BASEBALL PREVIEW : THE TEAMS : Conditions Are Ideal for Tustin to Win Championship

The start of the high school baseball season has been disrupted by storm clouds, but the forecast calls for clearing skies and then a championship at Tustin, which has six returning starters from a team that finished 26-4 last year.

Tustin was runner-up in the Southern Section 4-A division last season, losing to La Serna, 1-0, in the final at Anaheim Stadium. The Tillers finished first in the final Orange County Sportswriters’ Assn. poll of 1990, followed by Esperanza and El Toro.

The teams begin the 1991 season in the same order: 1. TUSTIN

Outfielder Shawn Green, who has signed with Stanford, is destined to become the county’s career hit leader in his fourth season as a varsity starter. Green, who batted .467 last year, has 103 hits in four seasons. Former Laguna Hills standout Chris Sheff had 129 from 1986-89.

Infielder Ben Munoz was overshadowed by Green last year, even though he batted .493 with four home runs. Munoz is a versatile player who can play second, shortstop or even pitch.

Bill Courtney, 8-0 as a junior, is the team’s top pitcher, but Coach Vince Brown says he has 11 players who could pitch if needed.

“We’re as talented on the mound as we’ve ever been,” Brown said. “We are hoping to receive a national ranking this year, but we also realize we’ll be the target of every opponent we’ll face.”

The double-play combination of shortstop Zach Elliott and Munoz is solid, and Brown starts a veteran outfield of Casey Jackson in left, Green in center and Brett Hardy in right.

Tustin will have an opportunity to see how it rates with some of the West’s best teams when it competes in the Upper Deck Classic on March 25-28 at El Dorado and Esperanza. In the field are Canyon del Oro, Arizona’s top-ranked team; Cherry Creek, one of Colorado’s best, and Hudson Bay, a top team from Washington. 2. ESPERANZA

Experienced Esperanza has 14 returning lettermen from a team that finished 20-7, losing to eventual champion Marina, 3-1, in the second round of the 5-A division last year.

Outfielder Erickson Dumaual is one of the county’s top hitters, batting .403 and scoring 32 runs last season. Keith McDonald, who led Esperanza’s football team to the Division III title in the fall, will double as a first baseman and pitcher. McDonald hit five homers last season.

The pitching staff is among the best in the county with returning starters Shade Summers (8-0) and Joe Foss (7-1) and the addition of El Toro transfer Ryan Filbeck. 3. EL TORO

El Toro has one of the best batteries in the county with the return of three-year starting pitcher Rob Johnson and catcher Chad Hoelker.

Johnson, who pitched in the 3-A division title game at Anaheim Stadium as a freshman, was 9-1 last year and opened the 1991 season by throwing a three-hitter against Huntington Beach. Hoelker batted .394 last year and is considered the best defensive catcher in the county.

“Chad could go in the second or third round of the major league draft,” El Toro Coach Dan DeLeon said. “He has everything big league teams are looking for.”

Infielders Sal Schachter and Dave Owens give the Chargers good speed. El Toro was eliminated in the second round of the 4-A division last year with a 4-3 loss to Troy. 4. MATER DEI

The county’s best outfielders should offset the Monarchs’ lack of experienced pitching. Center fielder Cale Carter (.378, 24 runs batted in) and left fielder Rick Ellis (.379, 23 stolen bases) were all-Angelus League selections last year. Right fielder Dave Gonzalez (.344) was an honorable mention pick.

“We are very strong offensively and defensively, but unproven pitching is the big question mark,” Mater Dei Coach Bob Ickes said. Ickes used four pitchers in Mater Dei’s season-opening, 7-0 victory over Santa Ana Valley.

Second baseman Dave Knuff, who will be the starting quarterback in the fall, is the team’s top power threat. Knuff, 6 feet 3, 200 pounds, hit a two-run homer against Santa Ana Valley. 5. CAPISTRANO VALLEY

Capistrano Valley slipped to an uncharacteristic 14-10-1 record in 1990, missing the section playoffs by finishing fifth in the South Coast League. Don’t look for a repeat.

Pitchers Travis Burgus and Ethan Wyckoff, who had 11 of the team’s 14 victories between them last year, return along with junior Scott Patton to give the Cougars’ one of the best starting rotations in the county.

First baseman Chris Lugo (.444) and outfielder Jonathan Petke (.335, five homers) are solid players. Petke will attend Harvard in the fall. Newcomer Cade Gaspar, whose father, Rod, played for the World Champion New York Mets in 1969, is among the county’s top newcomers.

“We have good pitching depth, team speed and power,” said Bob Zamora, Capistrano Valley coach. 6. EL DORADO

Inexperience plagued El Dorado throughout the 1990 season as the Golden Hawks slumped to 13-13 and finished tied for fourth in the Empire League, missing the playoffs after winning the 5-A division title the year before.

Coach Steve Gullotti has his entire infield, pitching staff and catcher Brian Loyd returning. Pitcher Andy Brazeel (7-3) and infielder Travis Dowdell (.354) are the team’s top players.

“The chemistry and leadership that was lacking last year is much better this year,” Gullotti said. “The biggest question mark is our offense at this point.” 7. EDISON

Four returning starters from last year’s 18-8 team and the addition of newcomers from an 18-5 junior varsity team should help Edison unseat Ocean View as Sunset League champion.

Josh Gingrich and Mike Cunningham, the prolific passing combination for the Chargers’ football team last fall, are equally talented baseball players. Gingrich batted .361 and won three games with a 2.28 earned-run average last year. Cunningham, a shortstop, batted .326.

Phil Jensen (5-1, 2.62 ERA) is the Chargers’ top returning pitcher and catcher Darren Brink (.358) also returns.

“We are a team of multi-sport athletes, so it could take us a while to get started,” said Paul Harrell, Edison coach. 8. KATELLA

The third team from the Empire League in the top 10 features third baseman Dennis Briggs and hard-throwing right-handed pitcher Chris Reed. Briggs was a third-team, all-Southern Section selection last year, batting .473.

Reed leads a pitching staff that includes Corey Doll, Kyle Evans and Rick Williams. The biggest question mark is the team’s catching, where newcomers Mitch Charles and Orlando Gonzalez are vying for the starting spot.

“The Empire League is the toughest in the CIF (Southern Section),” said Tim McMenamin, Katella coach. 9. LAGUNA HILLS

Pete Tereschuk kept the Laguna Hills’ tradition intact in his first season as the Hawks’ coach last year. Tereschuk, who replaced Jack Hodges, guided Laguna Hills to the Pacific Coast League title and returns four all-league players from a team that finished 19-8.

Power-hitting catcher Matt Maffei (.341) and outfielder Jim Reynolds (.363) were first-team selections as juniors. Pitcher Brian Kessler, a second-team all-league choice, replaces Kevin Lovingier as the team’s top pitcher.

“We have lots of experience and good power among our first four hitters in the lineup,” Tereschuk said. “Wilkes can pitch, catch or play the outfield. I think he’s the best utility player around.” 10. LA QUINTA

Many overlooked La Quinta last year and all Coach Dave Demarest’s team did was win another Garden Grove League title and finish 21-9. Walter Dawkins, the best utility player in the county, returns for his fourth varsity season.

Dawkins pitched and played first base and the outfield as a junior, winning seven games and batting .362. Brett Osborn (6-0) also returns to boost the pitching staff. Sophomore Kenny Granger’s transition from outfielder to catcher will be a key to the Aztecs’ season.

“This is a very smart team,” Demarest said. “We don’t have a dominating pitcher, but our experience will be a big factor.”

Others teams to watch:

Brea-Olinda, Canyon, Estancia, Fountain Valley, Irvine, Mission Viejo, Sunny Hills and Troy.