Not Only Is West Team Loaded, It Is Overloaded Behind Plate

El Camino Real High Coach Mike Maio and Simi Valley Coach Mike Scyphers have a problem. How are they going to get four catchers into a nine-inning baseball game?

It’s a nice problem to have, though, because of the catchers in question. Maio and Scyphers, who are coaching the West team in the Bernie Milligan all-star game at 3:30 p.m. today at Cal State Northridge, have to work in Simi Valley’s Kevin Nykoluk, Crespi’s Casey Snow, Kennedy’s David Bourne and Monroe’s John Shellabarger.

Nykoluk was The Times’ Ventura County player of the year and was drafted by the Montreal Expos. Snow, who has signed with Cal State Long Beach, was drafted by the Angels. Bourne was a first-team All-City selection. Shellabarger was an All-Mid-Valley pick.

“You could win a lot of games with this team,” Maio said. “I guess you could beat some college teams.”

The West also includes pitchers Jeff Suppan (Crespi), Keith Evans (Crespi) and Trevor Leppard (Simi Valley), shortstops Dan Cey (El Camino Real) and David Lamb (Newbury Park), first baseman Jeff Tagliaferri (Kennedy) and utility player Stacy Kleiner (Taft). All were drafted.

The East team, coached by Montclair Prep’s Walt Steele and Sylmar’s Gary Donatella, is not quite as loaded, primarily because the West includes the top three teams in the area--Simi Valley, Crespi and El Camino Real.

Infielder Brad Fullmer (Montclair Prep), catcher Nate Dishington (Hoover) and pitcher Gary Stephenson (Hart) are the only drafted players on the East squad, which also includes left-handed pitcher Chris Leveque (Notre Dame), outfielder Will Wallace (Quartz Hill) and third baseman Andy Dominique (Alemany).

Steele said he and Donatella don’t plan to do much coaching.

“We’re kind of like chaperons,” he said. “We are going to sit back and let them play. You won’t see any strategy on our part.”