The Newport Harbor High School baseball team has added another championship banner to its growing collection. In a dominant performance, the Sailors defeated Bakersfield Christian 5-1 on June 6 to win the CIF Southern California Regional Division II title, marking the program's second regional championship in three years.
The victory, played before a packed crowd at Newport Harbor's home field, was fueled by exceptional pitching and timely hitting. Senior hurler Gavin Guy closed out the final three innings, striking out five of the last six batters he faced and preserving the win.
Guy, a UC Santa Barbara signee, finished his high school career with a 9-1 record this season and a microscopic 0.65 ERA. Over four varsity seasons, he posted a 19-5 record with a 1.16 ERA.
Guy followed starter Ryan Williams (three innings) and Grant Horsley (one inning) as the trio combined to allow just three hits against the CIF Central Section Division II champion Eagles. Williams, who is bound for UC Berkeley, was making his first start in over a month after recovering from a knee injury.
"The victory definitely shows our hard work we put in all season. It is a defining moment for our whole team," said Guy, who also praised the electric atmosphere created by the standing-room-only crowd.
The Sailors (25-10) advanced to the regional final by defeating two San Diego schools, Madison and Point Loma, in earlier rounds. The regional tournament is an invitation-only, second-chance event featuring an eight-team bracket.
Coach Josh Lee was doused with water buckets twice during the celebration.
Newport Harbor placed second in the competitive Sunset League and reached the CIF Southern Section Division 2 semifinals, where they lost 2-1 in the final inning to eventual champion Ganesha. Ganesha declined an invitation to the regional tournament.
For the Sailors, the regional title is a milestone for a program that has never won a CIF Southern Section championship and hasn't claimed a league title since 1948. The team previously won the CIF SoCal Regional Division III crown in 2022.
A large white script on the windscreen at the ballpark commemorates that earlier achievement, and now the Sailors will need to add another banner.
"Guy goes down as one of the best to ever do it at Newport Harbor," Lee said. The regionals provide a second chance for teams that fell short in section playoffs, and the Sailors made the most of it.