King of the Hill

   The pitcher stands atop the mound. Everyone’s eyes are on him. He concentrates on one thing: the mitt. He has one goal in mind: throw the ball for a strike.
   Christian Meza has been throwing his whole life. Like every young athlete, it started at home.
   “Ever since I was a kid, my dad put a bat in my hands,” said Meza. “My dad would always make me throw oranges across the living room just playing catch to teach me how to pitch.”
   For his dad, the game of catch meant more than a bonding experience with his son. He wanted Christian to be a ball player, every father’s dream.
   Eduardo Meza would take his young son, glove in hand, to baseball games at Goodwin Field. It’s the home of the Cal State Fullerton Titans.
   From that, Christian set his own track.
   He played high school ball at Loara High in Anaheim, where he became an All-League pitcher and two-year letter winner.
   Meza then came to Santa Ana College where he quickly blossomed into the Dons’ ace in ‘09.
   His freshman year started with a few wins and quickly became a perfect 10-0 record. It would take over three months for a team to finally defeat him.
   Christian made 15 starts in ‘09, finishing with two complete games, 93 strikeouts and a .226 opposing hitter batting average.
   The Dons’ left-handed ace mounted an 11-1 record with a 3.49 ERA. For that, he was awarded the Orange Empire Conference Pitcher of the Year. He was also named a Southern California All-American.
   His success helped Santa Ana advance to the State Championship. Meza’s win over Palomar College in the State Super Regionals sent the Dons to the final four.
   “I didn’t expect it,” Meza said
    about his success. “It was as good as it gets being part of the four best teams in the State Championships.”
   Though the Dons didn’t win a state title in ‘09, they found the guy to take them back.
   “He is a competitor. He is our returning ace. He is our guy,” Head Coach Don Sneddon said.
    The 19-year-old has one goal in mind this season: win state.
   “I set a high bar. I want to go back to Fresno,” Meza said.
   Regardless of what happens this season, Meza will continue throwing at a higher level. He signed to continue his academic and baseball career at CSUF, that same team he and his father would watch back in the day.
   In 2011, Christian will pitch on Goodwin Field.
   For now, Meza remains the king of the hill at Santa Ana. The eyes are on him. Yet, he does what he does best, throw into the mitt for strikes.
   Hugo Pacheco contributed to this story.