Catch a wave, The Beach Boys sang it, and the Pacific Grove Breakers have lived it for more than a year.
Tuesday things just got better for the Breakers as Pacific Grove baseball coach Gil Ruiz was named the CalHiSports.com state Small Schools Coach of the Year, just a few weeks after being named the Prep2Prep Central Coast Section Coach of the Year.
It's hard to argue against Ruiz. His team went 31-0 this season and the program has won 38 consecutive games dating back to May 2 of last season when it fell 3-1 to Stevenson. Last week Pacific Grove was named the Cal-Hi Division IV Team of the Year after winning its second consecutive section title.
"I felt like we earned it," Ruiz said of the state Team of the Year honor. "We have no problem playing against anybody. There were a lot of smiles when I told them (about being the D-IV Team of the Year). We're excited and feel we can play against any team at any level. I can't say how it would pan out because who knows how you'll do against a John Gavin (St. Francis of Mountain View ace), but we'd be ready to hit and pitch and play catch."
Pacific Grove's 31-0 record is second in the state record book for best unbeaten record behind Chatsworth which went 35-0 in 2004. The 2013 season was also big departure from a campaign the Alisal High grad had at his alma mater when the Trojans went 0-28. Unfazed, Ruiz forged ahead.
The veteran coach's record over eight seasons is 142-85-1, but perhaps it's his perspective that really sets him apart. The Pacific Grove coach knows it's just a game and wisely allows the players to hang loose, such as bringing their "baseball god" Jobu -- a worn baseball with a face painted on it -- into the dugout at San Jose Municipal Stadium for the title game with Stevenson, just to make sure fate was on the Breakers' side.
When asked recently about the strange good-luck charm, Ruiz smiled and said “Jobu is as big as anything on this team. I let the (kids) run with that. I never said no to that. Whatever makes it fun."
Fun, what a concept.
Jobu is gone now, leaving Pacific Grove along with its strong cadre of seniors, but Ruiz will be back and that's probably a good thing for PG baseball.
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Reach John Murphy at jmurphy@Prep2Prep.com. Follow him on Twitter @Prep2Prep.com.
