And after last Saturday, you can bet the Mountain View pitcher is hoping that Marty Mullins of Los Gatos doesn't wind up signing on with the Arizona Wildcats.

Mullins unloaded for back-to-back home runs in the first and second innings to lead the Wildcats to a lopsided 11-0 win over the Spartans.

Mullins crushed a three-run homer in the first and blasted a two-run homer in the second to lead the Cats to the victory that helped them improve to 5-0 in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League and to 11-1 for the year.

Mullins, Justin Schafer and Matt Ellis slapped two hits each to spark a 12-hit attack as the Wildcats unloaded on the Spartans.

"For the first time, I'm really, really happy with how aggressive we were with the bats," said Gatos coach Brad Sanfilippo after the win. "We were ready to hit."

Actually, Carlos Alonso started things out by getting hit and Schafer beat out a drag bunt for a hit.

"Then Mullins loses one of the right-center wall and we're up 3-0 right off the bat," said Sanfilippo.

But the Cats weren't finished yet. Paul Politi dropped a bunt and reached when Hatasaki threw the ball away at first. Politi stole second, then scored when Andrew Gomez ripped a 3-2 pitch for a single down the left field line.

Los Gatos kept the pressure on in the second. Alonso one-hopped a shot off the fence in left-center for a double and Mullins crushed a two-out, two-run homer.

Kyle Blair and Politi each walked, and both raced home on a double by Ellis.

"We hit .230 in the playoffs last year," said Sanfilippo. "We struggled against good pitching. We made it our goal in the off season to hit the good pitching this year."

Hatasaki is one of the best, "and we were up 4-0 in the first against a really good pitcher," said the coach.

"We got the momentum in the first, and we put it to 'em in the second."

Mullins had the two homers and five runs-batted-in to lead the Cats and Ellis doubled twice and drove in two runs. Schafer singled and doubled, Alonso doubled, Blair singled and scored twice, Gomez singled in a run and Tim Sweeney, Raymond Salazar and Michael Gault each singled. It was Gault's first game since suffering a knee injury during the football season.

Joey Donofrio tossed five innings of 1-hit baseball to get the win, and Kevin Wyllie and Schafer each tossed an inning of relief.

Los Gatos had opened the week with a 9-1 win over Gunn, and once again jumped out to a quick start with two runs in the first.

Alonso, as he's done so often this year, reached base to open the game.

"He's such a spark plug for us in the lead-off spot," said Sanfilippo of Alonso.

Alonso stole second, took third on a balk and cruised home on a sacrifice fly by Schafer.

With the bases empty, Blair followed with a home run to left-center, and he "absolutely crushed it," said the coach.

The two runs would be more than enough for Blair, who threw six more shutout innings, running his string to 36. He allowed just two hits, walked none and struck out nine. Blake Morrison came on to throw the seventh for the Cats.

Schafer singled and doubled in the Gatos win and Ellis had two hits. Blair had the homer and Mullins, Alonso, Politi, Nick Kalpin and Eric McDonald each singled.

The Wildcats face a tough three-game test this week. They were to open against Wilcox on Monday and will host Milpitas on March 29, 3:30 p.m., and visit Mountain View on March 31, 3:30 p.m.

The Cats may just get their wish this week when it comes to facing good pitching--they could face three of the best in the area in Yasser Clor of Wilcox Scott Chew of Milpitas and Mountain View's Hatasaki.

"This is where we have to put that goal of ours to the test," said Sanfilippo. "We have to hit good pitching."

El Camino Hospital