Area Teams Deluged With Makeup Games

Rain, rain, go away. Maybe then some high school baseball teams could take the field.

Stormy weather has forced the postponement of a flood of games, leaving many area teams at least one makeup game to play this week--weather permitting--in addition to games already scheduled.

“We’re scheduled to play three games this week,” Crescenta Valley Coach Tony Zarrillo said Monday. “I bet my wife that we won’t play at all.”

Zarrillo’s wife can collect. Although Crescenta Valley was rained out Monday, the Falcons managed to squeeze in their Pacific League opener Tuesday night against Glendale.

But with forecasts calling for more rain this week, fields likely will again become flooded and spirits dampened. Meanwhile, makeup games are beginning to pile up.

Four L. A. Baptist tournament games were postponed last weekend, and rescheduling for eight teams will be difficult.

“I’ve got a lot of fidgety ballplayers,” Calabasas Coach Rick Nathenson said. “It’s tough to play Wiffle Ball inside every day.”

Heading into Tuesday’s Tri-Valley League opener against Bishop Diego, Moorpark (4-0) had not played since March 13. “Everyone feels like, ‘Let’s get started. What’s going on here?’ ” Moorpark Coach David Rhoades said.

Glendale and Moorpark each had three games postponed last week, including nonleague doubleheaders Saturday that will not be rescheduled for at least a week. Both teams are scheduled to play two games this week.

“This could get really ugly,” said Burbank Coach Dave Johnson, whose team had two games washed out last week. “We could end up playing Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.”

Virtually every area team will be forced to play three games in one week at one point in the season.

That could present pitching problems. State rules prohibit high school pitchers from throwing more than 10 innings in one week.

Pitching-thin Oxnard (1-4), which has only one senior pitcher, is unhappy with the prospect of a week stocked with makeup games.

“We played five games in six days during the Westside tournament and that just killed us,” Coach Dan Garcia said.

Hart Coach Bud Murray offered an unusual--and potentially harsh--alternative.

“You just have to be slower with the hook and let some guys throw a little longer,” he said. “Let ‘em get their brains beat out a little, I guess.”

ROUGH START

Thousand Oaks, winless in its first six games, could be headed for one of its worst seasons in history. The perennial Marmonte League power, which last season reached the second round of the Southern Section 5-A Division playoffs, has only two seniors in the lineup.

Senior shortstop Jeff Olin, who missed the first two weeks of the season, has been limited to duty at first base because of a nagging shoulder injury. Senior first baseman Kirk Pederson has not played because of pneumonia.

On a somber note, Coach Jim Hansen missed two games and three practices so he could go to Visalia to attend the funeral of his mother Lottie, 85, who died from complications stemming from a stroke three weeks ago.

“It’s been a rough start all the way around,” Hansen said. “Even though it was a blessing to see her not suffer any more, it still is a very painful experience.”

Hansen, the Lancers’ coach since 1975, said he remains optimistic about the season because Thousand Oaks played a strong preseason schedule that included several City Section powers.

“We’re not complaining about our young people because we know they’re going to be very good ballplayers some day,” Hansen said. “They’re just a little unseasoned right now, but they’re getting better every time we play.”

NO ESCAPE

Just how bad was Westlake last week when the Warriors committed 11 errors that led to four unearned runs in a 4-0 loss to Gahr?

“It was so bad, I couldn’t even get tossed out,” said Coach Rich Herrera, who vehemently disputed an umpire’s decision to no avail.

ELUSIVE THIRD OUT

A victory seemed assured for Simi Valley when the Pioneers held a 6-2 lead and retired the first two Crespi batters in the seventh inning of a nonleague game last week.

But the outlook quickly changed.

Brodie VanWagenen singled, moved to second on a balk and went to third on Kyle Carden’s single. An error by Simi Valley shortstop Ryan Briggs allowed VanWagenen to score and put runners at first and third.

An error by second baseman Britten Pond loaded the bases for Jim Horacek, whose RBI single cut Crespi’s deficit to 6-4. Brett Farlow represented the tying run at second base.

Finally, Joe Turner hit a grounder to Pond, who this time fielded the ball and threw out Turner at first.

“Sooner or later, I knew we’d get that third out,” Simi Valley Coach Mike Scyphers said. “Fortunately, it was sooner.”

TOUGH CUT TO MAKE

Entering play this week, the balance of power seems to have shifted in the Northwest Valley Conference. North Valley League teams are a combined 17-2-1. Granada Hills is 5-0, followed by Cleveland (4-0-1), Kennedy (4-1) and San Fernando (4-1).

El Camino Real (4-1) is the lone team in the West Valley League with a winning record. Chatsworth, the defending West Valley champion, is 3-4.

“It’s hard to believe that one of those teams won’t make the playoffs,” Chatsworth Coach Tom Meusborn said.

In the 4-A Division, the top two teams from each league plus selected wild-card teams advance to the playoffs. Teams that finish fourth are not eligible for wild-card consideration.

A CALL FOR THEM ALL

Amid the many criticisms of the 3-year-old Southern Section basketball playoff system, which allows any team into the postseason regardless of its record, can be heard the pro voices of Delphic League boys’ coaches.

Innumerable coaches and fans have been critical of inconsistencies in the playoff design. Santa Clara, for instance, marched through a sparse 16-team bracket to win the Southern Section IV-AA title while other divisional brackets were overloaded. Many teams had to play in qualifying games to get into a 32-team bracket.

The Delphic League, however, might offer the ultimate defense of the plan.

“I’m definitely in favor of the open registration,” said Stuart Mason, coach of league member Faith Baptist.

Small wonder. Of the seven teams in the league, four played for a Southern Section title and another, Brentwood, lost in the semifinal round.

Crossroads won the Division IV-A championship and Campbell Hall won the Division V-AA title, beating Faith Baptist. Bel-Air Prep lost in the Division V-A final.

All four had winning records and played in the Southern regional. Faith Baptist and Campbell Hall played in the Southern regional final in Division V. Faith Baptist (27-7) advanced to the state final last week before falling, 80-70, to Ripon Christian.

Under the old plan, in which the top three teams from each league qualified for postseason play, Bel-Air Prep and Brentwood would have been excluded.

WHISTLE STOP

In the state Division V final, Faith Baptist’s ability to defend senior center Tim Schoolland (36 points) of Ripon Christian was hampered when two players found themselves in foul trouble almost immediately.

Senior forward Etienne Moore picked up two fouls in the first 1 minute 5 seconds, which hurt the Contenders’ chances of defending Schoolland and forward Dusty Hoekstra (nine points, 12 rebounds) inside.

Senior guard Alex Estrada, a preseason All-State selection, picked up his third and fourth fouls in the second quarter and did not play over the next 10:58. Faith Baptist starters Peter Rasmussen and Darren Wyre fouled out, and Estrada and Moore each finished with four fouls.

ARGUMENT FOR NO. 1

It comes as no surprise that the Royal boys’ volleyball team is again rated among the favorites to win a Southern Section title. The Highlanders were 3-A finalists last year after winning 2-A championships in 1989 and 1990.

But after a championship run in the Dos Pueblos Invitational on Saturday, Royal can argue that it has the best team in Southern California. The Highlanders are the first 3-A team to win the prestigious tournament, which included a number of 4-A powers in its 20-team field.

“The main thing we learned (at the tournament) is we can play with anyone,” Coach Bob Ferguson said. “The other thing we learned is we can respond to pressure.”

Royal was seeded fifth in its five-team pool but swept eight games against San Marcos (ranked seventh in the Southern Section 4-A Division), Edison (No. 4, 4-A), West Torrance and Clovis West (No. 1, Central Section) to win the pool.

The Highlanders then came back from 12-9 and 13-12 deficits to beat Palisades (No. 1, City Section 4-A), 15-13, in the playoffs. A 15-10 victory over Santa Margarita put Royal in the final against Peninsula (No. 6, 4-A). Trailing, 12-9, in the championship match, the Highlanders again came from behind and won, 15-12.

Royal received a tournament most-valuable-player performance from senior setter Travis Ferguson. Outside hitter Brett Osterhoudt also made the all-tournament team.

David Coulson, Vince Kowalick and staff writers Steve Elling and Jeff Riley contributed to this notebook.