Trabuco Hills’ Sam Crouse pitches during an 18-8 win over Capistrano Valley that clinched the South Coast League title for the Mustangs on Friday, May 2, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Trabuco Hills’ Brady Meade hits an RBI single during an 18-8 win over Capistrano Valley in a South Coast League game on Friday, May 2, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Capistrano Valley third baseman Landon Stewart tags Trabuco Hill’s Mikey Gray, who got caught in a pickle, during a South Coast League game between the two teams on Friday, May 2, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Trabuco Hills’ Evan Hall slides safely into third base, beating the tag by Capistrano Valley third baseman Landon Stewart, during a South Coast League game between the two teams on Friday, May 2, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Trabuco Hills players celebrate their 18-8 win over Capistrano Valley during a South Coast League game that clinched the Mustang’s the league title on Friday, May 2, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Trabuco Hills’ Luke Hoffman hits the ball during an 18-8 win over Capistrano Valley in a South Coast League game between the two teams on Friday, May 2, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Capistrano Valley’s Landon Stewart slides safely into second base during a South Coast League game against Trabuco Hills on Friday, May 2, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Trabuco Hills players celebrate their 18-8 win over Capistrano Valley during a South Coast League game that clinched the Mustang’s the league title on Friday, May 2, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Trabuco Hills’ Sam Crouse pitches during an 18-8 win over Capistrano Valley that clinched the South Coast League title for the Mustangs on Friday, May 2, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Capistrano Valley’s Jackson Kosewick hits the ball during a South Coast League home game against Trabuco Hills on Friday, May 2, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Trabuco Hills shortstop Daniel Van De Kreeke tags out Capistrano Valley’s Jackson Kosewick at second base during a South Coast League game between the two teams on Friday, May 2, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Trabuco Hills’ Daniel Van De Kreeke hits the ball during an 18-8 win over Capistrano Valley in a South Coast League game on Friday, May 2, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Trabuco Hills’ Daniel Van De Kreeke gets to home plate to score one of the Mustang’s 18 runs during a South Coast League game against Capistrano Valley on Friday, May 2, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Capistrano Valley’s Carter Gee pitches during a South Coast League game against league winners Trabuco Hills on Friday, May 2, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Trabuco Hills’ Sam Crouse pitches during an 18-8 win over Capistrano Valley that clinched the South Coast League title for the Mustangs on Friday, May 2, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Capistrano Valley’s Landon Stewart pitches during a South Coast League game against Trabuco Hills on Friday, May 2, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Capistrano Valley’s Carter Gee pitches during a South Coast League game against league winners Trabuco Hills on Friday, May 2, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Trabuco Hills’ Josh Fitch pitches during an 18-8 win over Capistrano Valley during a South Coast League game on Friday, May 2, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Capistrano Valley’s Carter Micallef pitches during a South Coast League game against league winners Trabuco Hills on Friday, May 2, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Capistrano Valley’s Max Talasez pitches during a South Coast League game against Trabuco Hills on Friday, May 2, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Show Caption1 of 20Trabuco Hills’ Sam Crouse pitches during an 18-8 win over Capistrano Valley that clinched the South Coast League title for the Mustangs on Friday, May 2, 2025. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer) Expand
MISSION VIEJO – It was an unusual final score for a baseball game.
“If you told me this morning we’d give up eight runs today,” Trabuco Hills coach Brett Lavoie joked, “I would have cried.”
It turned out to be a happy day for Lavoie and the Mustangs, who gave up that many runs Friday but they scored plenty themselves in an 18-8 win over Capistrano Valley.
The victory gave Trabuco Hills a share of the South Coast League championship. The Mustangs and Aliso Niguel both finished with 9-3 league records. Trabuco Hills won two of its three league games against Aliso Niguel.
Trabuco Hills will take a 20-7-1 record into the CIF Southern Section playoffs that begin in two weeks. Playoff brackets for the nine playoff divisions will be released May 12.
The Mustangs, who are No. 12 in the Orange County Top 25, likely will play in Division 2. They are No. 37 in the most-recent CIF-SS baseball playoff rankings. With Division 1 being a 32-team bracket, a No. 37 ranking sets Trabuco Hills in the 32-team group for Division 2.
Capistrano Valley finished 11-15-1 overall and 2-9-1 in league. The Cougars will not be in the playoffs.
Trabuco Hills batted around twice in the contest. The Mustangs sent 14 players to the plate in a 10-run first inning at Capistrano Valley High and 12 to the plate in a six-run sixth inning.
Starting senior pitcher Sam Crouse homered and drove in two runs for the Mustangs. Senior left fielder Evan Hall had three hits, including a triple, and three RBIs. Senior second baseman Mikey Gray got on base three times, scored twice and had an RBI.
Gray went into the game leading the team in hits, with 28, and brought a .354 basting average into the contest. He also is 9-0 on the mound with a 0.61 ERA. He is the last of three Gray brothers who have starred at Trabuco Hills, following Robert and Joey Gray.
Lavoie wishes there was at least one more Gray brother coming.
“That’s it, unfortunately,” Lavoie said. “Mikey’s a senior leader. He’ll play anywhere, he’ll pitch and he hits. Whatever we need from him to get it done.”
Trabuco Hills junior right fielder Brady Meade had two hits and drove in two runs. Junior catcher Tyler Hill had two hits and drove in two runs.
Crouse pitched into the fourth inning. All nine outs he got were by strikeout.
Capistrano Valley’s offense was led by senior designated hitter Jake Roxas who drove in two runs. Senior third baseman Landon Stewart had two hits, scored twice and drove in a run.
It wasn’t the smoothest win for the Mustangs, who swept the week’s three-game series with Capistrano Valley, but it was good enough for Lavoie.
“Any time you can win in the final game of the season with what’s on the line?” Lavoie said. “We’ll take it.”
Lavoie, 44, is in his first season as Trabuco Hills’ head coach and his 19th as a high school baseball head coach. He previously ran the baseball programs at Whittier Christian and Long Beach Poly.
He replaced Michael Burns at Trabuco Hills after Burns retired from coaching.
“It’s a group that was really talented before I got here,” Lavoie said. “Coach Michael Burns, big props to him for what he did in 17 years and basically handing over a well-oiled machine.”
It’s a group that Crouse enjoys.
“We’ve played with each other since we were 9 years old, about six or seven of us,” Crouse said. “We’re brothers out here.”
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