BASEBALL NOTEBOOK NO LACK OF MOTIVATION LANCASTER WINDS UP SEASON HOPING TO DERAIL QUARTZ HILL.

Byline: Gerry Gittelson Staff Writer

Lancaster High, preparing for its first trip to the Southern Section baseball playoffs, has a chance to knock fourth-place Quartz Hill from wild-card contention when the teams play their regular-season finale this afternoon.

Teams must have a .500 record or better to make the playoffs, so Quartz Hill (11-11, 6-8), coming off Wednesday's 6-3 victory over Lancaster, must win to stay alive. Lancaster is 14-10 overall and 8-6 in league play. The playoffs begin next week.

``Beating us is their only option, so we're going to try to eliminate them,'' Lancaster coach Doug Martin said. ``Plus we want to go into the playoffs on a good note.''

The Eagles would have made the playoffs last year, but an administrative paperwork error forced them to forfeit 11 games and the postseason berth.

This season, they've rebounded with nine new starters. Only three players - Jason Anderson, Colton Walter and Tyler Bain - had varsity experience last year and none appeared in more than half the games.

``I think it's very uncommon to lose every starter and still make the playoffs,'' Martin said. ``In fact, I don't think anyone's ever done that. I wish I could take the credit, but we just had a good crop of talent and a little luck.''

--Not cooling down: Highland's Jason Kubel, who was 2 for 3 with a grand slam and five RBI in Wednesday's victory over Antelope Valley, is on a major tear. Over the last three games he has five home runs, two of them grand slams, and 18 RBI.

``I don't know what's going on. I just have a nice swing going,'' Kubel said.

Projected as one of the nation's top outfield prospects before the season, Kubel was steady but not spectacular the first half of the year. He's batting .493 with a region-best 12 home runs, 40 RBI and a 1.141 slugging percentage in 71 at-bats, and the Bulldogs are 18-6, 10-4 with one game remaining.

Kubel has 23 career home runs.

``If there's a hotter hitter anywhere, I'd sure like to see him,'' coach Mike Van Cheri said. ``Jason's hitting some huge home runs. They're not just fly balls. He's crushing the ball. He's hitting the best I've seen him hit in three years.''

--Add Highland: Meanwhile, Highland's John Santor, who was well on pace to break the regional career home run record, has just one home run in the last 10 games, 10 on the season. He needs three home runs to tie Delwyn Young's career record of 33 (Littlerock, 1997-present).

``As soon as everyone read in the newspapers that Santor was chasing the record, they stopped pitching to him,'' Van Cheri said. ``He's got 18 walks, a lot of them intentional. Pitchers throw him three straight curveballs way outside, come in with a low strike to make it 3-and-1, then walk him. I've seen that pattern so many times.''

On Wednesday, Santor had three doubles, one off the fence. It was the first game in recent memory in which he didn't receive at least one base on balls.

``I've been thinking about the home runs a little bit, but I'm just doing whatever I can to help the team,'' Santor said.

--Ratings game: Palmdale is ranked eighth in Division II in the latest Southern Section poll, and Desert Christian is third in Division V.