Chapman Baseball Coach Isn’t Sure What to Expect

Chapman College baseball coach Mike Weathers isn’t just blowing smoke when he says he doesn’t know what to expect from his team this season.

When the Panthers play host to Azusa Pacific at Hart Park at 2:30 today, it will be the first game at Chapman for most of Weather’s players. Weathers, who enters his third season at Chapman with a record of 68-44-2, has 17 new players and only 2 returning starters.

Complicating matters even more is a new rule that prohibits Division II teams such as Chapman from playing more than 60 games in the academic year. The rule, described by Weathers as a “clerical error,” kept the Panthers from playing any games in the fall.

“We usually play about 80 games, 20 in the fall and 60 in the spring,” Weathers said. “We could have used those games this year. It’s hard to tell how good we are when all we’ve done is play intrasquad games and practice.”

Weathers said the rule will be rescinded next season, but for the time being he must watch his team gain seasoning the hard way. After beginning its 54-game schedule against Azusa Pacific today, Chapman travels to USC, UCLA, UC San Diego, Arizona State and Grand Canyon College in the next 10 days. The Panthers will also meet perennially tough Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine before opening their California Collegiate Athletic Assn. schedule against Cal State Northridge March 8.

“We like to get ourselves prepared by playing good teams,” Weathers said. “We are talented but unproven. If we can hold our own against those teams we’ll be ready for conference play.”

Weathers will count on a pair of seniors to carry a big portion of the load. One will be today’s starting pitcher, left-hander Rob Glisson of Garden Grove. Glisson, who was All-CIF at Pacifica High School, threw a no-hitter and was 10-3 as a sophomore but fell to 3-8 last year as the Panthers struggled to a 21-30 record and a last-place finish in the CCAA.

The other senior in the starting lineup will be center fielder Ivan Camacho, who prepped at Santa Ana High. He led the team in hitting last season with a .378 average and will try switch hitting for the first time this season.

But the key to Chapman’s success may be how well Weathers’ 12 community college transfers adapt to major college play. “If they can perform like they did on the community college level, we’ll be OK,” Weathers said.

Joining Glisson and Camacho in today’s starting lineup will be six transfers. Leading the way will be second baseman Mike Cruz, a first-team all-state selection at Oxnard College. Fullerton College sent two players to Chapman, first baseman Darren Nelson and right fielder Jim Areias. Nelson was all-conference last year and made the dean’s list three times. Areias was second team all-conference.

Brent Ryhlick of Rancho Santiago, who was All-CIF as a senior at Mission Viejo High, will open in left field. At shortstop will be Mt. San Antonio product Rob Wolkoys. He’s another dean’s list student, who was drafted by the Chicago White Sox last year. The catcher will be Brian Flatten, who was a two-time captain and most valuable player at Cypress.

The likely starter at third base will be freshman Tony Gardea, an All-Angelus League selection from a strong Mater Dei team. His high school teammate, Jon Hulshof, will bolster the starting pitching rotation. A right-hander who like Gardea lives in Fountain Valley, Hulshof won 15 games for the Monarchs as a senior.

Sophomore left-hander Steve Dunn and junior lefty Mark Bradley will round out the rotation. Weathers will look to junior right-hander Mark Braverman to handle the short relief duties.