Newbury Oaks’ Experience Prompts Envy Among Foes : Legion baseball: Veteran team carries 23-game winning streak into Area 6 tournament that begins today at UCLA.

An opposition coach took a look at the birth dates of the players on the Newbury Oaks American Legion roster and winced.

Envy and curiosity got the best of him. He had to know.

“He asked me how I got all these college players to come back and play,” Newbury Oaks Coach Chuck Fick said. “I told him it was easy. Most of them have been together since they were 13 years old.”

Familiarity has bred success. Newbury Oaks has won 23 games in a row entering the first round of the Area 6 tournament, which will begin today at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium.

When team rosters were confirmed at a meeting of Legion administrators Monday night, several coaches were openly envious of Newbury Oaks’ tournament experience and maturity. Of the 16 players on the roster of Newbury Oaks (23-1), seven played last summer for Conejo A, which placed third in the state tournament in Yountville.

Seven players on the current roster graduated last year from either Thousand Oaks or Newbury Park highs, giving Newbury Oaks a substantial edge in experience over many teams.

Of the seven 1991 graduates, four played at the college level last spring. Only two players, seniors-to-be Jamal Nichols and David Lamb, will be eligible to play Legion ball next summer.

Newbury Oaks, the District 16 champion, will open the tournament against District 20 champion Van Nuys-Notre Dame (26-3) today at 2 p.m. District 20 runner-up Encino-Crespi (20-8) will open at 10 a.m. today against Pomona. Claremont will play Westchester at 6 p.m.

The double-elimination tournament ends Sunday. The winner advances to the state tournament in Yountville, Aug. 8-12.

Newbury Oaks today will start left-hander Adam West, who is 8-1 with an earned-run average of 1.42. West played last season at Lewis-Clark College in Lewiston, Idaho. Van Nuys will counter with left-hander Chris Leveque (6-1, 1.95), who will be a senior in the fall at Notre Dame High.

Beyond the left-handers on the mound, the similarities between the teams end: Van Nuys’ starting lineup features as many as seven players with remaining high school eligibility. Third baseman Lou Tapia, who redshirted in the spring at Pierce College, leads the starters in batting average (.470), runs batted in (40) and homers (seven).

Similarly, Encino’s roster is composed solely of players with remaining high school eligibility. Four Encino players were regulars for Crespi High last spring as juniors.

Encino right-hander Jeff Suppan (9-1, 0.98) is expected to start against Pomona and has struck out 131 in 78 innings. Suppan, who will be a senior and also plays first base, has walked only 12.

Suppan (.476, 42 RBIs), catcher Casey Snow (.375) and outfielder Kyle Carden (.351) lead Encino.

For Newbury Oaks, third baseman Ryan Kritscher, who plays at Southern Mississippi, leads off and is batting .571 with 10 doubles, five homers and 38 RBIs. Kritscher leads a contingent of six Newbury Oaks players batting above .400, including first baseman Trent Martin (.477, eight homers, 41 RBIs) and catcher Robert Fick (.531, 43 RBIs), the coach’s brother.