Diamond Bar High School baseball coach Eric Shibley isn't concerned with the Brahmas' slow start after being pegged as this newspaper's preseason top choice.
After all, the real season is just beginning.
Diamond Bar lost four straight in the same week during a recent trip to the Loara tournament, but three were one-run losses in low-scoring games, prompting Shibley to point to the big picture.
"Numbers don't lie - obviously we started slowly - but we're pleased with our defense and pitching," Shibley said.
"Tournaments are tournaments. You want to win every time you step on the field, but tournaments aren't Hacienda League games and they're not CIF playoff games. Ultimately, those are the games we need to win and be prepared for."
Diamond Bar boasts one of the top pitchers in California, left-hander Kenny Mathews, who already is committed to Cal State Fullerton, though with his Major League Draft stock continuing to rise, it could lead to a tough decision for Mathews later in the year.
Mathews, though, is just part of the equation.
Henry Omana, a 6-foot-3 junior, has a fastball that touches 90 mph, giving the Brahmas a valuable No. 2 pitcher.
With some tenderness in Omana's throwing arm, though, Shibley preferred to rest him, sending him out for his first start against Diamond Ranch on Tuesday.
Omana answered the call, throwing four solid innings and allowing just one hit in a 6-1 Diamond Bar victory that helped the Brahmas improve to 4-4 and 2-0 in the Hacienda League.