His Perfect Season Behind Him, Isaacs Pitches for Notice : Outlook: Right-hander hopes to hurl Buena to another Channel title while impressing scouts along the way.

The Southern Section high school baseball season begins Friday, and no one has more to lose than Buena High pitcher Jason Isaacs.

Isaacs, a three-sport standout, figured spring ball this year would be a relaxing way to conclude a successful athletic career at the school. He never imagined the stakes would be so high.

At this point, Isaacs expected to be signed and sealed to the college football program of his choice. But the 6-foot-1, 187-pound quarterback never received a serious scholarship offer, so he has diverted his energy toward winning the hearts of baseball scouts.

If he repeats last season’s performance, Isaacs very well may go high in June’s amateur draft. The Bulldog ace was 12-0 with a 0.87 earned-run average, leading the team to an undefeated record in the Channel League. Buena lost to Hart, 10-7, in the 4-A Division quarterfinals.

“Baseball is my sport now, and it’s the game I’ve played the longest,” said Isaacs, who will play any of a variety of infield positions when he’s not pitching. “I started with T-ball when I was 6, so I couldn’t imagine not playing baseball ever again.”

Isaacs missed his sophomore season after he was declared academically ineligible. He made up for the missed playing time by catching on with the Philadelphia Phillies’ rookie-league team that summer. The experience had him primed for last season.

Adding to his success was talented senior pitcher Matt Anderson, who was later drafted by the Baltimore Orioles.

“Having Matt there by my side made things a lot easier,” said Isaacs, a right-hander. “It took the pressure off. When he would come out (of a game), there would be a letdown by the opponent. They never thought I would be as good.”

It didn’t take long for the competition to catch on. By midseason, Isaacs was stealing much of the attention from scouts who came to watch Anderson. His fastball worked so well that he had 17 strikeouts against Lompoc in the second round of the playoffs.

“Jason has the potential to be just as recruited as Matt,” Buena Coach Stan Hedegard said. “He’s like a sponge right now, trying to soak up as much knowledge as possible. He’s a very hard worker who has the nucleus for a successful professional career.”

Isaacs, who just finished the basketball season, said professional scouts from nine teams have expressed interest in him so far, and he hopes the list will grow.

“I feel like I have a lot to do,” he said. “There’s a lot of pressure, but I can’t let it get to me. I have to approach this season like I did last year. I have to be relaxed and let things fall where they may. Putting a lot of pressure on myself will only make matters worse.”

Buena opens the season Friday at Alemany in a first-round game of the Westside tournament.

Here’s a look at how at the Ventura County teams stack up, beginning with the Channel League:

Buena (20-3-2 last year, 13-0 and 1st in the league): It will be difficult to repeat last season’s record. Isaacs is the key to the team’s early success because the Bulldogs are young and inexperienced.

Pitching is a strength, with senior right-hander Sam Arroyo (5-2, 3.03 ERA) complementing Isaacs.

Catcher Ryan Webster and second baseman Kimble Richins are other returning starters. The entire outfield was lost to graduation except for centerfielder Ryan Denger, who started the second half of the season. Several juniors are battling for the remaining openings.

“Maturity is going to be a definite factor,” Hedegard said. “I expect us to get back to the playoffs, but it will be hard to duplicate last year’s record. It’s going to be a matter of our younger players getting a grasp of our system.”

Hueneme (9-15, 4-10 and 5th in the league): This is one of the younger and least experienced teams 10th-year Coach Reg Welker has fielded. The inexperience will be most noticeable on the mound, where junior Carl Whitnall and sophomore Frank Adams are up from the junior varsity and will join senior Angel Reyes (1-1) in the starting rotation.

The Vikings have three returning starters, including all-league first baseman Danny Garcia (.470), second baseman and team captain Jorge Cervantes (.220) and Reyes, who also plays shortstop.

Senior outfielder Damon Hicks returns after sitting out last season because of ineligibility. He started as a sophomore and batted .270. Third baseman Danny McMichael saw limited action last season.

“We are real young and real green,” Welker said. “We will struggle early on and hope to progress as our kids gain experience. This is a team that is definitely a challenge to coach. Last year was a disappointment, so we’re hoping for improvement.”

Oxnard (10-15, 4-10 and 5th in the league): If the Yellowjackets are to improve, they will have to do it with a young team dominated by juniors. “We are two-ply thin,” said Coach Tony Diaz, in his fourth year. “We are inexperienced. But our kids have a lot of heart and desire. We won’t be a doormat team by any means.”

The leader is three-year starting pitcher Juan Hernandez, a 6-foot, 180-pound right-hander who was 5-0 as a sophomore and 3-3 as a junior. Junior left-hander Steve Meek is coming off a successful season on the junior varsity.

Seniors Joe Torres (first base) and Johnel Turner (center field) are back after sitting out most of last season for personal reasons. Diaz said he expects big things out of junior shortstop Jeff Tinoco, who shined on the junior varsity.

Oxnard opens its season Friday at an international tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Rio Mesa (14-10-1, 10-3-1 and 2nd in the league): The Spartans lost several key players from last year’s team, which lost to Santa Maria, 6-0, in the first round of the 4-A playoffs.

But Rio Mesa returns its best player, Dmitri Young. Young, who has moved from third base to shortstop, hit .500 last season and and was Cal-Hi Sports Magazine sophomore player of the year.

David Soliz, a senior right-hander, is the No. 1 starter. Henry Wilson, another right-hander, was 5-3 last year with a 3.80 ERA. Junior right-handers Mike Tinoco and Frank Tinoco, who are unrelated, provide Rio Mesa with pitching depth.

The Spartans have a quick centerfielder in Jamie Liddell and Carlos Rios has moved from first base to left field.

“We lost some key people, but I feel pretty good about the kids coming up from the junior varsity team,” Coach Rich Duran said.

He should. It was 19-1 last year and won the league title.

Ventura (11-11-2, 7-5-2 and 4th in the league): The Cougars could be in for a long season if they don’t find some pitchers. The only returning pitcher with any experience--senior Tim Cass--is out for several weeks with a broken hand. Those battling for starting jobs include juniors Brian Walters and Alan Lovejoy and sophomore Brandy Schneider, all of whom pitched on the junior varsity last season.

The team leader is senior right fielder Chris Bargsten, who hit eight home runs last season. Cass also plays third base, but likely will be out until league play begins in mid-March. Senior catcher Anthony Romero is another returning starter.

The rest of the lineup will be young. Freshman Derek Swafford will start at shortstop and sophomore Chris Mace and junior Matt Garrett will play somewhere in the infield.

“I think we’ll be a team in the running (for the league title),” said Coach Dan Smith, in his ninth year. “A lot just depends on how our pitching progresses. We’ll definitely hit the ball better than we did last year.”

FRONTIER LEAGUE

Nordhoff (6-12-1, 2-8 and 5th in the league): Coach Mark Capritto is going to carry less players in hopes of improving the quality of play. The Rangers return nine varsity players, including five starters.

Hitting appears to be Nordhoff’s strength, with catcher Matt Savard (.400), shortstop Rob Fournier (.370) and center fielder Trevor Matheson (.315) leading the way. The team has plenty of speed, led by leadoff hitter Jayden Morrison (.315).

Pitching is the biggest question mark. The top returnee is left-hander Charles Seymour, who played half of last season after transferring from Ventura High. Savard and Fournier, both right handers, also will see action on the mound.

“We’re definitely better than we’ve been in years,” Capritto said. “These kids have played together for a long time. This is the kind of veteran group I’ve been waiting for.”

Santa Clara (14-8, 8-2 and 2nd in the league): The Saints took an early exit from the 1-A playoffs last season, dropping a 6-1 decision to La Canada in the first round.

They expect a better finish this year with the return of six starters. Returning all-league catcher Augie Maciel heads a senior dominated lineup. Other starters back include left fielder Chris Samuels, center fielder Garth Teron, right field Aaron Clark, shortstop Kwinn Knight and first baseman Paul Murrow.

The top pitcher is senior right-hander Tim Gutierrez, who missed last season after having knee surgery.

Santa Paula (5-15, 1-9 and 6th in the league): Second-year Coach Mark Magdaleno started six sophomores last season, so he knew there would be growing pains. But a year later he returns a more experienced and smarter group.

The veterans include seniors Everett Corona (center field), Alan Macias (catcher), and Manuel Herrera (pitcher). The speedster is junior left fielder Dustin Magdaleno (coach’s nephew), who had 28 of the team’s 140 stolen bases.

Sophomore shortstop Arthur Marcello and junior pitchers Pete Alamillo and Ben Faussett figure to play prominent roles. The Cardinals will rotate up to eight pitchers.

“We built a foundation last year, so now we have something to work from,” Magdaleno said. “Last year it took three weeks to accomplish what we’ve done in three days so far this spring. We’ll do a lot of running and throw a lot of strikes.”

TRI-VALLEY LEAGUE

Fillmore (16-8, 10-5 and 2nd in the league): The biggest welcome for Coach Tom Ecklund is the return of first baseman and right-handed pitcher Anthony Chessani, who missed last season for disciplinary reasons. Chessani started for the Flashes when they won the Southern Section 1-A title two years ago against Crossroads.

Fillmore, which lost to Beaumont in the 1-A final last season, also returns All-Southern Section third baseman Chad Van Winkle (.394). Juniors Pokey Sanchez (second base) and Art Sosa (shortstop) round out a talented infield.

The question mark is the outfield, where seniors Alex Sandoval, Mike Thompson, Hugo Virto and Romero Moreno are battling for starting jobs.

“I’m optimistic, but there’s still a lot of unanswered questions,” Coach Tom Ecklund said.

Moorpark (15-7, 10-5 and 2nd in the league): If nothing else, the Musketeers should be a harmonious bunch. Coach Dave Rhoades, Moorpark’s junior varsity coach the past three seasons, is in his fourth season with some players.

Senior right-hander and three-sport athlete Robert Hernandez (7-4, 3.38 ERA) and junior right-hander Brad Taylor (6-1 for the junior varsity), form a solid rotation.

Senior left fielder Andy Richter (.328, 4 triples) and senior second baseman Mike Zamrock, both are returning all-league selections. So are senior shortstop Frank Fernandez and senior third baseman Tom Uphoff. Both, however, are academically ineligible and will not return until at least the season’s seventh week.

Senior first baseman Mike Granderson (6-3, 180) is a returning starter. Rhoades led the junior varsity to the league championship last year and four of those players have joined the varsity.

St. Bonaventure (18-4, 13-2 and 1st in the league): The defending Tri-Valley League champions are primed to repeat their title with the return of six varsity players. Right-handed pitcher Kevin Zoll (10-2, 0.78 ERA), a two-time All-Southern Section selection and last year’s league MVP, heads the list.

Another returning all-leaguer is outfielder Chris Borchard (.455), who is being moved from right to left field. Senior Steve Ramirez will play right. Junior Chris Steiner (.381) will start in center field. Returning varsity reserves Chris Ruffinelli (second base), Danny Chacon (catcher) and Ryan Wright (first base/pitcher) will start this season. Sophomore Geoff Pableo has worked his way into the lineup at third base.

The biggest question mark is finding pitchers to relieve Zoll. “We’re only carrying 11 on the varsity, so we can’t afford to have any injuries,” said third-year Coach Dennis Johnson, whose team was eliminated in the 1-A quarterfinals last season by Village Christian. “But if we stay healthy and find a No. 2 pitcher, we’ll be very competitive.”