them. I can’t wait to make some memories at Dodger Stadium.”

For Saffie, staying and preventing to get better reasonably than working away from a problem is a great lesson for others.

“I had a few people tell me to transfer,” he said. “But my sister came here, my dad. I want to prove myself at this school.”

Top-seeded Birmingham could have junior Nathan Soto beginning on the mound in the 1 p.m. sport. It’s a big project and he’ll be working on his mental half of the sport.

“It’s just another game,” he said after the Patriots’ 4-1 semifinal win over Carson. “I think it’s everyone’s dream to pitch there, but you have to keep it as a normal game.”

Pitcher Carlos Acuna grinded out a full sport in Birmingham’s 4-1 win over Carson to ship the Patriots to Dodger Stadium.

(Craig Weston)

Birmingham can thank Carlos Acuna for placing together a sophomore season to keep in mind. His pitching season is performed. He completed with an 11-0 document after a complete-game win against Carson.

“It’s an amazing season he’s having,” coach Matt Mowry said.

In six of the seven innings on Wednesday, Carson received the leadoff batter aboard, forcing Acuna to work additional arduous while throwing 102 pitches.

“He was on the edge of coming out,” Mowry said.

Acuna wouldn’t let him.

“I love this team,” Acuna said. “I want to play one last game.”

He’ll start on Saturday at second or third base in a sport matching two of the most profitable applications in City baseball historical past. El Camino Real is searching for a document eleventh title. Birmingham needs its ninth title.

The 10 a.m. sport at Dodger Stadium has Verdugo Hills taking on Taft in the Division I last.

Fans will come for the solar, the recent canine, the enjoyable of cheering on somebody they know or having fun with a second of distraction at Los Angeles’ most sacred stadium.

Just keep in mind those are youngsters on the market who’ve sacrificed and spent years working toward this second. There’s no losers when you get to play at Dodger Stadium as a high college child.

For Saffie, it validates his perception in trusting the method and trusting himself. He didn’t run when the going received robust. He persevered and discovered a precious lesson: endurance still pays off.