City Eastern Baseball Preview : Many Good Players Return, Especially for the ’87 Champion, Madison

Last year, some of San Diego County’s best baseball players were in the City Eastern League.

Eric Helfand at Patrick Henry and Mike Eicher at Mira Mesa, for instance, both were on the South team in the California North-South all-star series last spring.

But both were seniors. Helfand is now a catcher at the University of Nebraska, and Eicher is starting in the outfield for defending national champion Stanford.

Although some of the best players have left the City East, many other good ones return. At Madison, for instance, Coach Bob Roeder returns seven of his eight position players. At Point Loma, Bill Hall has his two star pitchers back.

“Experience is going to be the name of the game in the league this year,” Hall said. “It’s going to be tough because a lot players in this league return.”

Not enough of them at Morse, it seems. Although Len Arevalo has some key starters back, he also is being forced to start three freshmen.

The teams:

MADISON

Last season: 13-10, 10-5 league (first).

Coach: Bob Roeder

Top returnees: Pete Valdez (junior, 3B), Albert Mendiola (junior, CF), Chris Pinzini (senior, LF), Mark Hallisey (senior, SS).

Top newcomer: Andy Williams (senior, P-1B, transfer from Clairemont).

Outlook: Madison won the title a year ago, and most of the players from that team are back, which is enough to make the Warhawks the preseason favorite. Valdez was an all-league third baseman and anchors an infield in which all four starters return. All three outfielders return as well; Mendiola, a junior, has started for three seasons. Chuck Frazier, Madison’s top pitcher last season, is gone, but Roeder has a capable staff. Williams, who transferred from Clairemont, may wind up as its leader. Roeder doesn’t like the label of preseason favorite, but when seven starters return from a championship team, it’s hard to avoid.

MIRA MESA

Last season: 15-10, 8-7 league (tied, third)

Coach: Mike Prosser.

Top returnees: Travis Arnold (junior, 1B), Eric Sealey (senior, 2B).

Top newcomers: John Martin (senior, SS, up from JV), Walter Stetter (junior, C, up from JV).

Outlook: Most of Mira Mesa’s varsity is up from the JV squad, including Coach Mike Prosser. “We don’t have a lot of experienced varsity players,” Prosser said. “But the good thing is that I’ve had a chance to coach these kids up through the ranks.” One of the best he has coached is Martin, who Prosser says is one of the better infielders in the league. Stetter, the catcher, has done a good job moving up and working with the pitchers. Victor Rico and Arturo Maldonado return to lead Mira Mesa’s pitching staff, although neither has much varsity experience. Arnold, the team’s top returning player, missed most of last season with an injury. How last year’s JV team adapts to the varsity will be the key.

MORSE

Last season: 14-12, 8-7 league (tied, third)

Coach: Len Arevalo

Top returnees: Javier Brown (senior, P-SS), Dave Grigsby (senior, 2B), Nate Lunsford (senior, P-SS).

Top newcomers: Gilberto Benitez (freshman, C), Chris Nelson (freshman, LF), Sergio Guzman (freshman, 3B).

Outlook: There are a lot of experienced teams in the City Eastern League, but Morse is not one of them. In his first four years as Tiger coach, Arevalo started only one freshman. This year, he is starting three. But he says Benitez, Nelson and Guzman all have extensive experience playing top competition in youth leagues. The Tigers’ strength lies in the middle, normally a good sign. Brown and Grigsby form a good double-play combination. “And the thing I like about this kid (Benitez) behind the plate is that he can throw out runners,” Arevalo said. Brown and Lunsford give Morse two returning pitchers, and Robert Salas is a capable relief man. But how far will the Tigers’ youth movement take them?

PATRICK HENRY

Last season: 15-7-1, 9-6 league (second)

Coach: Bob Imlay

Top returnees: Corey Powell (senior, P), Lance Lowery (senior, 1B).

Top newcomer: Josh Riley (junior, CF, up from JV).

Outlook: For the past several seasons, Patrick Henry has been the league’s team to beat. But Madison beat the Patriots last year; more teams could do so in 1988. Imlay, who normally relies on heavy hitting, has only two proven hitters back in Powell and Lowery. Lowery once anchored the infield at shortstop but has been moved to first because of an arm injury. The Patriots figure to feel the loss of catcher Eric Helfand, who controlled the pitching staff, threw out baserunners and was a big bat in the middle of the lineup. “We just about lost all of our starters,” Imlay said. “But I like the group of kids coming up.” The question is whether the new kids are as talented as some of those who have come before them.

POINT LOMA

Last season’s record: 13-10, 7-8 league (fifth)

Coach: Bill Hall

Top returnees: Israel Stanley (senior, P), Jeff Gattis (senior, P), James Anglin (senior, 2B).

Top newcomer: Tom Collins (senior, 3B, transfer from USDHS).

Outlook: One thing Point Loma will have going for it is the size of its pitching staff. And that doesn’t mean numbers. Stanley, an all-county linebacker, is a 6-foot 4-inch, 240-pound left-hander who throws the ball hard. If teams are able to get him out of the game, Hall can bring in 6-6 reliever Beau Pack, who starred on the Pointer basketball team. Last year, Point Loma was competitive in a tight league race, and Stanley and Gattis were the two reasons why. Now Point Loma needs some hitting. Hall has seven returning players, but several are being forced to play new positions. Sabino Loaiza, a utility infielder last year, will anchor the defense at shortstop. Bill Eves, a returning designated hitter, and David Cipranic, a returning left fielder, will provide some pop. If the hitting comes through, Point Loma could make a run for the championship.

SERRA

Last season: 8-17, 3-12 league (sixth)

Coach: John Anella

Top returnees: Mike Kampe (senior, P), Tracy Moran (senior, SS), Jason Wallace (senior, 1B).

Top newcomers: None.

Outlook: Serra, like Madison, returns most of its starters. The difference is that Serra returns starters from a last-place team that won only three league games. One new face is Coach John Anella. He said his first priority is to get the players to believe in themselves. “We’ve already played some games we should have won, but the key is for our kids to believe they should be on top at the end of these games,” Anella said. Kampe returns to anchor the pitching staff, and all of the position players have a year of experience. “I want us to raise our baseball IQ some this season,” Anella said. “All these kids can play, but they have to do the little things right to win.”

Next: City Central League