HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL / SOUTHERN SECTION PREVIEWS : MISSION LEAGUE

Alemany

COACH: Jim Ozella, 8th season

LAST SEASON: 10-16; 7th in league, 2-10

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Alemany’s infield is young but experienced and features one of the area’s most highly regarded prospects in junior third baseman Andy Dominique, who batted .323 with six homers, seven doubles and 23 runs batted in. Rene Rodriguez, who started at shortstop last season as a sophomore, also returns and will switch-hit. Brian Shaw, who batted .287 with 19 RBIs last season as a sophomore, again will start at second base. Chris Tashima, a junior who also pitches, might split time at first with junior Darrin Shannon. Senior catcher Dave Castillo, who injured his back and missed half of last season, has had a disk removed and is ready to play. Outfielders Mike Najar and Kevin Tate started last season as juniors and are strong offensive players. Najar batted .333 and Tate, who also might pitch, batted .416. Ed Bushey, academically ineligible last season as a sophomore, returns and likely will play in the outfield or as the designated hitter. Junior Chris Ford also might see time as the designated hitter and is the lone left-handed batter. The pitching staff is led by junior right-hander Rob Nary, who was 4-2 last season. Sophomore right-handers Freddie Perez and Jerry Najar also will pitch. Tate has a superior arm in center field and might end up as a top pitcher.

OUTLOOK: “I think we’ll be all right offensively,” Ozella said. “I think we’ll be all right defensively. The key to the team is how well we do on the mound.” The infield should be solid. If the pitching falters, Alemany will need big seasons from Dominique, Tate, Najar and Castillo.

Chaminade

COACH: George Vranau, 3rd season

LAST SEASON: 9-15; 6th in league, 3-9

PLAYERS TO WATCH: The Eagles’ strength will be their outfield, which features an experienced group of players. Fourth-year starter Ted Corcoran will play in right, but a sore left elbow might restrict his pitching. Junior Justin Giovannettone will start in center and junior Brian Powers will start in right, giving Chaminade a trio of returning starters and superior speed in the outfield. Senior Mike Andry returns for his third varsity season at catcher. The entire infield is new. Jason McLean, a junior who was promoted from the junior varsity, will start at first. Second base is up for grabs, but freshman Kevin Lohman, brother of UCLA’s Chris Lohman, might get the nod. Adam Crecion, an untested sophomore, will start at shortstop. Senior Scott Gregor, a returning letterman, will start at third. Pitching is unsettled, but junior right-hander Ryan Graves and Corcoran are the likely starters. David Lesser, a senior left-hander who did not play last season, also could see time on the mound. Crecion and Powers also might pitch. Senior Scott Valentine will catch and serve as designated hitter.

OUTLOOK: The team isn’t Vranau’s best in terms of experience and athletic talent, but morale is high. “Probably, talentwise, it doesn’t match up with the other two teams I’ve had here,” Vranau said. “As far as spirit and the guys all having a team-oriented attitude, it’s far superior. I think this year’s group will surprise people.”

Crespi

COACH: Scott Muckey, 6th season

LAST SEASON: 16-9-1; 2nd in league, 9-2-1

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Pitching. Hitting. Defense. Experience. The pieces to the baseball puzzle all seem to fit. Crespi is expected to field its best team in Muckey’s tenure and has perhaps the best pitching staff in the region. To begin with, any team would love to have Crespi’s first-team battery of junior right-hander Jeff Suppan and senior catcher Brett Farlow. Suppan is considered by many to be the best pitcher in the region and Farlow already has signed a letter of intent to play at Cal State Long Beach. Suppan was 6-4 with an earned-run average of 1.75 as a sophomore and was 5-0 last summer during American Legion play. The rest of the staff includes Keith Evans, a right-handed junior transfer from Chaminade, and senior right-hander Phil Aghajanian, who was 8-0 in Legion ball. Evans reportedly has been throwing as well as Suppan in practice. The rest of the team is battle-tested and defensively sound. Senior Jim Horacek (.286) and Suppan will split time at first. Senior Brodie VanWagenen, who batted .329 last year and has signed early with Stanford, will start at second. Senior shortstop Casey Snow (.289) is known primarily for his glove work but was the team’s most consistent hitter during winter-league play, Muckey said. Senior Vic Seper, one of the best hitters in the lineup, returns at third. Seper batted .360 and drove in a team-high 22 runs last year. Junior Kyle Carden (.353, 15 RBIs) and senior Joe Ruggiero (22 steals) started in the outfield last season. Junior Javier Avila and seniors Dan Arnold and John Peck are battling for an outfield berth. Joe Turner, a senior who batted .358 in Legion play last summer, could play in the infield or as designated hitter.

OUTLOOK: Because of a 13-13 tie with Notre Dame in the final game of the 1991 regular season, Crespi finished a half-game behind league champion St. Paul. The Celts are the consensus pick this year, although Muckey is taking a wait-and-see posture. “Everybody’s got high expectations,” Muckey said. “But you never know until you get out on the field.” Crespi will play highly regarded Simi Valley in a nonleague game March 17 at Valley College that could produce the area’s top-ranked team.

Notre Dame

COACH: Bob Mandeville, 6th season

LAST SEASON: 14-8-1; tied for 4th in league, 5-6-1

PLAYERS TO WATCH: The players are a year older and, based on Mandeville’s evaluation, ready to take on all challengers. “I like Crespi,” Mandeville said. “Not to sound cocky or anything, but I think it could come down to us and them.” Notre Dame is young, but experience will not be a problem. Five key starters return and several others picked up valuable experience playing Legion ball last summer. Junior first baseman Glen Carson (.317 last season), senior second baseman Jasen McConaghy (.351, 12 RBIs), junior shortstop Ryan Stromsborg (.326, 15 RBIs) and junior third baseman Cesar Martinez (.286, 15 RBIs) are the glue of the team. Junior catcher Dave Supple, a reserve last year, should be one of the league’s best receivers. A pair of outfielders also return. Junior Francisco Dongo and senior Cesar Hernandez (.304) will start along with freshman Jim Landress, whose father Steve is the baseball coach at Cleveland. Without question, the biggest intangible is the pitching staff. A pair of junior left-handers, Chris Garza and Chris Leveque, are the likely top starters, but both have had trouble throwing strikes. Last summer in Legion play, Garza walked 49 in 36 innings. Leveque walked 42 in 36 innings last season. Dongo and Hernandez also will pitch.

OUTLOOK: There are only three seniors on the team, but Notre Dame is not looking to 1993 as its year. “We’re young, but we are experienced,” Mandeville said. “If we don’t do well, that won’t be an excuse.” The bats and gloves are there, but are the arms? “That’s the big key,” Mandeville said. “If our guys throw strikes, we’ll be in every single game.”