Orange County Community College Notebook / Steve Kresal : James Can’t Be a Surprise Again

Joey James, Orange Coast College’s power-hitting outfielder, isn’t likely to catch many pitchers off guard this season. They know who he is and the damage he can cause.

Last season James hit 19 home runs and had 80 runs batted in, both state records. He hit .443 with a .917 slugging percentage and led OCC (31-10) to the South Coast Conference title.

He was the conference player of the year and co-state player of the year with Frank Holcovich of state champion College of the Canyons.

“People aren’t going to want to throw too many strikes to him,” Mike Mayne, OCC coach, said of James. “He caught a lot of people by surprise last season. He won’t be able to do that this season.”

James said: “It was like a whole different world. It never really sunk in that I did so well till about a month after the season. But I have to put all that behind me and think about this season.”

OCC opens its season Friday against Antelope Valley in the College of the Desert Tournament at Palm Desert.

This season, James doesn’t figure to get many good pitches and will have to be patient, something he worked on during the team’s winter season.

“At first it was hard laying off pitches,” James said. “A lot of pitchers would throw me breaking pitches, and I would just swing no matter where it was. . . . But it’s coming slowly. I’m learning to be more patient.”

Teams that try to pitch around James will find trouble behind him. Dave Staton, a designated hitter who bats fifth behind James, hit .403 and drove in 49 runs last season. He was a first-team all-state selection.

“Everybody will know him,” Staton said of James. “But most of the pitchers won’t know me, and maybe this will be my year.”

Community College Notes

Rancho Santiago received all 10 first-place votes in the basketball poll this week. Cerritos is second, Compton third, Ventura fourth, El Camino fifth, Saddleback sixth, Grossmont seventh, Orange Coast eighth, Santa Barbara ninth and Imperial Valley 10th. . . . Paul Horn, who played at Cypress last season and is sitting out this season, announced this week he’ll play at Biola College next season. Horn went to the University of Mississippi after averaging 11.9 points and 7.9 rebounds for the 1985-86 Chargers. He left Mississippi after a coaching change this fall. . . . Two members of the Orange Coast football team signed letters of intent this week. Quarterback Jon Nowotny will play at Chico State and running back Eddie Lamontagne will play at Western New Mexico.