Young, Gifted and the Best in County : Baseball: Katella’s Wright, Orange’s Archuleta, Tustin’s Baker are among the top players.

It’s high school baseball season. Sunshine and blue skies. Sunflower seeds and bad hot dogs.

Bored at work? Then take the afternoon off and check out some of Orange County’s best.

Young gun: Baseball America ranks Katella pitcher Jaret Wright as the fourth-best high school prospect in the nation.

Last season, Wright was 4-3 with a 3.01 earned-run average. Not the most impressive numbers, but his fastball has been clocked as high as 94 m.p.h, according to Katella Coach Tim McMenamin.

“We had a scrimmage Saturday and there were 50 scouts there, easy,” McMenamin said. “There were 25 there, an hour before the game. When Jaret went to warm up, there was dead silence. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Wright also can hit. He had a .451 average with seven home runs and 26 runs batted in. Wright, who plays in the outfield when he’s not pitching, might be the best all-around player in Orange County. If Katella charged for its home games, Wright would be worth the price of admission.

Almost as much fun is watching Wright’s father, former Angel pitcher Clyde Wright, in the stands. Wright chips at umpires, opposing coaches, opposing players and even opposing fans. He’s good for a few laughs.

“He keeps everyone loose,” McMenamin said.

Happy campers: A group of Foothill baseball players just couldn’t wait for practice to officially begin Feb. 19. They were so eager, in fact, they spent the night of Feb. 18 on the Foothill baseball field.

“I was leaving school about 8:30 and I saw lights on the field,” Knight Coach Gerry Sedoo said. “I walked down there and there they were, hitting in the batting cage. They had tents and sleeping bags and were set for the night.”

But they didn’t exactly rough it. The players also brought a television set and a VCR. They watched “Major League” and “Eight Men Out.”

“Practice started Feb. 19 and Feb. 19 began at midnight,” Knight second baseman Jeff Pickler said. “We wanted to get it started.”

The evening wasn’t all fun and games, though. It rained part of the night. Hopefully, for the Knights, that wasn’t an omen.

Foothill finished last in the Century League a year ago.

Hit man: Orange’s Saul Archuleta has in sight the county career record for hits. Archuleta, a three-year starter, has 97, 54 of which came last season. He is within range of Shawn Green’s mark of 147.

Green, an outfielder for Tustin from 1988-91, got a $700,000 signing bonus from the Toronto Blue Jays in 1991. That number is out of reach for Archuleta.

Finally a senior: Tustin’s Derek Baker, the seventh-best high school player in the nation, according to Baseball America, will be gone after this season. It’s about time in the eyes of Tiller opponents.

Baker, a third baseman, began his varsity career with a three-run double in his first at-bat as a freshman. He hit .405 with five home runs and a county-high 37 RBIs last season.

Young gun II: Seth Etherton might not attract quite as many scouts as Wright, but he’s certainly no slouch.

Etherton, a senior pitcher, is 28th on the Baseball America list of high school players. He was 8-2 last season with a 1.44 ERA and led the county with 110 strikeouts. Etherton, who has signed with USC, also hit seven home runs.

For Pete’s sake: Pete Zamora, pitcher/first baseman for Capistrano Valley, is listed as the 35th-best high school prospect in the nation by Baseball America, and scouts already are buzzing around him.

Zamora, though, already has a trusted and knowledgeable adviser--his father.

Bob Zamora is his coach at Capistrano Valley and a former professional player. He played in the San Diego Padre organization, reaching the double-A level.

“I was your classic good-field, no-hit outfielder,” Zamora said. “But I came out of Chapman (College) the same year that the major leagues expanded. I walked into the Padres’ first tryout camp and got a couple hits in front of Buzzie Bavasi. They signed me as a free agent.”

But Zamora doesn’t even try to dazzle his son with tales of great exploits.

“Pete will tell you that he’s a better hitter right now than I ever was,” said Zamora, “and he’s right.”

Pete Zamora, who has signed with UCLA, isn’t bad on the mound either. He was 8-3 with a 1.45 ERA and 100 strikeouts last season.

Him again: Empire League football coaches thought they had it bad when Enrico Bozman transferred from Bellflower to Los Alamitos last summer. But baseball coaches might have it even worse.

Many think Bozman, an outfielder, is better at baseball. He gained 1,532 yards, scored 24 touchdowns and was named first-team all-county in football. How much better can he be?

Empire League coaches don’t want to know.

Luck of the Irish?: La Quinta’s Jim Livernois was 13-3 last season and was named The Times Orange County player of the year. But fortunately for him, Kennedy comes up on the schedule only twice this season.

Livernois has lost to the Fighting Irish eight times in three seasons, including twice last year. It’s a good bet Livernois doesn’t celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

Like father, like son: Troy outfielder Brad Downing beefed up over the past year, looking more and more like his father, former Angel Brian Downing.

Brad Downing hit .290 last season with four home runs, numbers that should improve. But even if he does, don’t look for a lot of sterling quotes from the senior outfielder. He’s almost as media-shy as his father.

“I told Brad that if he had the type of season he was expecting, then some reporter might want to do a story on him,” Troy Coach Dane Ilertsen said. “He said, ‘Oh, no. “

Brian Downing is equally shy about watching his son play. He usually hides down the foul line, well away from the crowd.

Said Ilertsen: “It’ll be about the second inning and we’ll hear Brian’s Harley Davidson in the parking lot. Five minutes later, Brian will be hiding behind a pole down the line. Brian and Brad are very much alike.”

Or so Ilertsen hopes.

Sophomore jinx? Bobby Brito, Cypress’ standout outfielder, may not have done himself a favor by being such a sensation as a freshman.

Brito was second in the county with a .542 average. He also had four home runs and 33 RBIs. It guaranteed him three years of being thrown at and pitched around. In fact, he might not see another strike until after he graduates from high school.

Teacher’s pet: Laguna Hills’ Brett Nista receives plenty of praise. As the 43rd-best high school player in the nation--according to Baseball America--that’s a given.

But it’s not just his athletic skills that catch people’s eyes.

“At least once a week, some teacher will come up to me and say what a great kid Brett is in class,” Laguna Hills Coach Pete Tereschuk said. “They say what a pleasure it is to have him in class, just the opposite of what they would expect from someone who receives so much attention.”

Laguna Hills’ opponents would prefer Nista be a little nicer on the field. He hit .430 and led the county with 11 home runs last season.

Nista has signed with UCLA.

Repeat? Esperanza’s Jason Murrietta was the county’s leading hitter last season with a .565 average, but he’s getting a little tired of hearing about it.

“That’s about all people talk to me about,” said Murrietta, a catcher. “They come up to me and say, ‘So, are you going to lead the county again?’ How do I know? I wasn’t thinking about it last year, so I’m not going to think about it this year.”

That might be wise. Murrietta is one of only two starters returning for the Aztecs. Pitchers are certain to treat him with care until his teammates prove they can hit.

A day to play hooky: Take the afternoon off on March 25. Capistrano Valley plays at Dana Hills in a South Coast League game. Zamora (UCLA) vs. Etherton (USC). The preseason’s top two teams. Gosh, this could be fun.

They will play two more times, but the first meeting will set the tone. It could be epic. At the very least, it could kill an afternoon.

Bring your own sunflower seeds.

The Times Baseball Top 10

1. DANA HILLS The Dolphins have one of the county’s top pitchers in Seth Etherton. They picked up another quality pitcher when Chris Toomey transferred from University. Dana Hills returns the middle of its defense--catcher, shortstop, second base and center field.

2. CAPISTRANO VALLEY Will give the Dolphins a run for the league title. Pete Zamora is a notch below Etherton as a pitcher. The Cougars also picked up a second quality pitcher in Brandon Puffer, who sat out last season for disciplinary reasons. Six position players return.

3. EL DORADO Last season was an off year for the Golden Hawks and they missed the Southern Section Division I playoffs. But eight starters return, including three pitchers. Benito Flores was 8-3 last season. El Dorado will be the class of a very competitive Empire League.

4. TROY The Warriors return seven starters from a team that was 19-6 last season. Rick Parmenter finished 8-1 with 76 strikeouts. Brad Downing, Brian Logan and Nick Ruzzi are all solid hitting outfielders. The Warriors will test themselves in the Upper Deck tournament this year.

5. ORANGE Everyone, and that means everyone, is back. The Panthers were Century League co-champions, reached the quarterfinals of the Division II playoffs and could go farther this season. There is more pitching depth and experience everywhere.

6. EDISON The Chargers finished second in the Sunset League last season and may improve a position this season. Todd Belitz gives them a mound ace. Jamie Surdock is a solid No. 2 starter when he’s not playing shortstop. Two other starters return, plus four lettermen.

7. LAGUNA HILLS The Hawks return five position players and five, count ‘em, five starting pitchers. Brett Nista is a quality player at shortstop. Casey Bennett is back at second base and Ron DiVito at third, so the infield is solid. All that is needed is one pitcher to step up and be the ace.

8. TUSTIN The Tillers, who won the Division III title, lost their top pitchers but should be among the top teams again. They return six starters, including the multitalented Derek Baker, and six other lettermen. If a couple of pitchers emerge, Tustin will be strong again.

9. FOUNTAIN VALLEY Sure, the Barons lost a lot. Brian Ponchak, their top pitcher and hitter, is at USC. But Fountain Valley won the Colt League World Series last summer, so the cupboard is not bare. Dave Hoppie returns at catcher and Daniel Keller is back at shortstop and will pitch.

10. MATER DEI The Monarchs a third-place team? Quite possibly, considering the county’s top two teams are also in the South Coast League. But Mater Dei, as always, is loaded with talent. Erik Mattern returns at shortstop and Matt Treanor at catcher. Pitching, as always, is a question.

Others: Esperanza, Irvine, Katella, La Quinta, Los Alamitos, Marina, Santa Ana Valley.