Baseball: Andy Nieto has Damien ahead of schedule

After winning four Southern Section baseball titles coaching at Bishop Amat, Andy Nieto left for Damien last season trying to build a program. Now the Spartans have reached the semifinals of the Division 2 playoffs in his second season and will play at South Hills on Tuesday.

Not only has Nieto worked wonders, so has his pitching coach, Chris Beck, who developed plenty of top pitchers at Bishop Amat, including David Berg.

Damien won its first league title since 2005 but it’s winning a section title that Nieto wants, and getting past top-seeded South Hills will be tough.

But Damien has already overcome losing a game when a baserunner failed to touch home plate on a home run, so the team knows about adversity.

Isaiah Paige has come on strong as a hitter and closer. Harrison Spohn is hot at the plate.

“They’ve bought in,” Nieto said of his players.

And beware if Damien makes it to San Manuel Stadium on Saturday for the championship. There’s a vow that The Pit, the Damien rooting section, will rise up in San Bernardino.

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