Robinson Makes No Promises, but Is Optimistic About 1993 Season : Baseball: Loyola Marymount coach is encouraged by credentials of four new recruits and off-season work by returning players.

Although the Loyola Marymount baseball team is coming off a 15-37 season--its worst record since 1983--Coach Jody Robinson is optimistic that a solid recruiting class will help turn around the Lions’ fortunes in 1993.

“I am not predicting anything but I think we’ll be improved,” he said. “Let’s say I’m cautiously optimistic. I think it’s going to be a lot more fun around here (next season) and that’s very important.”

The area that is expected to be markedly improved is pitching. The Lions, whose 6.87 earned-run average was last in the West Coast Conference last season, have signed four players, including three pitchers.

The pitchers are Andy Collett from Arroyo Grande High, Ryan Graves from Riverside Poly and John Straits from Mt. San Jacinto.

“You look at role models around the country like Pepperdine, Texas and Miami--teams that have been successful for a long time--and they do it with pitching,” Robinson said. “That’s what we have to do and we feel we’ve added three players who can help us do that.”

Robinson said that Straits, who was 8-7 with a 2.71 ERA and 13 complete games last season, should make an impact on the starting rotation.

“He has some of the experience we need to take some of the pressure off our young guys,” Robinson said.

There are also signs that some of the team’s younger pitchers, namely Shane Bowers, Sean Hammett and Brian Fitzgerald, will be improved next season.

That could be especially true in the case of Hammett, who was 3-8 with a 5.48 ERA as a freshman. Robinson said that Hammett has added a split-fingered fastball to his repertoire and has a 3-1 record and 0.88 ERA this summer while playing for Danville, Ill., of the Central Collegiate League.

Bowers, who earned second-team All-WCC honors as a sophomore despite a 3-5 record and 5.36 ERA, and Fitzgerald, a former West Torrance High standout who was 1-6 as a freshman, are also working on developing curveballs.

Robinson said the team should also be stronger defensively. The Lions committed a conference-leading 121 errors last season.

“At the end of the year we thought our most pressing needs were to get a little better pitching and shore up our defense a bit and we think we’ve done that,” he said.

The infield is expected to be steadied with the addition of shortstop Ryan Ott from Brea-Olinda.

“He’s a pretty good defensive player and the only question everyone has is whether (or not) he will be able to hit enough,” Robinson said. “We think that’s going to help us with Ott at short and (Greg) Carl at second base.”

With a batting average of .284 last season, Loyola’s offense was probably the least of Robinson’s worries.

“We felt as if we were OK offensively last year,” Robinson said. “We scored enough runs to win most games and we have most of those guys back.”

Returning will be first baseman and designated hitter Anthony Napolitano, who batted .343 with a conference-leading 23 doubles as a sophomore and was the only Lion named to the All-WCC first team.

Other notable returning players include third baseman Chad Nichols, first baseman and designated hitter Darren Sugiyama and right fielder Mike Seal. Seal made a big impression as a freshman by batting .311 with a team-leading 61 hits. He was named to the all-conference second team.

The Lions are also looking for improved play from freshmen infielder Naoi Yuen and outfielders Jesse Ibarra, Collin Hinds and Mike Peters.

“They say the biggest improvement in a kid comes from his freshman to his sophomore year,” Robinson said. “So hopefully, that’s something that will work in our favor.”

Loyola also hopes to add to its depth with the return of infielder Jeff Ciccarella, who missed most of last season after suffering torn ligaments in his ankle in a nonconference game against USC. Robinson is also hopeful that catcher Andy Biaggi, who was academically ineligible last season after batting .268 in 1991, will return.

Biaggi is being counted on to battle for the catching duties with another senior, Rob Ickes.

Robinson is hopeful of signing a power-hitting third baseman and a catcher for next season. He is also hoping to add two promising walk-on players, a pitcher and an infielder, from Hawaii.

But for the most part, Robinson is happy with the Lions’ efforts in the off-season.

“We’re feeling pretty good about things,” he said. “We know a little more about what’s here and what’s needed. We went through some rough times last year but we think that can only help us for the future.”