OCC Softball Leaves Its Mark on Record Book

The 1991-92 academic year is almost over, and all the local teams are through for the season. So it’s time for the final trip through the spring sports in an effort to sum up the year.

Softball: Orange Coast’s quest for a state title ended Saturday when the Pirates lost to Long Beach, 3-1, in the losers’ bracket of the tournament at the Sacramento Sports Complex. But it still was a record-setting season for Coach Nick Trani’s Pirates.

Shannon Ebert, a sophomore first baseman, sophomore pitcher Alisha Nelson, and freshman designated hitter Sam Lutsch made the all-state team.

Ebert set OCC single-season marks for batting average (.442) and hits (60) and career records in hits (105) and runs batted in (57).

Lutsch set single-season marks in RBIs (38), doubles (16) and slugging percentage (.609).

Nelson (46-16) set the career mark for victories at 46. She also set the single-season earned-run average mark at 0.50 and the career record at 0.65.

Becky Toler, a sophomore catcher, set the career record for runs scored at 62.

Baseball: The state baseball tournament starts Saturday at the Riverside Sports Complex, and about the only tie Orange County has to the field is Cuesta Coach Larry Lee, who played second base at Orange Coast in 1981.

Cuesta (25-18) plays Fresno (42-7) at 11 a.m. and Los Angeles Pierce (33-6) plays Sacramento City (31-3) at 3 p.m in the double-elimination format.

The tournament continues at noon Sunday and the championship game is at 11 a.m. Monday.

Men’s volleyball: Bob Wetzel, who has coached the Orange Coast men’s team all 12 years of its existence, has stepped down.

Wetzel leaves with a most impressive list of accomplishments. His teams compiled a record of 225-74 and won four state titles, including three in a row (1989-91). The Pirates also won the state title in 1987. OCC also won seven conference titles.

Wetzel will remain on staff in the physical education department. His successor as coach is expected to be named within two weeks.

Add men’s volleyball: Martin Wagner of Irvine Valley was the player of the year and his coach, Tom Pestolesi, was coach of the year in the South Coast Conference.

The team, in its first season of existence, tied for first with Orange Coast.

Jeff Hall and Devin Frisby of Orange Coast, John Shirk and James Hammerstrand of Grossmont, Brian Godshaw of Irvine Valley and Andy Kijewiski of Golden West also made the first team.

On the second team: Matt Clark (Grossmont), Mike Glenn (Irvine Valley), Justin Gresham (Palomar), Eric Olson (Irvine Valley), Matt Winterburn (Orange Coast) and Ki Yi (Rancho Santiago).

Hawaii-bound: Erin Schimeneck of Saddleback, the Orange Empire Conference women’s basketball player of the year, has signed to attend Hawaii this fall. Schimeneck, from Dana Hills High School, averaged 13 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks per game.

She also becomes the third consecutive Orange Empire Conference player of the year to sign to play at Hawaii, following Bits Sirchia (1991) and Donna Gondringer (1990), both from Golden West.

Community College Notes

Kevin Dillenbeck (water polo) and Brenda Irby (volleyball) have been named Golden West’s athletes of the year. Dillenbeck, a goalkeeper, was the South Coast Conference player of the year and also an all-state pick. Golden West won its third consecutive state title and 10th in 16 years last fall. Dillenbeck will play at UCLA this fall. Irby was the Orange Empire Conference player of the year and all-state for Golden West, which went 28-0 and won its second consecutive state title. Golden West was 53-3 in Irby’s two years. She will play at Fresno State this fall.

Fred Hokanson and Charlie Appell will run the Orange Coast cross-county program next fall. They’re replacing Gordie Fitzel, who is taking sabbatical leave. Hokanson is the OCC track and field coach and Appell is the former Chapman University track and cross-country coach. . . . Three Cypress softball players--designated hitter Jennifer Johnson, outfielder Nikkanni Andrews and catcher Stefanie Hill--made the all state-tournament team. . . . When Rancho Santiago was defeated, 1-0, by L.A. Pierce in a Southern California baseball regional Sunday, it was the first time the Dons had been shut out since 1986. The streak was 305 games. . . . OCC pitcher Mike Cutler has signed to play at Utah this fall. Cutler, from Costa Mesa High School, was 4-2 and had an ERA of 4.38.