GOODYEAR, Ariz. – The definition of “underclass” translates as non-seniors, whether it is at the high school or collegiate level. If there is such a thing as a “way-under underclass” the West Coast Clippers 2017 are gladly accepting of the label and looking to see just far they can run with it.

The San Diego, Calif.-based Clippers present a roster comprised of 14 high school sophomores and one freshman with the audacity to come into the 6^th annual Perfect Game/EvoShield National Championship (Underclass) tournament expecting to compete against teams with prospects at least a year and, in some cases, two years older than they are.

Undeterred, the West Coast Clippers 2017 went through pool-play on Friday and Saturday unbeaten, secured the No. 10 seed in the 20-team playoffs and after a pair of victories at the Goodyear Ballpark Recreational Complex on Sunday they will play in the event’s semifinal round Monday morning at Camelback Ranch in Glendale.

 “With these guys, I’m just proud; I’m so proud,” Clippers 2017 head coach Josh Larrinaga said after his young squad slipped past the Southern California Bombers 2016 in quarterfinal-round action late Sunday afternoon.

“They’re all 2017s with one 2018 and competing against guys that are two years older them – technically they’re still a 14u team. We’ve been together since (the players) were 8 (years old) and we don’t fly people in, it just is what it is. This is who we are and I just couldn’t be prouder of these guys.

“These guys are growing up,” he continued. “They’re not afraid; it doesn’t matter how hard a guy throws, they’re not afraid.”

As almost always is the case during the first day of playoff action at a Perfect Game national championship tournament – in the case of the PG/EvoShield Under, three playoff rounds were played Sunday – there was a lot of drama and plenty of upsets in terms of the seeding.

And when the wind finally quick blowing the desert dust around in air that once again had been heated to beyond 100-degrees in the beautiful West Valley, a formidable final four had emerged.

With the playoffs’ No. 2, No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 seeds going down, Monday morning’s semifinal pairings look like this: No. 12 GBG Marucci Blue (5-0-0) from Los Angeles faces its brother in arms, No. 1 GBG Marucci Navy (5-0-0), also from Los Angeles; the No. 10 West Coast Clippers 2017 (5-0-0) have to stare down the No. 6 SACSN National Team (5-0-0), which has their base in Florida.

Each one of the four finalists could tell their own harrowing tale of the road to the semifinals but it just seems like the Clippers 2017 had the most to overcome and, quite possibly, to prove. Their three pool-play wins came by a combined score of 27-5, which in this loaded field was only good enough for the No. 10 seed.

After receiving a first-round bye, they began Sunday afternoon with a second-round game against their salty neighbor from San Diego County, the No. 7-seeded San Diego Show; the Clips came away with a 7-6 win (see below). From there they moved to the quarterfinal round where their opponent was the So Cal Bombers 2016, a squad that earned the tournament’s No. 2 seed.

West Coast pounced immediately with two runs in the top of the first and added three more in the top of third, and never trailed en route to a 5-3 victory. Zach Hogueisson (2017, El Cajon, Calif.), singled drove in a run and scored two, and Emilio Escobedo (2017, Poway, Calif.) singled and drove in a run, as did Brendan Sariani (2017, Carlsbad, Calif.)

2017 right-handers Edgardo Gonzales (Perris, Calif.), Ryan Schmidt (Menifee, Calif.) and Ryan Robinson (Murietta, Calif.) combined on a seven inning, seven-hitter, allowing two earned runs with a strikeout and two walks. It was Gonzales’ second start this weekend and over nine innings he allowed one earned run (0.78 ERA) on eight hits with 11 strikeouts and one walk.

“Our goal is to always get to the playoffs,” Larrinaga said. “Once we did that (this weekend) everything was else was just gravy for us. I wanted us to represent well and help the kids get exposure, however that happens, and for them to compete. I want them to become better baseball players and become better men and just see what happens.”

The SACSN National Team the Clippers face in Monday morning’s semifinal are the tournament’s defending champion (although it is a completely different team) and was one of the pre-tournament favorites.

SNT boasts a roster with six class-of-2016 prospects ranked in the country’s top 128, including middle-infielder Nicholas Quintana from Las Vegas who comes in at No. 14. Perfect Game vice president of player personnel David Rawnsley considers Quintana the most elite prospect at this tournament.

“They’re not going to back down from anybody,” Larrinaga said of his young team. “It doesn’t matter how hard you throw we’ll still get in there and swing it, it just doesn’t matter. They’re just going into their sophomore years now and they’ve been playing at the highest level all summer and this is just going to help them grow, help them mature, help them build character; I’m just very proud of them.”

West Coast Clippers 2017 drop curtain on Show

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – Even the most talented, the proudest and the most historically rich programs get be humbled at Perfect Game national championship tournaments, as the San Diego Show found out in the second round of the PG/EvoShield Underclass National playoffs Sunday afternoon.

Following the tried and true formula of solid pitching and air-tight defense, the Show outscored three over-matched opponents by a combined 18-4 in three pool-play wins, earned the playoffs’ No. 7 and was rewarded with a first-round bye. That was the extent of the good news.

Facing the 10^th-seeded West Coast Clippers 2017, the Show uncharacteristically fumbled, bumbled, stumbled and tumbled during a seven-run Clippers’ top of the first inning – six of the Clips’ seven runs were unearned – saw a late rally fall short and dropped a 7-6 decision.

The West Coast Clippers 2017 were certainly deserving of the victory but were also saved by the bell. The Show scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth to move within 7-6 but when the inning ended the game was 2-hours, 4-minutes old – too late to start the seventh.

The Show’s players and coaches were obviously disappointed, but probably more by the way they played in the top of the first than about running out of time. After committing only two errors in the first 19 innings they played at this tournament, the Show committed three in the top of the first, leading to the six unearned runs.

That was unheard of coming from a roster that features three class-of-2016 prospects ranked in the top-289 nationally and four class-of-2017 players ranked in the top-70 nationally. The team leader is Encinitas, Calif., outfielder Mickey Moniak, a UCLA commit ranked No. 13 in the national class of 2016.

“Coming out to these Perfect Game tournaments is always fun,” Moniak said from the dugout at one of the Cleveland Indians’ practice fields at the Goodyear Ballpark Complex Sunday before the Show’s game with the Clippers. “It’s always good competition and you’re always getting better … and you can see where you stand with all the other players in the country.”

2016 outfielder Ryan Orr is also from Encinitas and has committed to San Diego State; he is ranked 289^th nationally.

“It seems like we face everyone’s ace (pitcher) because everyone knows the Show organization and everyone wants to beat us,” he said. “We have to play our best every game and we can’t afford to let down.

“It really means a lot that we’re able to come out here and have those high expectations,” he continued. “All the scouts want to come see us and it’s really good exposure for us.”

The San Diego Show organization, under the direction of Brian Cain, won three Perfect Game national championships in 2011 and 2012: the 2011 PG WWBA 18u National Championship, the 2011 Perfect Game/EvoShield Upperclass National Championship and the 2012 PG WWBA 14u National Championship.

Over one four-day weekend in early January this year, Show teams finished as the runner-up at the 14u, 16u and 18u Perfect Game MLK Championships played at the Goodyear Ballpark Complex and the Camelback Ranch Complex in Glendale.

The number of elite prospects that have worn the San Diego Show uniform in recent years boggles the mind. In June’s 2014 MLB Amateur Draft, Show alumni Brady Aiken, Alex Jackson and Jacob Gatewood were all first-round selections.

The prestige that comes with playing for the San Diego Show organization isn’t lost on the youngest players, either. Kyle Hurt, a 2017 right-hander and first baseman from Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., ranked 30^th nationally in his class, has been with the group since the summer before he entered eighth grade.

 “It’s a real honor, I guess, because there are so many good players in this program,” he said. “It’s been a lot of fun because we get to go to huge tournaments and we usually go pretty far and it’s just fun playing with the Show. We come out ready to win every game.

“Mickey Moniak is one of the greatest players I’ve played with. Playing with these guys makes me better because I always know they have my back when I’m on the mound.”

Joining Moniak and Orr as a top 2016 on this Show roster is outfielder/second baseman Geoffrey McCalley from San Diego. McCalley, a junior at Scripps Ranch High School, is ranked 264^th nationally and is uncommitted. Orr (left field), Moniak (center field) and McCalley (right field) made up the Show’s starting outfield against the Clippers.

Shortstop Zach Sehgal from La Jolla, Calif., joins Hurt as another highly ranked 2017 on the roster, coming in at No. 50 nationally; outfielder/left-hander Matthew Rudick from San Diego is ranked No. 72. 2017 shortstop Ben Ramirez, a Southern Cal commit from Chula Vista, Calif., is ranked No. 15 nationally and is on the roster but didn’t attend the event.

Moniak has committed to UCLA a full two years before he would ever walk on campus. With the commitment out of the way so early, he feels like there’s a bit of a weight off his shoulder.

“It definitely makes you feel like you can relax,” he said. “You don’t really have to worry about if this thing is bad or if it’s good, you can just go out there and relax.” He and Orr have also taken on increased leadership roles on this underclass team.

“Being the older guy I want to try to mentor the younger guys because we’ve got a lot of good younger guys on this team that are going to be committing to colleges soon,” Moniak said.

Orr has been playing with the Show since he was 13 years old – the past three years.

“I think I’ve really grown as a player,” Orr said. “When I first joined the Show I wasn’t a very good player, I was kind of a bench player, but I’ve really learned how to become a better ballplayer. Now with some new guys coming in we have to really show them how we play baseball (at the Show) and teach them how to be part of the organization.”

Every San Diego Show player – the guys currently filling rosters and those filled them in the past – simply appreciate the opportunity to slip on a Show jersey.

“It means everything to me,” Moniak said. “Just knowing all the players that have put this uniform on before me, it’s an honor to carry this on. There’s a little bit of added pressure because with the Show you’re expected to win and to be good and to play your best, but it’s more of an honor than it is pressure.”