2016 NHSI: Solis’ Walk-Off Homer Carries Chaminade

CARY, N.C.—Blake Solis’ struggles had dropped him batting third to the ninth spot in Chaminade Prep’s lineup.

But coach Frank Mutz had faith in his senior left fielder. After Keith Stafford kept Thursday afternoon’s game alive with a two-out, pinch-hit single against second-ranked Walton High of Marietta, Ga., Mutz called a quick time out to have a word with Solis, before he faced reliever Aaron Toporek.

“He just told me to take a strike, because I’d been struggling all tournament,” said Solis, who was 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout entering the bottom of the seventh. “I was just up there thinking, ‘Hit the ball.’ I got a fastball on the inside and turned on it, and it something really crazy that happened.”

The “crazy” was a smash to left field that cleared the wall at Coleman Field for a walk-off, two-run homer, giving Chaminade a stunning 9-8 victory and keeping it undefeated in the 2016 National High School Invitational at USA Baseball’s National Training Complex.

Solis’ smash was the 15th and final hit for a Chaminade offense that never quit. The Eagles celebrated the victory with gusto, Solis tossing his batting helmet aside as he entered a scrum while crossing home plate, his Eagles teammates dog-piling him as Walton walked off the field. Chaminade ace Tommy Costello, who had three hits and three RBIs to follow his shutout on the mound Wednesday, left the scrum shouting at his teammates, “Every pitch matters! Every inning matters!”

Chaminade played with that attitude, scoring in every inning but the fifth against three Walton pitchers. Star center fielder Blake Rutherford, the top-ranked prep hitter in the 2016 draft class, took advantage of a couple of Walton defensive misplays (one on a foul ball that extended his at-bat, another in the outfield) to go 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles and scored two runs. Catcher Nick Kahle, a Washington signee, hit his second home run of the NHSI, while shortstop Tyler Olivas also had two hits.

But the star of the day turned out to be Solis, an uncommitted senior. Mutz stumped for his player’s strength (he can do double-digit reps on the bench press of 225 pounds) and speed (Mutz says he’s run a 6.6-second 60), and believes he has mid-major Division I talent.

“I’ve said all year, we’ll go as he goes,” Mutz said. “He usually hits third behind Rutherford and Kahle, he protects those guys. He’s been chasing a lot of sliders lately so we had dropped him in the lineup . . . I hope someone looks at him here, because he’s not committed and he’s a good player.

“I believe the way we’re swinging the bat, one to nine in the lineup, that we have as good a chance to win this thing as anyone else. After today, most teams have thrown their top two starters and their better relievers. We’ve still got Jack Whisnant and most of our pitchers today weren’t used too much.”

Walton got another strong game from shortstop Carter Kieboom, who continued his sterling defensive play and at the plate went 1-for-2 with three runs scored, two walks an RBI double and a hard smash that was ruled an error. Walton also got three RBIs, including a two-run homer in the first, from Jason Rooks. But it wasn’t enough for the Raiders, who left eight runners on base.

“Their kid put a good swing on it,” Walton coach Shane Amos said of Solis. “You have to tip your hat to him. We didn’t know he usually hit third for them; that’s what happens when you have a California team playing against a Georgia team. You don’t really have much in the way of scouting reports. It’s high school baseball—one day a guy will swing through a pitch like that, the next time they’ll hit it out. That’s one reason high school baseball is so fun.”