El Capitan baseball sweeps Manteca to earn spot in section championship game
Editor’s note: The section champion will be decided in one winner-take-all game. Incorrect information appeared in an earlier version of this story.
The El Capitan High baseball team is one win away from a Sac-Joaquin Section championship.
The Gauchos blasted Manteca 11-0 in five innings Thursday to earn a spot in the section Division 3 championship game next week. El Capitan will face top-seeded Rio Americano for the title next Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Sacramento City College.
Thursday’s win was highlighted by a gem from senior starting pitcher Benny Centeno, who allowed one hit over five innings. He struck out four Manteca batters.
Centeno also went 2-for-2 from the plate, driving in four runs. Junior Angel Rivera went 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
The game ended after five innings due to the mercy rule.
El Capitan, the seventh seed, earned its eighth shutout victory in the last nine games and has won 14 straight heading into the championship series.
The Gauchos (25-7) defeated Manteca 3-0 on Tuesday.
El Capitan took a 5-0 lead after four innings, then scored six runs in the fifth inning to put game out of reach. Manteca, the third seed, committed four errors.
Rio Americano swept fifth-seeded Christian Brothers in the semifinals, including a 17-1 win on Thursday.
This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 7:01 PM.
