PREP BASEBALL 1993 / PRIVATE SCHOOLS

HUNT. BEACH CLAREMONT 1992 RECORDS OVERALL: 5-9 LEAGUE: 5-3

COACH: RECORD AT SCHOOL Brian Whitman: 0-0

RETURNING STARTERS YR. POS. B-T Rick Busch So. OF-1B L-L Brett Hazan Jr. P R-R Steve Kimble So. 3B R-R Gavin Watson Jr. CF R-R David Gumm So. 2B R-R

*

OTHER TOP RETURNERS YR. POS. B-T Tony Smuck Sr. OF R-R

*

TOP NEWCOMERS YR. POS. B-T Jeff Peacock So. SS R-R Kevin Van Auken Fr. C R-R

OUTLOOK

First-year coach Whitman will have plenty of underclassmen to work with while rebuilding the Claremont program this season. Injury took the Cougars’ starting shortstop out of the picture. Mike Gumm, David’s older brother, will miss the season with a dislocated shoulder. Peacock, a sophomore, steps into the void. “I’m just throwing him to the wolves,” Whitman said. Whitman will also start a freshman at catcher. Van Auken replaces Garret Martinez, a first-team all-league catcher who hit .417 last season. “Everybody’s young and inexperienced for us,” Whitman said. “But I think we should be real competitive. I believe most teams in our league are looking to rebuild this season.” Kimble is the team’s most improved player, Whitman said, and he will bat fourth. Hazan is the team’s top pitcher, and he will also lead off. With Kimble at third, David Gumm at second and Busch at first, to go with Van Auken and Peacock, Whitman is confident his infield will be solid. Suzie Sykes, the only girl on the Claremont roster, will back up Busch at first. “I don’t know who’s going to go 1-2-3 in our league, and I don’t know if anyone does,” Whitman said.