Just like opposing hitters, Westside baseball coach Emrick Jagneaux can’t really choose between his top two pitchers, Taylor Wall and Michael Goodnight.

“Taylor’s a finesse pitcher and Michael’s a power pitcher,” Jagneaux said. “They’re two different guys on opposite ends of the spectrum. You see Taylor in one game with his offspeed pitches, then Michael comes in throws 92 and 93 (mph) and it throws them off. When you see those two guys in a series … Taylor can throw the changeup and breaking ball for a strike, then you see Goodnight who throws 93 and 94 miles an hour, it’s tough for hitters to make an adjustment.”

In Game 1 of their regional quarterfinal series against Memorial on Thursday, Wall struck out 12 and Westside scored three runs in the last two innings to win 3-2.

Friday night, Goodnight struck out 12 and walked three as Westside closed out the series with a 6-0 win.

For their achievements, Wall and Goodnight share this week’s Athlete’s Connection’s CollegeBallorBust.com Athlete of the Week award.

“That (Memorial) is a good-hitting ball club … and to hold them to six hits and two runs in 14 innings is a great accomplishment for our pitching,” Jagneaux said. “We live and die by our pitching; that’s what we’ve done here since we started (in 2001). Michael threw real well Friday night; he was in the groove with his slider.

“It was crucial to us that Michael get his breaking ball across for a strike. He did. We kept them off-balance so they couldn’t sit dead-red on the fastball. If he’s there with his slider, it’s very tough to beat him.”

Wall, a Rice commit is 12-1. Goodnight, a University of Houston commit, is 6-1 entering this weekend’s regional semifinal series against Baytown Sterling.

Game 1 is at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Butler Stadium.

Sterling will host Game 2 at 7:30 p.m. Friday and, if necessary, Game 3 will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Pasadena McGuire.

“(Wall) can throw all three of his pitches for strikes. He’s going to hit his spots,” Goodnight said. “Me, I’m going to come after you – fastball first, then a curve or a slider as my out pitch.”

Wall and Goodnight competed in junior high, the former at Grace Middle School and the latter at West Briar.

“I’d say Taylor was our ace freshman year,” Goodnight said. “He struggled with his control at first but then he worked that out.”

By necessity, to hear Wall tell the tale.

“Once the dimensions changed to 60-feet-6 and 90 feet to the bases, I realized I wasn’t going to blow it by some 17- or 18-year-old as a freshman,” Wall said. “That was when I learned to pitch effectively. It’s gotten me this far.”

It’s no coincidence the Wolves pitching staff has carried the team. Their six-run outburst Friday night was somewhat atypical for a team that prides itself on low scoring and smallball.

“I coached in college for 13 years (at Lamar University) and I learned pitching is the No. 1 thing,” Jagneaux said. “If you’ve got a guy on the hump who can pitch well, you have a chance to win. Good pitching will stop good hitting. I really believe it. It’s one thing I’ve stressed. …

“You can’t clone hitters, but you can make adjustments with pitchers and fielders. That’s what we’ve been able to do here and it’s been a great eight years. I’m just fortunate I’ve had these two big boys for four of those eight years.”

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