San Diego U-T Preps

If Serra High is going to capture its first baseball league championship in school history, pitcher C.J. Burdick is going to play a major role.

The 6-foot-5, 200-pound senior right-hander has compiled some impressive credentials for the Conquistadors, who are battling Coronado for the Central League pennant. The USD-bound Burdick posted his seventh win in eight decisions and struck out 12 Tuesday as Serra clipped visiting Christian 9-4.

“Burdick’s going to compete right away at the Division I level,” said Serra first-year coach Chris Herrin. “He’s aggressive and goes after guys, knows how to battle.”

Burdick owns a 0.80 ERA and has logged 68 strikeouts in 43?2/3 innings. Against Christian he had at least one strikeout in every inning, and struck out the side in the third.

“I really didn’t have my good stuff today,” Burdick said. “My curveball was off and I got behind too many hitters.”

He walked three and hit two. The Patriots (15-7, 3-3) also pelted him for 10 hits.

Christian coach Mike Mitchell said he thinks Burdick — even on an off day — is “one of the top five or six pitchers in the county.”

“He doesn’t just rare back and throw the ball by you,” said Mitchell, “even though he does throw in the mid to high 80s. But he has nasty stuff. Probably the toughest pitch he has, when he’s on, is some kind of splitter.”

Burdick said he threw more fastballs than usual.

“If I could have located my split and my curveball better, it would have been a different ballgame,” he said.

Senior right-fielder Steven Charfauros paced an eight-hit attack for the Conquistadors (16-3, 4-2) with a pair of singles, a triple and three RBIs.

“We all love playing behind C.J.,” Charfauros said. “He’s amazing — one of the best pitchers I’ve ever seen. When his splitter is on it’s almost unhittable.”

Serra snapped a 4-4 tie with five runs in the sixth. Nic Bereaud’s bases-loaded triple was the key blow.

Three Christian pitchers issued 10 walks and hit a batter. Serra cashed in nine of those free passes for runs.