1994 PREP BASEBALL / Los Angeles Times ALL-STARS : Bolling, Jenkins Make It a 1-2 Sweep for West Torrance

The expectations of West Torrance High baseball Coach Harry Jenkins were cautiously modest before the 1994 season.

Sure, the Warriors returned two of the area’s best players in infielder Derek Nicholson, The Times’ 1993 South Bay Player of the Year, and Jimmy Yates, an all-star outfielder. But after that, it was a team dominated by underclassmen and varsity newcomers.

“To be honest, considering how inexperienced we were on the mound and behind the plate, I would have been pretty satisfied with a winning season and a playoff spot,” Jenkins said.

But West’s apparent weakness at pitcher and catcher turned into strengths. Juniors Kirk Bolling and David Delgado, neither of whom had ever pitched on the varsity level, combined to win 19 games, and freshman Tony Cosentino, who became catcher by default, batted .440 and drove in 27 runs.

The emergence of those players, combined with the leadership of Nicholson and Yates, added up to a lot more than Jenkins envisioned. West posted a 25-7 record, tied senior-dominated El Segundo for the Pioneer League title and reached the Southern Section Division III final. La Quinta beat the Warriors, 3-1, in the championship game Saturday night at Cal State Fullerton when center fielder Anibal Delacruz made a running catch on Nicholson’s deep drive to center with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh inning.

For their efforts, Bolling--whose production as a hitter and pitcher was unmatched in the area--and Jenkins have been chosen The Times’ South Bay Player and Coach of the Year, respectively.

Bolling, West’s quarterback in football, quickly developed into one of the area’s top pitchers. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound right-hander was 10-3 with a 2.09 earned-run average, 83 strikeouts and 31 walks in 77 innings. He played third base when he wasn’t pitching and led South Bay players with 50 hits, batting .454. He hit seven home runs, including two in the playoffs, and had 37 runs batted in.

“The only other guy I had who could pitch and hit like that was (Scott) Davison,” said Jenkins, referring to the former Redondo standout. “He’s going to be quite a prospect next year.”

Bolling was named Pioneer League most valuable player.

Because of the improvement of younger players, Jenkins said this was perhaps the most rewarding of his 23 seasons as coach. West started only two seniors.

“It was a really satisfying group,” said Jenkins, whose career record stands at 419-217-5 after 19 seasons at Redondo (1970-88) and four at West Torrance. “They were fun to coach.”

With most of his players returning, Jenkins could be in for more fun in 1995. He reached a division final for the first time this season. Next year’s goal will be one better.

Profiles of other all-stars

Scott Albin, Redondo--One of the South Bay’s winningest pitchers, Albin had a three-year varsity record of 23-4. He was 11-1 with two saves this season, his only loss coming against Gahr in the Division II quarterfinals. The right-hander was selected Ocean League Most Valuable Player after a 5-0 league season, and he was the winning pitcher in both of Redondo’s playoff victories. Albin had a 2.31 earned-run average, 97 strikeouts and 34 walks in 87 2/3 innings.

Brian Bowles, Peninsula--A unanimous choice as Bay League Most Valuable Player, Bowles (8-3) led the area with a 1.13 ERA and had 96 strikeouts in 68 innings pitched. He walked only 16. The 6-5, 205-pound right-hander was nearly untouchable in league play, posting a 5-0 record that included a no-hitter against Hawthorne. Overall, opponents batted .172 against him. Bowles signed with Long Beach State.

Gary Sloan, San Pedro--The latest in a long line of outstanding catchers at San Pedro, Sloan played sound defense and ignited many rallies with his power hitting in the cleanup spot. The 6-foot, 210-pounder led the Pirates with six home runs and eight doubles, batting .405 with 26 runs batted in. He was named to the Pacific League first team. Sloan played linebacker on San Pedro’s 1993 City Section 3-A Division champion football team.

Mike Poor, El Segundo--Named Most Outstanding Player in the Pioneer League, Poor emerged as one of the South Bay’s most feared hitters. The 6-5, 220-pound first baseman led the area with a .521 average (49 for 94), 11 doubles, 12 home runs and 45 RBIs. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a kid improve as much from one year to the next,” said El Segundo Coach John Stevenson, who completed his 35th season. Poor’s brother, Jeff, is a standout catcher at Harbor College.

Morgan Ensberg, Redondo--After earning all-star honors in basketball, Ensberg made a smooth transition to baseball. “I think he was Redondo’s best player,” Peninsula Coach Garry Poe said. Not only was Ensberg a defensive stalwart at shortstop, but he had a fine offensive season. He batted .457 with 10 doubles, three home runs and 28 RBIs, despite the fact that teams seemed to pitch around him. He walked 35 times in 29 games.

Marco Estrada, El Segundo--The backbone of El Segundo’s infield, Estrada played nearly flawless shortstop, committing only six errors in 30 games. He had the least amount of errors among the team’s infielders despite handling the most chances. Estrada also was efficient at the plate, batting .396 with eight doubles, three triples and 10 stolen bases. He struck out only six times in 110 plate appearances.

Derek Nicholson, West Torrance--Despite battling injuries, Nicholson again showed why many consider him one of the area’s best hitters, if not the best. He had more than 30 hits for the third consecutive season, batting .462 (36 for 78) with six home runs and 30 RBIs. “Everything he hit, he hit hard,” said El Segundo’s Stevenson, whose team lost twice to West. Nicholson had 120 hits in three varsity seasons.

Steve Rawson, Redondo--For sheer power, few players in the area could match the 6-3, 240-pound Rawson. He hit 11 home runs, and 18 of his 31 hits were for extra bases. “He’s the best player I’ve coached in my six years here,” Coach Tim Ammentorp said. The third baseman hit .364 with 36 RBIs and showed deceptive speed by stealing nine bases. As the closer, Rawson was 3-0 with five saves and a 1.64 ERA. He was named Most Outstanding Player in the Ocean League.

Daks Blanks, Carson--A two-time all-Pacific League choice, Blanks was the “quiet catalyst” behind the Colts winning a second consecutive league title, according to Coach Mike Kline. The right fielder batted .340 in the leadoff spot with five triples and a team-leading 25 stolen bases. Blanks, who played defensive back on Carson’s City Section 4-A champion team last season, has a football scholarship to Northern Arizona.

Jimmy Yates, West Torrance--A three-sport standout, Yates put together a baseball season that topped his all-Southern Section efforts in football and soccer. The junior center fielder batted .500 (41 for 82) with 41 runs scored, seven home runs, 41 RBIs and 13 stolen bases. His on-base percentage was .640. Yates came back to help West reach the Division III final after breaking two fingers on his right hand before the start of the playoffs.

Paul Weeks, South Torrance--Although he played for a losing team, Weeks distinguished himself as an all-around player. “He can run, hit, hit for power and he has a cannon arm,” South Torrance Coach Scott Spector said. West Coach Harry Jenkins ranks Weeks among the area’s top five players. Without much support, the pitcher-shortstop had to carry the load for South. He batted .377 with 17 RBIs and was 4-2 as a pitcher.

All Star Team

Name: Scott Albin Position: Pitcher School: Redondo Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: 11-1

Name: Brian Bowles Position: Pitcher School: Peninsula Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: 8-3

Name: Gary Sloan Position: Catcher School: San Pedro Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: .405

Name: Mike Poor Position: First Base School: El Segundo Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: .521

Name: Morgan Ensberg Position: Infield School: Redondo Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: .457

Name: Marco Estrada Position: Infield School: El Segundo Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: .396

Name: Derek Nicholson Position: Infield School: West Torrance Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: .462

Name: Steve Rawson Position: Infield School: Redondo Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: .364

Name: Daks Blanks Position: Outfield School: Carson Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: .340

Name: Jimmy Yates Position: Outfield School: West Torrance Year: Junior W-L/Avg.: .500

Name: Kirk Bolling Position: Utility School: West Torrance Year: Junior W-L/Avg.: 10-3/.454

Name: Paul Weeks Position: Utility School: South Torrance Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: 4-2/.377

Second Team

Pitchers--David Delgado, West Torrance, Jr.,9-1; Eric Fuller, Bishop Montgomery, Sr., 4-4;Scott McClaskey, Carson, Jr., 11-4; David Reed, El Segundo, Sr., 7-4.

Catcher--Rene Soto, Inglewood, Sr., .385

First Base--Ollie Turner, Torrance, Sr., .361

Infield--Kirk Mayer, El Segundo, Sr., .381; Domonek Prince, Redondo, Sr., .404.

Outfield--Art Martinez, Leuzinger, Sr., .439; Mike Margolf, Peninsula, Sr., .380; Kendrick Wallace, Carson, Sr., .374.

Utility--Tim Harper, San Pedro, Sr., 8-3/.384