HUGHSON — Carlos Guizar began answering the question before the question was even completed.

“How confident are …”

“Very,” replied Hughson High’s senior first baseman, before the interviewer could finish the sentence. “I’m very confident. I think this team’s different, I really do. I think we have what it takes, I think we’re starting to lock it in at the right time, and I think we’re going to go all the way.”

Guizar, who was 3-for 4 with a home run, two doubles, and six RBIs, helped the second-seeded Huskies take the first step in their quest for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 5 banner — a 15-0 mercy-rule victory over No. 15 Ben Holt College Prep Academy (Stockton).

Starter Bryce McDaniel was sharp in three innings of work, striking out five and walking none while allowing just one hit. Benji Ocegueda was just as sharp in two innings of relief, fanning three, while allowing one walk.

“I felt good today,” said McDaniel. “I know my defense behind me was going to make every play so that takes the pressure off.”

Head coach Charly Garza talked about his club doing a better job of taking care of the tiny details — something the team hadn’t been doing in the latter part of the regular season.

“We were not playing our best going into the Oakdale Tournament,” said Garza. “We were not having disciplined plate approaches, but we would win. We’d tell our pitchers, you can’t go 2-0, you can’t go 3-1, but we would win. And we kept saying, ‘When you play a really good team, you can’t do those things.’ Well, we finally played a good one (Oakdale) and we got mercy-ruled 13-3 in five innings, and we got sent home. So, everything became real.”

Senior shortstop Beau Blake, who leads the Huskies with a .522 average, eight home runs, and 40 RBIs, and was 2-for-3 against the Bobcats with three RBIs and two runs scored, confirmed that the Oakdale tourney was a wake-up call.

“I think it was a really good thing, actually,” said Blake, who played in two section finals at Turlock Christian — winning one blue banner — before transferring to Hughson. “Early in the year we beat Manteca, and then I think we got too comfortable, and then Oakdale happened, and I think we’ve turned that corner.

“Good or bad we’ve got to play to a standard and not play to an opponent. The next game is the most important game.”

Up next for the Huskies is the winner of No. 10 El Dorado (Placerville) vs. No. 7 Venture Academy (Stockton), on Thursday at Hughson. First pitch is at 4 p.m.

Senior right-fielder Max Mankins said that this postseason run is about more than just chasing a banner. It’s about wanting to continue playing alongside his teammates.

“It’s a group of guys that has been together for a long time, and it’s starting to come to an end,” said Mankins. “So, we definitely want to get as many games  in with the group as possible.”

In addition to Guizar and Blake, third baseman Andrew Fisher was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and a pair of runs driven in, while Dominic Aguiar was 2-for-2, scoring twice and driving in one.