Conejo at Home as Visiting Team in Legion Playoffs

Like a house guest who empties the refrigerator, plops on the living room couch and grabs the TV remote control, the Conejo American Legion team is the visitor that never seems to leave.

Conejo (38-4) lost three of its games playing at home this summer. So by the time the Area 6 playoffs rolled around last weekend, Conejo had long established a preference to play as the visitor--even after it won the pregame coin toss to determine the home team.

“We like to get the offense going,” Conejo Coach Craig Sturges said. “We like to get out there first and put pressure on the other guy.”

Indeed, Conejo presses and impresses from the top of the lineup. Perhaps the team’s peskiest offensive player is second baseman Ryan Kritscher, who bats in the leadoff position and likely will be the first player to bat today at 9 a.m. when Conejo plays Escondido in the first game of the state playoffs at Yountville, Calif.

Kritscher has hit safely in 35 of his past 36 games and leads the team with a .489 average. He also has stolen 26 bases.

“When he gets on base, he absolutely creates havoc,” Sturges said.

Conejo has been unofficially installed by state tournament chairman Harold Hall as one of the tournament favorites, along with Escondido and Union City.

“If they’re as good as I hear they are, they might just win it,” Hall said of Conejo.

The other clubs in the six-team, double-elimination tournament are El Segundo, West Sonoma and Lodi. Conejo defeated West Sonoma, 11-5, in a midseason tournament game.

The state tournament concludes Wednesday and two teams advance to regional competition.

The champion will play in the southwest regional in Lodi and the runner-up will play in the northwest regional in Sheridan, Wyo. Both regionals run Aug. 14-18.

Conejo advanced to Yountville by winning the Area 6 tournament last weekend at Moorpark College. Conejo was 4-0 at Moorpark and twice defeated defending state champion Woodland Hills West en route to the title.

In other games today, El Segundo will face Union City at 12:30 p.m. and local favorite West Sonoma will play Lodi at 4.

In addition to Kritscher, 10 Conejo players are batting above .300 and six have hit two or more home runs. David Skeels (35), Adam West (35), Brent Christenson (32) and Brian Sturges (31) lead the team in runs batted in.

Six players have more than 30 innings of pitching experience this summer, led by right-hander Jeff Naster, who is 10-0 with an earned-run average of 2.27.

West, a left-hander, is also undefeated with a 5-0 mark and a 3.49 ERA. The rest of the staff includes right-handers Nick Brown (4-1, 2.45, five saves), Mike Lee (7-1, 4.75), Tony Siegel (7-2, 4.00) and shortstop-pitcher Bryan Corey (5-0, 2.42, two saves).