The Players : Esperanza’s Dynamic Duo Heads a Blue-Chip Field

Jason Moler and Doug Saunders have never stopped impressing those who have watched them play baseball.

Mike Curran, their coach at Esperanza High School, is one who is continually amazed.

“They are great kids to have in a program,” Curran said. “(Saunders) plays the game the way you want it played. He goes at it in a very businesslike, aggressive manner. His effort reduces it to the Little League stage. He gets the uniform as dirty as can be and lets Mom get it out in the wash.

“Moler is right there, too. Both can get after it. They are fantastic individuals, good quality kids.”

Dave Demarest, La Quinta coach, calls Moler and Saunders “special kids.” He coached them last summer in Connie Mack League play.

“Jason Moler can play everywhere,” Demarest said. “He’s pitched and caught. He’s playing shortstop this year. He can play outfield.

“They’re leaders. They’re intense. They are winners. Whatever they do, they are going to succeed at.”

Augie Garrido, the former Cal State Fullerton coach who is in his first season at Illinois, thought enough of the players to offer them scholarships.

Said Curran: “He told me, ‘I want to make sure I get these two kids.’ And he’s not a bad judge of talent.”

In 15 years at Fullerton, Garrido led the Titans to two national championships.

Moler and Saunders have made oral commitments to Illinois. April 13 is the first day players can sign national letters of intent.

The two were mainstays for Esperanza for the past two seasons, helping the Aztecs to the 4-A championship in 1986 and to the runner-up spot last season.

This season, they again are the Aztecs’ best players and are among the top players in Orange County.

Moler, a senior shortstop, batted .351 last season and was 8-1 as a pitcher with a 3.38 ERA.

Saunders, a senior second baseman, hit .426 last season and scored 29 runs, second best in the county. He has picked up right where he left off; he’s hitting .580 this season.

Curran said the players are determined to improve upon last season.

“We expect them to improve certain parts of their game,” Curran said. “There are daily things we want them to improve on and some in the long haul. There is a certain amount of pressure to step up their performance. That’s how we run our program.”

If the past two seasons are any indication, Moler and Saunders probably will exceed Curran’s expectations. And, in the process, will be tops among another good crop of county baseball talent.

Here, by position, are the top players in the county this season:

PITCHERS

John Cummings (Canyon, senior): He showed the ability to strike out batters last year with 76 in 55 innings. And he has picked up where he left off. He struck out 11 in a game against Colton last week. He was 6-3 with a 2.28 earned-run average last season.

Ryan Klesko (Westminster, Junior): Mike Dodd, Huntington Beach coach, said of Klesko: “He killed us last year. He’ll probably kill us this year and again next year.” He had 73 strikeouts last season.

Troy Kopp (Mission Viejo, senior): He was the Diablos’ starting third baseman last season but is 2-0 this season as a pitcher. He was the starting quarterback on Mission Viejo’s football team, which advanced to the semifinals of the Southern Conference playoffs last fall.

Dan Naulty (Ocean View, senior): Has great size at 6-6 and plenty ofexperience. He was the Seahawks’ No. 2 pitcher last season behind Mike Fyhrie, who was fourth in the county in strikeouts. Naulty was 7-2 with a 2.83 ERA and was among the county’s top 10 with 75 strikeouts.

Mike Smedes (Laguna Hills, senior): Had a 4-1 record last season as a junior, posting a 1.68 ERA. He also had 42 strikeouts for the Hawks.

Mike Wilson (La Quinta, senior): Was the Aztecs’ second-best pitcher last season, posting a 12-2 mark with a 2.21 ERA. Now he’s the ace of the staff, and Demarest said he has improved. He has gained 15 pounds and is stronger, according to Demarest.

Roger Weems (Esperanza, junior): Led the county with an 8-0 mark as a sophomore last season. Had a 1.88 ERA and was one of the surprises of the season. Lived in South Korea, attending the Seoul Foreign School his freshman season, before he came to Esperanza last season.

CATCHERS

Tom Flores (Huntington Beach, senior): Is hitting .310 and has been the second-best hitter for the Oilers for the past two seasons. He was named the Loara tournament’s top defensive player. He has not allowed a passed ball in the Oilers’ five games.

Greg Pirkl(Los Alamitos, senior): At 6-5, 225, he has the perfect size for a catcher. That alone has the college scouts taking notice. But he is also off to a great start, hitting .688 with 16 RBIs.

INFIELDERS

Josh Bammer (Edison, senior): Hit .292 with three home runs last season for the Chargers but already has hit 5 homers and driven in 14 runs, and the season is only two weeks old. He also is hitting .500.

Joe Ciccarella (Mater Dei, senior): He is one of the reasons the Monarchs have one of the best hitting attacks in the county. He already has 3 home runs and 10 RBIs in six games.

Mike Edwards (Valencia, senior): One of the county’s top athletes, Edwards made The Times’ All-County football team last fall as a defensive back. Will attend the University of Utah next fall with the intention of playing both baseball and football. Last season, he was fourth in the county in hitting with a .479 average.

Eric Ekdahl (Mission Viejo, senior): Showed his athletic talents on the football field as the Diablos’ kicker and running back. He is one of the main reasons the Diablos are off to a fast start and rate as one of the top teams in the county.

Mitch Kaylor (Sonora, senior): The three-time All-Freeway League player hit .350 last season and was among the county leaders in stolen bases with 22. He also scored 23 runs last season for the Raiders, who have nine players back from last season’s team.

Brian Walker (Capistrano Valley, senior): A first baseman and pithcher, he hit .459 last season for Capistrano Valley, which won the Southern Section 2-A title. He also had 4 home runs and 20 RBIs last season. Walker, a left-hander, was 4-0 last season. He is 0-2 this season but hasn’t received much support so far, giving up four earned runs in two starts.

OUTFIELDERS

Tommy Adams (Capistrano Valley, senior): Last season, he hit .471 with 9 home runs and 25 RBIs and scored 38 runs. He has made an oral commitment to attend Arizona State. He will miss most of the nonleague season with a pulled groin muscle.

Jim Austin (Mater Dei, senior): Another of the Monarchs’ heavy hitters. A right fielder, Austin is off to a fast start, battling .571 with 13 RBIs.

Chris Facione (El Dorado, senior): He’s a great all-around athlete. He was a top wide receiver on the Golden Hawks’ football team and was one of the leading scorers on the basketball team. He also is the Hawks’ best baseball player. He has held off on a college commitment until after baseball season.

Ben Mendoza (Westminster, senior): He hit .424 as a junior last season and was the Lions’ second-best hitter behind Al Rodriguez, who hit .459. “He’s got an outstanding arm, runs and hits well,” Huntington Beach’s Dodd said.

Mike Robertson (Servite, senior): Has orally committed to attend USC next fall. He hit 5 home runs and had 24 RBIs for the Friars as a junior. One of the top five players in the county, coaches say.

Larry Sutton (Mater Dei, senior): Another of the heavy hitters for the Monarchs. He batted .387 last season and has helped the Monarchs, who scored 52 runs in a four-game sweep of the Newport Elks tournament, to a 6-0 start this season.