Baseball: It’s up to Nathan Hadley to deliver Mission League title

UCLA-bound Nathan Hadley of Loyola is a pitcher who wants the baseball with the game on the line. He wants to be the player his teammates turn to in the pressure-filled moment.

And he’s going to get his chance on Friday, when the Cubs (19-5-1, 8-2-1) face a must-win situation in their Mission League finale against Alemany (18-5-2, 7-2) at Alemany. A win and the Cubs will clinch at least a share of the title. A loss and then Alemany and Harvard-Westlake (19-5-1, 6-2-1) will be in the driver’s seat with two games to play.

Hadley has some of the nastiest stuff when he’s throwing strikes. Alemany has perhaps the best hitting attack in the league.

If Loyola wins, then Harvard-Westiake will need to win out on Friday against Chaminade and next week against Sherman Oaks Notre Dame to tie for the title. Harvard-Westlake would get the seeding nod ahead of Loyola because of a tie-breaker edge (Harvard-Westlake beat the Cubs and tied against them). Alemany finishes next week against Crespi.

All three Mission League teams figure to be dangerous squads in the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs. Harvard-Westlake won the title last season and Loyola was a semifinalist. Alemany is loaded with outstanding juniors.