Rancho Santiago Is the Team to Beat--Again

Picking Rancho Santiago to win the Orange Empire Conference baseball title is about as risky as calling “heads” on a two-headed coin.

The Dons have won six of the last eight conference titles and took state titles in 1993 and last season. Rancho Santiago also was in the 1994 title game.

Rancho Santiago is the favorite again this season, with conference play beginning Saturday.

Here’s a look at the teams:

Cypress (11-4): The Chargers, who won state titles in 1991 and 1994, came up a game short of the state tournament last season. Keith Ginter returns but has switched from the outfield to second base and will also be the closer. Jeremy Booth is playing first base after a part-time role as the designated hitter as a freshman.

The Chargers are stocked with freshman players from very successful high school teams. Outfielder Matt Roman (Fountain Valley), and infielders Craig Kuzmic (La Quinta) and Junior Rodriguez (Sonora) all played on teams that won Southern Section titles. Kuzmic has three home runs.

Mike Cosgrove (3-0), Ara Petrosian (2-1) and Rick Clagett (2-0), all sophomore right-handers, anchor the pitching staff.

Fullerton (9-1): Good starts are nothing new for the Hornets, who were 14-1 at this time last season. Fullerton then went 12-12 in conference and missed the playoffs.

Andy Tellez, who hit 14 home runs and drove in 50 runs last season in earning all-conference honors, is one of 13 returning players. Tellez, a left-handed hitting outfielder, already has two home runs, 10 doubles and 21 runs batted in this season.

Infielder Pancho Ruiz and right-handed starter Scott Parsonage, who also made the all-conference team, return. Ruiz has spent much of the early season at designated hitter because of a sore shoulder. Parsonage is 2-0 with an 1.50 earned-run average after going 9-2 as a freshman.

Golden West (6-4): The Rustlers lost the final 17 conference games last season, but hopes are high thanks to four returning pitchers. Josh LaRocca and Matt Murphy return after missing last season for academic reasons. Both are 2-0 and LaRocca has a shutout. Peter Cuellar and Dennis Kordich return and Joe Zannitto, a freshman from Kennedy High, has three saves.

Riley Breckenridge, a second baseman who transferred from Pepperdine, and freshman third baseman Ken Sundstrom are expected to lead the offense but have struggled so far. Mike Tyler, a freshman from Marina, is hitting .379 and Charlie Tuggle, a freshman outfielder from La Quinta, went nine for 10 in two games last week and is at .333.

Rancho Santiago (10-1): Tony Zuniga, who was the most valuable player of the state tournament last season and was invited to try out for Team USA last fall, is back at shortstop.

He is batting .419 with three home runs and 17 RBIs and could work in short relief as well. Derek Baker, a third baseman who came from USC, is hitting .463 with five homers and 14 RBIs.

Mike Brambilla, a catcher who transferred from Cal State Fullerton, is hitting .417 with three homers and 15 RBIs. Ryan Fullerton also is back and will split time in left field and at designated hitter.

Matt Montgomery and Brandon Hendrikx, both sophomore right-handers, return, but two freshmen have made the biggest impact. Matt Ward, a left-hander from Irvine High, is 3-0 with a save in four appearances, and Orin Kawahara, a right-hander from Hawaii, is 2-0.

Riverside (10-2): The Tigers are led by sophomore outfielder Rudy Arguellas, who has signed with Arizona State.

Robert Kilty, a freshman outfielder, has three home runs. The pitching staff is led by sophomore Mike Dambo and Ruben Juardo.

Orange Coast (12-0): Coach John Altobelli concentrated his recruiting efforts on defense and getting players from winning programs and it has paid off so far as the Pirates are the conference’s early surprise.

Deric Yanagisawa (.333, 10 RBIs) returns at catcher. James Surdock, a freshman from Edison, is 3-0, and Eric Turner, a freshman from Marina, and Jason Liuzzi, a freshman from Fountain Valley, are each 2-0. Tom Barilla, a starter, and Jim Brewer, a reliever, are the only returning pitchers.

Adam Cancellieri (.422) is back in the outfield along with Geoff Wilson. Shortstop Forest Long is the only sophomore in the infield besides Yanagisawa.

First baseman Chris Ponchak (.341) from Fountain Valley, designated hitter Joe Jones (.388, nine RBIs) from Calvary Chapel, and third baseman Travis Clutter (.400, 11 RBIs) from Edison are all first-year players making an impact.

Saddleback (8-2): The Gauchos reached the regional finals last season but lost to conference rival Rancho Santiago. Dom Lombardi is back at catcher and is hitting .438 with 13 RBIs. Ace Bedich, who returns at second base, is hitting .393, and Jon Lauderdale is back at third and batting .355.

Kevin Brady, who last played at San Diego Mesa in 1993, is at first base and hitting .429 with five doubles. Paul Day, a freshman outfielder from Capistrano Valley who was the most valuable player in the Orange County all-star game last spring, is hitting .419 with three home runs and 18 RBIs. Day also has a save.

Thys Bakker, who is from Holland, returns and is much improved. He is 2-0 with 16 strikeouts in 11 innings. Charlie Dieruf, a freshman from Kentucky, is also 2-0. Ryan McDermott, a sophomore right-hander, is 1-0 and has 13 strikeouts in 12 innings.