O’Ravez to Coach Baseball at Grant, Vranau at Burbank

Grant and Burbank highs have filled baseball coaching vacancies.

Grant promoted assistant David O’Ravez, giving the former Cal State Northridge infielder his first shot as a varsity head coach.

George Vranau, a former coach from the region, has been named the baseball coach at Burbank.

Vranau, who resigned as coach at Chaminade after the 1992 season, will teach special-education courses at Burbank.

He replaces Dave Johnson, who resigned last spring after three seasons. Burbank, which competes in the Foothill League, was 7-15 last season and tied Alhambra for last place in league play at 4-11. In 1991, the Bulldogs were 18-6 and won the league title at 12-3.

In Vranau’s three years as Chaminade coach, the Eagles compiled a record of 29-46-1. Last season, Chaminade stumbled badly and finished 4-22 and last in the Mission League at 1-11. Chaminade lost 21 consecutive games during one stretch.

Vranau coached the Canoga Park American Legion baseball team over the summer.

O’Ravez, who also coaches soccer at Grant, replaces Tom Lucero, who left over the summer after 16 seasons as coach to take a teaching position in Virginia.

O’Ravez played college baseball at Southern Mississippi in addition to Northridge. He has been an assistant at Grant since 1989. He also teaches science.

Grant, which won a City Section 4-A Division title under Lucero in 1986, finished 17-7 last spring and placed second in the East Valley League at 13-4.