ALL-VENTURA COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL TEAM

COACH OF THE YEAR

In the final season of his 26-year coaching career at Channel Islands High, the inimitable Don Cardinal went out with a roar. The Raiders posted a 21-7 record, one of the finest in Cardinal’s tenure, and finished 9-5 in the Marmonte League to earn a berth in the Southern Section 5-A Division playoffs.

In retirement, Cardinal, 59, a man with an infectious, folksy charm, will remember the innumerable good times, many of which came during his final campaign.

In April, the Raiders won the Thousand Oaks tournament title with a 1-0 victory over Ventura. They were ranked No. 1 in The Times’ regional poll at one point, and defeated league nemesis Simi Valley in an emotional contest.

Cardinal finished with a record of 430-225, and in one 13-year stretch his teams won 11 league championships. Channel Islands won the 2-A Division championship in 1969.

PITCHER OF THE YEAR

For someone who was the county’s best pitcher, Angel Aragon of Channel Islands certainly was a good hitter. He batted .403 with seven home runs and eight doubles, proving that last season’s .380 batting average was no fluke.

But it was on the mound that the stocky, 6-foot-1, 200-pound senior made his greatest impact.

Aragon was 10-3 with an earned-run average of 1.23. He led county players with 10 complete games and he struck out 82 and walked 27 in 91 innings. Aragon had 25 wins and 196 strikeouts in his three-year career.

Aragon, who was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies last week, has signed a letter of intent with Cal State Long Beach.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Royal had been eliminated from the playoffs the previous day, but there was Dave Landaker, on the practice field, taking ground balls and swinging the bat. Baseball is a year-round passion for Landaker.

His commitment has paid off handsomely. He was the first area high school player selected in last week’s major league draft, being chosen by the Houston Astros as the 39th overall pick. And he has signed a letter of intent to attend Nevada.

Besides batting .526, Landaker was a superb shortstop, committing only three errors. He took away numerous hits with outstanding plays. “This year was a mental challenge for Dave because he didn’t get great pitches to hit and because he was the constant source of attention,” Royal Coach Dan Maye said.

FIRST TEAM

A strapping, 6-5, 205-pound right-hander, Jeff Howatt gave Channel League champion Rio Mesa a starting pitcher it could count on in big games. In posting a 9-1 record with an ERA of 1.48, Howatt exhibited excellent control, giving up only 68 hits and 25 walks in 85 innings. He struck out 81 and threw five complete games.

Availability was Trevor Leppard’s strong suit. Leppard, a 6-0, 175-pound junior, appeared in a Simi Valley record 20 games. He posted a 7-3 record, had a county-high four saves and struck out 49 in 40 innings. Leppard was the most valuable player of the prestigious Colonial tournament in Florida, earning three wins as the Pioneers won the title.

The county’s hardest thrower, John Snyder (6-2, 175) of Westlake was drafted in the 13th round by the Angels and has signed a letter of intent with Cal State Long Beach. Snyder, whose fastball exceeds 90 m.p.h., also possesses a biting curve. He struck out a Marmonte League-high 97 in 60 innings and gave up only 33 hits. Snyder also played left field and batted .333 with 20 runs.

Jeff Gibbons is an All-Southern Section player in football, soccer and baseball, but it is on the diamond that he made his greatest impact, leading Oak Park to the 1-A final. The senior was 11-1 with an ERA of 1.51. He had 134 strikeouts and gave up only 50 hits in 88 1/3 innings.

Shane Slayton (6-0, 205) of Royal was a hitting machine, leading the county with a .529 batting average and 49 runs batted in. The RBI total is a Royal record, as is his 28 walks. He pounded out 37 hits, including team-high totals of 11 doubles and eight home runs. Slayton, who will attend Nevada, also threw out seven of nine runners who attempted to steal. He had 10 stolen bases himself.

The left-handed hitting Jose Gastelum was Mr. Clutch for Channel Islands. He led county players with 43 hits, batted .422 and came through in the late innings of victories, ensuring that the Raiders would qualify for the Southern Section playoffs. Gastelum drove in a team-high 33 runs, scored 23 and hit two home runs. He also led county players with 12 doubles.

Perhaps the most feared power hitter in the county, Jon McMullen capped an excellent career at Rio Mesa. The 6-5, 230-pound senior posted a team-high batting average of .500 and also led the Spartans with 36 hits, 34 RBIs, eight doubles and seven home runs. McMullen, son of former major leaguer Ken McMullen, had 100 hits, 18 home runs and 95 RBIs over the past three seasons.

Brandon Knight was a pleasant surprise for Buena in his first varsity season. The junior second baseman led the team with a batting average of .391 and nine doubles. He scored 15 runs and exhibited great range. Perhaps most surprising, however, was his pitching. Knight came on during the second half of the season to post an ERA of 0.96 in 31 innings.

Camarillo came on strongly during the second half of Marmonte League play, and keying the Scorpions was Andy Hall, a 6-0, 170-pound senior second baseman. Hall batted .449, accumulating 29 hits and 15 runs. Hall tied for the team lead with 16 RBIs and led Camarillo with 13 stolen bases.

Keith Wilson developed into a standout third baseman for Westlake after batting below .300 as a junior. Wilson is a remarkably consistent hitter, batting a team-leading .455 with 30 hits. He also led the Warriors with 14 RBIs, seven doubles and two home runs. Wilson has good first-step quickness in the field and an accurate arm.

Jim Chergey, an outstanding center fielder who can run and hit with power, was a bright spot for Thousand Oaks. The 6-0, 170-pound senior batted .394 with 30 hits and 19 runs. Chergey also had team-high totals of seven home runs and 23 RBIs. He hit five doubles and had nine stolen bases. Chergey was the Lancers’ most reliable defensive player.

Victor Moreno, a 5-9, 160-pound Rio Mesa junior, was a pleasant surprise for the Channel League champion, batting .370 with 34 hits and a team-high 31 runs. Moreno also had 22 RBIs and five doubles. Moreno will give the Spartans an experienced player with proven productivity next season.

Kevin Nykoluk, a two-time all-county choice from Simi Valley, has perhaps the finest pure swing in the area. The 5-10, 165-pound junior outfielder batted .423 with 41 hits, including six doubles and a team-high 10 home runs. As a sophomore, Nykoluk batted .400 and was Cal-Hi Sports sophomore player of the year.

Aaron Whitley stands a less-than-imposing 5-7, 160 pounds, but his bat packs a wallop. The fleet Simi Valley outfielder, one of three Pioneer juniors on the all-county team, led Simi Valley with 30 runs and three triples. He batted .412 with 40 hits and seven stolen bases.

All-Ventura County Second Team

Player School Pos Yr. Chris Devlin Simi Valley P Sr. Jaime Duran Fillmore P Jr. Tim Ferris Newbury Park P Jr. Robert Fick Newbury Park C Sr. John McNamara St. Bonaventure C Sr. Jake Flesher Moorpark C Sr. Mike Ortega Hueneme C Sr. Jeff Olin Thousand Oaks IF Sr. Aaron Fischer Simi Valley IF Sr. Britten Pond Simi Valley IF Jr. Paul Taylor Royal IF Sr. Johnny Oliveras Channel Islands IF So. Jorge Macias Channel Islands IF Sr. Dan Comando Rio Mesa OF Sr. Chris Denger Buena OF Sr. Eddie Rabago Santa Paula DH Sr. John Mitchell Rio Mesa UTIL Jr.

All-Ventura County Second Team

Player Comment Chris Devlin Pleasant surprise, posted 7-0 record. Jaime Duran Frontier League’s best pitcher; 9-1, 1.03 ERA. Tim Ferris Very consistent; 7-3 with 6 complete games. Robert Fick Line-drive hitter drafted by Oakland A’s. John McNamara Batted .500 with 6 HRs, 35 RBIs. Jake Flesher Co-MVP of Tri-Valley League batted .403 Mike Ortega Led Vikings in most offensive categories. Jeff Olin Excellent contact hitter; .396, 10 doubles. Aaron Fischer Injuries slowed Pioneers’ power hitter. Britten Pond Batted .365 with decent power. Paul Taylor Batted .419; also 6-4 with 2.69 ERA. Johnny Oliveras Scored 32 runs in 2nd varsity season. Jorge Macias Slick shortstop batted .323. Dan Comando Leadoff batter hit .348, scored 31 runs. Chris Denger Top Bulldog slugger hit .365. Eddie Rabago Led Frontier League with .459 average. John Mitchell Hit .375 with 29 RBIs; 8-2 with 1.48 ERA.

All-Valley Team

Player School Pos Yr. John Aguilar Hart IF Sr. Jeff Suppan Crespi P Jr. Bobby Cowan Saugus P Jr. Eric Diaz Poly P Sr. Stacy Kleiner Taft C Jr. Dan Cey El Camino Real IF Jr. Brad Fullmer Montclair Prep IF Jim Guth Grant IF Sr. Vic Seper Crespi IF Sr. David Stevenson Chatsworth IF Sr. Brodie Van Wagenen Crespi IF Sr. Scott Berger Granada Hills OF Sr. John Davis Kennedy OF Sr. Jesus Perez Poly OF Sr. Brian Powers Chaminade OF Jr. Doug Distaso Hart UTIL Sr.

All-Valley Team

Player Comment John Aguilar Player of the year had 9 homers and 38 RBIs. Jeff Suppan Pitcher of the year was 7-3 with 1.28 ERA. Bobby Cowan Golden League MVP had area-high 12 wins. Eric Diaz All-City selection won 11 games. Stacy Kleiner All-City pick with a powerful arm batted .463. Dan Cey .418 hitter is following in father’s footsteps. Brad Fullmer Hit .538 with 10 homers and 40 RBIs. Jim Guth .426 hitter scored 26 runs and had 23 RBIs. Vic Seper Batted .429 and led team with 13 doubles. David Stevenson Hit .407, fueled Chancellors’ 2nd-half surge. Brodie Van Wagenen Stanford-bound infielder hit 6 home runs. Scott Berger All-City selection batted team-high .446. John Davis .402 hitter had team-high 29 runs, 12 steals. Jesus Perez Repeat pick had 27 runs, 12 stolen bases. Brian Powers Batted .472 with 8 homers and 25 RBIs. Doug Distaso Had 22 stolen bases and was 6-1 as pitcher.

Coach of the Year: Jerry Cord (Poly)