PLAY BALL! : Dominguez Hills Struggling With Injuries, Poor Performances . . . : . . . Harbor College Coach Hopes Winning Tradition Can Continue

Harbor College baseball Coach Jim O’Brien doesn’t always see the program’s successful history as an asset.

“Sometimes that’s our problem,” O’Brien said. “We talk too much about the past.”

However, a winning tradition doesn’t hurt when it comes to luring talent.

“At this level, you don’t want to just play ball,” said sophomore right-fielder Billy Keep. “You want to play knowing that you’re going to win, and that’s why serious players come here. They know they’ll be good.”

Harbor’s baseball program has been one of the best in the state since O’Brien took over 12 years ago. The Seahawks have won more than 25 games a year since 1976.

O’Brien, a former Brigham Young University outfielder, has led his teams to eight conference championships, two state championships (1978 and 1984) and three second-place state finishes.

“Before Jim was there,” said Jerry Schlegelmilch, Rio Hondo baseball coach for 15 years, “they were doormats. Jim really turned that program around. He has a good reputation from coaching high school and he’s fortunate to be in a good area. North Torrance and San Pedro always have good baseball talent, so all the good athletes in that area go to Harbor.

“And I have to give Jim credit. He really motivates his players. He motivates them day in and day out. I don’t ever remember playing Harbor when they were not ready to play.”

The program is also known for producing professional and top Division I college players. From last year’s Southern California Athletic Conference championship team alone, three players signed with the Kansas City Royals: outfielder Derek Scholl, catcher Jorge Pedre and pitcher Jim Hudson.

Three others are playing Division I baseball at Stanford, Arizona State and Oklahoma State and two at Cal State Dominguez Hills, which went to the Division II college world series last year.

“The wins are great,” said O’Brien, who also coached North Torrance High to eight Bay League titles and two CIF 4-A championships in 1971 and 1973, “and the championships are great, but that’s what it’s all about, seeing the kids go on to have great careers.”

Last year the Seahawks easily swept the SCAC title with a 23-4 (36-10 overall) record. Harbor was seeded third in the regional tournament and lost to fourth-seeded College of the Canyons in the first round.

“Last year’s team was really exceptional,” Schlegelmilch said. “They’re usually the best and they always go out and keep pounding, but that group is going to be hard to duplicate.”

This year’s 7-7 Harbor record is the result of defensive problems because the Seahawks are hitting well, with six batters averaging over .300.

The bad luck started in the bullpen. One of Harbor’s top pitchers, Gary Gutierrez, was academically ineligible at the beginning of the season, and sophomores Charlie German, Kimo Horn and Lance Larson were out at the start of the season with injuries.

“Once our pitching is back and we get our defense together,” said German, who went 7-0 last year, “we’ll be fine. We have very good depth on this team and lots of good pitchers who can throw well.”

Some of those are freshmen Eddie Lopez, Gregg Jahelka and Jeff Hunter, who helped out on the mound while the veterans were out.

“Our pitching is still very questionable to beat some of the top teams,” O’Brien said. “I’m certainly not saying that we can’t do it, but it’s questionable.”

With that in mind, O’Brien made infield adjustments to improve the defense.

He moved sophomore Wil Parsons from shortstop to second, sophomore Sal Curiel from second to third and put freshman Dave Lacroix at shortstop.

“We only had four double plays in 14 ball games,” O’Brien said. “The change was the best thing for the team. I think with Wil at second we’ll get a lot more double plays.”

The rest of the infield consists of Harbor’s leading hitter (.409), freshman Danny Parente, at first and catchers Jon Berger and Tom Button.

The Seahawks have sophomore Matty Maestas, a transfer from El Camino College, in left field, freshman Dustin MacGillivray in center field and Keep in right field.

Harbor opens league play on Tuesday at Los Angeles City College.

“We’ll be right in there,” said German. “We’ll be in the state playoffs, and, hopefully, we’ll win it.”