PREP BASEBALL 1992: EMPIRE LEAGUE

Katella

1990 RECORDS: OVERALL: 17-11 LEAGUE: 10-5

COACH: RECORD AT SCHOOL Tim McMenamin: 101-80

RETURNING STARTERS YR. POS. B-T Kyle Evans Sr. 1B L-L Ron Gallego Sr. SS-P R-R Orlando Gonzalez Sr. OF R-R

OTHER TOP RETURNERS YR. POS. B-T Alex Alvarez Jr. C R-R

TOP NEWCOMERS YR. POS. B-T John Holcomb Sr. 2B R-R George Schalip Jr. SS-P R-R Brad Martin Jr. 3B R-R Mitch Charles Sr. C R-R

OUTLOOK

Katella is another team on the bubble for a playoff berth. Like the other league coaches, McMenamin picks El Dorado to win, with the other five schools in a scramble for the remaining playoff spots. Last season, the Knights finished third behind the unstoppable hitting of Evans. McMenamin believes Evans is among the top hitters in the county, and that should carry the Knights to another playoff berth. Evans hit .462 with 38 hits, including four home runs, and 27 runs batted in last season--some particularly eye-catching numbers. If he improves on those this season, the crowd of scouts behind the backstop might swell even further. The big battle will be to see who emerges as the league’s top hitter--Evans or El Dorado’s Tyson DowDell, who hit .400 last season. Gallego was a .281 hitter last season and Gonzalez batted .246. So much for the Knights’ strengths. Pitching will be the team’s weakness, according to McMenamin. In addition to playing shortstop, Gallego pitched some, but the experience drops off dramatically from there. The Knights suffered a key loss with the graduation of Chris Reed, an All-Southern Section 5-A pitcher who was 9-4 last season. It could prove to be a major factor.