HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL / SOUTHERN SECTION PREVIEWS : CHANNEL LEAGUE

Buena

COACH: Stan Hedegard, 9th season

LAST SEASON: 12-8; 2nd in league at 8-6

PLAYERS TO WATCH: The Bulldogs plan to “hit with authority,” Hedegard said. “This is the most powerful team I’ve had, as far as hitting the long ball.” Senior third baseman Gary Paul (.350) will bat third or fourth. Senior Brandon Knight, a right-hander who will play second base between starts, batted .391 with nine doubles. Knight, an All-Ventura County selection, pitched well late last season and threw a two-hitter in a 1-0 loss to Arroyo Grande in a playoff opener. Shortstop Aaron Triana, a three-year starter, batted .304. Senior left fielder Robert Simpson, recovering from an off-season knee injury, provides more pop. Aside from Knight on the mound, “we don’t have much to pick from,” Hedegard said. James Melcher and Chris Stehle, both junior left-handers, move up from the junior varsity. Hedegard has high hopes for sophomore right-hander Dan Rodriguez, who did not play last season. At catcher, senior Chris Davis and junior Chris Hebert, up from the junior varsity, are battling. Aside from Simpson, the outfield is all new. Competing for positions are juniors Jose Guzman, Chris Ramirez and Chris Perez, a transfer from Chaffey. Junior first baseman Jason Kimble will add more power.

OUTLOOK: Buena has only five seniors on a roster of 17. “We’re pretty young, no doubt about it,” Hedegard said. “We’re looking at a lot of JV guys.” However, the infield is solid and that’s where experience counts. Most league coaches believe a clear favorite hasn’t emerged. Last season, Buena faltered after an 8-1 start.

*Hueneme

COACH: Reg Welker, 13th season

LAST SEASON: 13-10-1; 6th in league at 6-7-1.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: The Vikings have plenty of pitchers but few with experience. Lanky senior left-hander Juan Tostado, affectionately known as “the ostrich” was 3-0 with a 1.85 earned-run average in 30 1/3 innings last season. Tostado threw a no-hitter against Oxnard. Senior right-hander Ricardo Garcia, who joined the varsity late last season and has excellent control, is the other starter. Garcia also will play second base. Senior right-hander Jess Oliveres, who batted .282 last season, is a three-year shortstop and also the top reliever. Sophomore left-hander Kris Gundrum, who will split time with Tostado at first base, threw a pair of no-hitters for the junior varsity. Senior right-handers Robert Lopez and Robert Chavez are promising. Seniors Juan Ponce (.321, 15 runs batted in) Scott Cain and Julian Barajas, a varsity newcomer, form the outfield. Speedy junior Raudel Flores (.254), who had seven infield singles last season, moves from first to third and will bat leadoff. “He runs like the wind,” Welker said. Junior newcomers Art Bolen and Robert Ralston are vying for the catching job.

OUTLOOK: Welker counts pitching and defense as strengths. “We have about nine guys who can throw,” he said. Hitting might be another story. The Vikings batted only .242 last season. “We have a lot more hard-working people than last year,” Welker said.

*Oxnard

COACH: Dan Garcia, 2nd season

LAST SEASON: 5-16-1; 7th in league at 4-9-1

PLAYERS TO WATCH: The Yellowjackets have few returning players but boast a talented group of young players. The middle infield is intact with the return of senior shortstop Ruben Torres (.283) and senior second baseman Chris Carillo. Both are good baserunners. Senior Hector Canales, who will start at third, was dismissed for disciplinary reasons last season, but his attitude has improved, Garcia said. Three juniors--Steve Borgstedte, Eric Terril and John Salinas--are battling at first base. All played for the junior varsity last season. Junior right-handers Bobby Meek and Chuck Harrington will rotate between starting pitcher and outfield. Senior Robert Ruiz returns in left field. Senior catcher Mark Ledesma moves into a starting role. Senior Larry Bumpus, a gifted football and basketball player who has signed to play football at Oregon State, is another right-hander and a likely reliever. Bumpus played baseball as a sophomore but was ineligible last season.

OUTLOOK: Oxnard should improve with experience in key positions. Garcia plans to utilize an abundance of team speed. “Torres, Bumpus, Canales and Meek will steal bases,” Garcia said. “But last year, we hit about two bucks.” Bumpus and Harrington will bat third and fourth and provide power.

*Rio Mesa

COACH: Richard Duran, 7th season

LAST SEASON: 18-6-2; 1st in league at 12-2

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Seven starters in the field and two significant pitchers have graduated. Leadership will fall on the shoulders of seniors Victor Moreno and Jim Starr. Moreno, a left-handed hitter who batted .370 and earned All-Ventura County honors last season, will bat third and play right field. He has drawn interest from USC, Duran said. Starr, a three-year varsity member who hits with power, returns at catcher. Sophomore Eric Flores, a transfer from Santa Paula, is the Spartans’ catcher of the future. “He’s got good skills early,” Duran said. “He might become a Division I prospect or a pro prospect.” Junior first baseman Don DiDomizio, the school’s quarterback and a member of the basketball team, needs to improve at bat but is solid with the glove. Duran likes his newcomers. Manny Perez is the probable shortstop. Sophomores Rudy Swanger, a transfer from Santa Clara, and Vince Roman are competing at third base. “In the outfield, we really have a battle,” Duran said. Sophomore left fielder Fernando Barajas “can really run down the gappers” and will add to what Duran calls his best outfield in his tenure. Junior center fielder Johnny Espinoza also has quickness. Sophomore Charlie Boch, who appeared in eight games last season, is vying for a starting role. Experience is thin on the mound. Senior right-hander Greg Spink, who logged only 15 innings last season, is the No. 1 starter. Sophomore right-hander Daniel Martinez (6-feet-4, 195 pounds), a hard thrower, is promising. Juniors Robert Cabral, a right-hander, and Cory Lewis, a left-hander, are up from the junior varsity.

OUTLOOK: Rio Mesa, league champion the past three seasons, will be tested because so many players have departed. “It’s going to be tough for us,” Duran said. “Right down the road, we’ll have the making of a pretty good product from these kids. But I don’t know if we will this year or not.”

*Ventura

COACH: Dan Smith, 14th season

LAST SEASON: 9-17; 8th in league at 3-11

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Ventura will rely on a core of players Smith is hoping will improve over last season. Senior shortstop Danny Lopez is the only returnee who hit better than .300. There’s no shortage of talented infielders. Seniors Eddie Centeno, who is recovering from a recent hand operation, and Derek Swafford, who accepted a football scholarship to Northwestern, are battling at second base. Swafford, Smith said, can play anywhere and might emerge as one of the best hitters in the county. Senior Lyle Camarillo, a part-time starter last season, will play in the outfield. “Those four really have to have good years,” Smith said. Sophomore Monty Moritz, a returning letterman, is the team’s best right-hander and also will play first base. Sophomore right-hander Seth Casey, who will pitch and play infield, “is going to be a dandy,” Smith said. “He has all the attributes.” Juniors David Mace and DeWayne Mathis, both up from the junior varsity, can play infield or outfield, and both have good speed. Junior Damian Aragon was the junior varsity catcher.

OUTLOOK: Ventura sputtered last season because of ineffective pitching and an anemic offense. “We’ve got to manufacture more runs this year,” Smith said. “I thought we had some good hitters last year, but they never got on track.” Hitting might be improved but pitching remains thin.