PREP BASEBALL 1993: SUNSET LEAGUE

Fountain Valley

1992 RECORDS: OVERALL: 16-13 LEAGUE: 7-5

COACH: RECORD AT SCHOOL Ron LaRuffa: 70-39

RETURNING STARTERS YR. POS. B-T Mark Gardner Sr. P L-L Joe Hudson Sr. 2B R-R Rich Montgomery Sr. P/1B R-R Ara Petrosian Sr. P R-R Brian Ponchak Sr. P/1B R-R

OTHER TOP RETURNERS YR. POS. B-T Chuck Harcar Sr. 2B R-L Geoff Wilson Jr. CF R-R

TOP NEWCOMERS YR. POS. B-T Kent Montgomery So. SS R-R Keith Robinson Jr. RF R-R

OUTLOOK

Fountain Valley opened the Loara tournament with a 9-0 victory over Downey, with Ponchak and Rich Montgomery combining for a two-hitter. Ponchak has signed with USC, and when asked what position the Trojans had projected for him, LaRuffa said, “Pitching or hitting, the guy can do it all.” Ponchak hit two home runs in a victory over Cypress. Petrosian, a first-team all-league selection as a junior, will be the team’s No. 2 pitcher, with Montgomery becoming the closer. Gardner, a left-hander, is the No. 4 pitcher, but LaRuffa says the senior “could be one of the best pitchers in the county if he had better control.” The Barons figure to be a vastly improved hitting team after scoring two runs or less in seven of their 12 league games last season. “We lost two heartbreakers to Huntington Beach, 2-1 and 1-0,” LaRuffa said. “Hopefully we’ll be better offensively this season.” Harcar went three for three, and Hudson hit a home run as Fountain Valley started six juniors in its opener. LaRuffa on the league race: “There’s going to be three good teams who won’t go to the playoffs.”