Birmingham High's baseball program is no stranger to championship glory. Just look at the left-field fence, where the years of their City Section titles are proudly displayed: 1964, 1966, 1969, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2023. But there's one trophy missing from that collection—a West Valley League title.
That might be about to change. On Friday, the Patriots completed a dominant two-game sweep of El Camino Real with a 9-1 victory, bringing them one step closer to a league crown that has eluded head coach Matt Mowry for 20 seasons. Despite five City championships, a league title has never found its way to Birmingham—until now.
Nathan Soto was in control on the mound, striking out five and walking none over six innings. At the plate, Carlos Acuna, Toni Mendoza, and Jordan Lindsay each delivered two hits to fuel the offense. The Patriots (22-4, 11-2) now hold a one-game lead over El Camino Real (18-8, 10-3) with a two-game series against Cleveland looming next week.
For years, athletic director Rick Prizant has joked with Mowry that City titles matter more than league titles. But this season, the players made it their mission to end the drought. "Our guys came in with a good approach and stuck to it and performed in all aspects," Mowry said.
The turning point came in a seven-run third inning, when the Patriots showed their mastery of El Camino Real's pitching by consistently driving the ball to right field. Aidan Martinez delivered the biggest blow with a two-run double down the right-field line. Acuna followed with an RBI single, Mendoza added a two-run single, and JuJu Monroe-Truitt capped the rally with an RBI single.
Elsewhere in the West Valley League, Chatsworth edged Cleveland 1-0 behind Isaiah Sanchez's five-hit shutout. Granada Hills defeated Taft 5-1, with Foss Bohlen striking out seven in six innings. The Highlanders will close the regular season with a two-game set against El Camino Real next week.
In the East Valley League, Monroe clinched its first league title since 1995 with a 7-1 win over Chavez. Felipe Gonzalez was dominant, throwing six scoreless innings to secure the milestone victory.
Around the area, Bell cruised past Legacy 11-1 behind Jayden Rojas, who struck out six without a walk while allowing just one hit in five innings. Armando Aguilar chipped in with two hits and two RBIs. Garfield also rolled, defeating South East 11-1, as CJ Aguayo highlighted the win with a three-run triple and Victor Alvarez contributed key hits.