Grossmont Has Right Solution : Baseball: Baseball team mixes talent and desire to produce winning results.

High school baseball coaches dream of the personnel Grossmont High has to offer. And for numerous reasons. Good kids, lots of them. Fun-loving kids, too. Talented kids whose collective, instinctive work ethic make them that much better.

By the same token, high school baseball players dream of coaches like Grossmont’s Jeff Meredith. Young. Savvy. Intelligent. A man who is not only not afraid, but the first to admit he doesn’t know everything and is as eager to learn as the kids he coaches.

It might be a perfect union, if indeed, there is such a thing.

“Good talent, for sure, that’s always a requisite for success,” said Tim Layson, Grossmont’s long-time assistant coach. “But talent can be a double-edged sword. There’s no question there are some gifted athletes out there, but Coach Meredith does a great job keeping them focused and keeping that edge sharp.”

Including a 9-1-1 start this season, the two-time defending San Diego Section champion Foothillers have lost only four times (and tied once) in their last 72 games.

It had been three losses in 71 games, but El Capitan roughed up Grossmont, 7-3, Wednesday in a Grossmont Conference Tournament game at Lakeside.

Two of Grossmont’s other losses over the past 2 1/2 years were by one run, the other by two. One loss and the tie--last Friday against Valhalla--came in games that were not completed because of darkness.

A remarkable run of success like that--and remember, this is a sport where one hot pitcher can shut down even the best of teams--does not come without equally remarkable streaks.

* The 2-2 Valhalla tie on Friday halted a section-record 25-game winning streak. The record had been 24, set by Grossmont last year.

* Until a wild 18-17 victory over Madison in last year’s semifinals, Grossmont went nearly two full seasons without ever batting in the bottom of the seventh inning.

* The Foothillers have an incredible home record. They have lost only once there since 1989, and in that one--an 8-7 loss to San Diego--Grossmont was the visiting team in a 1990 Lion’s Tournament game.

* A Meredith-coached team has never been shut out. The last time Grossmont suffered such a defeat was in the quarterfinals of the 1988 season, the Foothillers’ last game before Meredith began his only head coaching stint. His overall record in three-plus seasons is 86-13-2.

Senior third baseman/pitcher Matt Jones hinted at yet another explanation for Grossmont’s prowess. “It helps having the same coaches all the way through,” he said. “One, they’re great coaches. Two, you know what’s expected. Everything’s the same. And everybody’s treated equally. That continuity and stability really helps.”

Meredith appointed a team captain during his first three seasons, but he opted to go without one this spring.

“John Tatum (class of 1990) and Todd Cady (who graduated last year) were great players and obvious choices as captains,” Jason Eskridge, a senior pitcher/left fielder, said. “This year, I don’t think we have one super player. It’s spread out more. We all rally around each other.”

Tying a section career record in only one season, Tatum saved 13 games in 1990, batted .450 and was named the 2-A player of the year. Cady is the most prolific hitter in section history, with career records for hits, home runs and runs batted in.

“Two years ago,” said Eskridge, “that team was the best around. I don’t think there’s ever been a team like that. We had power top to bottom with that team.

“Last year, we had to work a lot harder. We had better pitching in Mike Spears, but we had to produce more runs. We couldn’t rely on the home run like we used to. We’re a lot more like last year’s team this year.”

Nonetheless, the numbers are there:

* Eskridge is hitting .500 with two homers and seven RBIs and is 3-0 with a 1.25 ERA.

* Jones is hitting .481 with with a county-leading four homers and 12 RBIs.

* Senior Wynter Phoenix, who has accepted a scholarship to UC Santa Barbara, has two homers, nine RBIs and has yet to be thrown out in 10 stolen base attempts.

* Junior shortstop Jon Heinrichs is hitting .286 with 11 RBIs.

Other notable performers include: junior pitchers Ryan Wheeler (3-0, 0.96 ERA) and Mark Olson (2-0, 1.31, three saves) and junior first baseman Ben Craig (three homers, nine RBIs).

Junior Rob Coddington, who replaced four-year starter Cady at catcher, has raised his average to .261 after a slow start and leads the team having struck out only 7% of the time.

Shannon Monroe (right fielder, .333) and Mike Landers (second base, .240) represent the third season in a row Meredith has started two sophomores. Another newcomer, senior reserve outfielder Earl Kell, had never played before this season, but hit a home run in his second at-bat and is batting .500 (four for eight).

“We’ve had good pitchers,” Meredith said. “I don’t think we’ve had great pitchers. Mike Spears would be the closest to what you would call a great pitcher, but we’ve always been an offensive team.”

Part of that is the result of talented players, but there are those who disperse credit to Grossmont’s cozy field, particularly right field where a ball needs only to travel 290 feet for a home run.

“(Our field) helps us more in that it hurts the other team,” Phoenix said. “Whereas we’re used to playing here, (opponents) see that 290 (sign) and start going for home runs. You can’t hit ‘em that way, and we don’t try to. We just try to drive the ball.”

Meredith pointed out another Grossmont advantage.

“I think we’ve got more speed in our outfield than anyone in the county,” Meredith said. “Those guys really cover a lot of ground out there. I can’t remember anyone ever hitting a triple against us (at home), and we’ve hit quite a few.”

Grossmont has a nice mix of pitching, defense, power and speed, and Meredith has done a terrific job of blending and nurturing.

Meredith never envisioned it coming together so quick.

“My first year here I just wanted to survive,” said Meredith, who has also been assisted by former Foothiller Mike Mathias the past two seasons. “I really wasn’t sure what I was getting into. Baseball-wise, I got a lot of help from Tim (Layson), and I needed that.

“I’m sure a lot of coaches might be hesitant to ask for advice from their assistants, but my coaches have always had a lot of input.

“Ultimately, I believe I make the final decision and moves, but I ask for a lot of help.”

Evidence of such will come Saturday night at 7 when Grossmont plays No. 1-ranked Montgomery at San Diego State. Grossmont, which moved up to Class 3-A this season, is ranked second.

Meredith will be attending the wedding of a good friend in the Bay Area.

“They’ll be fine,” Meredith said. “I think I’ve got the two best assistants in town.”