Many Have Reasons to Believe

Baseball is back. Which is good, because there were many who didn’t want to see the 1995 season end. Last season was arguably the finest in county history, with four teams winning Southern Section titles. This season figures to be wide open, with at least 20 coaches believing their teams have a chance at winning a league title and going on to postseason glory.

So without further ado . . .

Will Pat Riley be making another tidy profit from “three-peat” paraphernalia?

Neither Fountain Valley nor La Quinta would mind. Both are two-time defending section champions--the Barons in Division I, the Aztecs in Division III. Sonora (Division II) and Calvary Chapel (Division V) also won titles in 1995.

And don’t forget Santa Margarita, which advanced to the Division III championship game.

La Quinta was hit hard by graduation but has a couple of prominent transfers, including infielder Shaun Larkin. Sonora lost pitcher-infielder Junior Rodriguez, infielder Marc Patino and outfielder B.J. Baumgarten, but returns pitcher-first baseman David Miller and infielder Ryan Owens. Calvary Chapel returns nearly its entire team.

All four champions should be strong title contenders again.

So what other teams are worth watching?

There’s an array of contenders ready to take their swings at the big four, starting with Santa Margarita.

Capistrano Valley, coming off a big American Legion summer and with right-handed pitcher Rik Currier as its cornerstone, is loaded. So is Marina, with two key transfers in catcher Brad Cresse (Los Alamitos) and second baseman Kenny LaPoint (Woodbridge). Mater Dei is a perennial threat.

It doesn’t figure Esperanza will have two sub-.500 seasons in a row. Katella, Tustin, Canyon, Ir vine, Garden Grove, Brea Olinda, Magnolia and University will also make some noise. Among the possible contenders are Western, Aliso Niguel, Foothill, Fullerton, Westminster, Corona del Mar, Laguna Hills, Trabuco Hills and Cypress.

Who are the hitters that teams never want to face with the game on the line?

The long and short of it are Mater Dei’s Mike Hessman and Cypress’ Bobby Brito.

Hessman is a 6-foot-6 muscleman; Brito, the Centurions’ compact catcher, is 5-9. Both hit 12 homers last year, one short of the county record. Both were potent RBI men; Hessman had 37 runs batted in, Brito 36. Both hit for average too:; Brito hit a sizzling .500, Hessman .424. Both were Times Orange County first-team selections as juniors.

Are either nearing any county records?

Brito has 29 doubles, only one shy of the career total of Sonora’s Brian Greer (1974-1977).

OK, so you walk Brito and Hessman, even with the bases loaded. Who else can hurt you?

Try to avoid Marina’s Cresse (.433) and LaPoint (.462), Garden Grove’s Gabe Maldonado (.434), Corona del Mar’s Kevin Stuart (.394), Katella’s Drake Gustafson (.410), Sonora’s David Miller (.454) and Ryan Owens (.348), Sunny Hills’ Greg Garand (.349), Capistrano Valley’s Todd Miller (.435) and Woodbridge’s Darren Cohan (.360) . . . unless you love long innings.

Is there a pitcher who makes batters want to do homework instead of play?

Currier. In 71.2 innings for Capistrano Valley last season, he had 98 strikeouts and a minuscule earned-run average (0.49). And that was as a sophomore.

And beyond Currier?

Also with an ability to bring about hitting slumps are Marina’s Justin Lynch (10-2, 1.39 ERA), Canyon’s Jeff Leuenberger (10-1, 0.88), Mater Dei’s Mike Kolbach (8-2, 1.09), Calvary Chapel’s Josh Stewart (10-1, 1.60), Katella’s Joe Fraser (8-2, 1.60), Brea Olinda’s Aaron Hough (9-1, 2.09), Aliso Niguel’s Eddie Stevenson (9-7, 0.84) and Santa Margarita’s Justin Parker (7-1, 1.46).

What league will be the toughest to win?

The folks in the Empire, Freeway, Orange and Pacific Coast leagues might argue, but the big dogs run in the Sunset League. Marina, led by Lynch, a senior right-hander, is determined to end Fountain Valley’s dominance. Esperanza was the Division I champion before Fountain Valley began its two-year reign. Los Alamitos is supposed to have its best team in several years, and Huntington Beach is determined to spoil somebody’s party.

After the Sunset, which league’s games will be the most fun to watch?

Probably a tossup between the Orange and Sea View, which had two of the best league races last season. In the Orange, Brea and Magnolia wound up co-champions; it was Magnolia’s first baseball title of any kind since 1984, and both figure (along with Western) to battle right up to the playoffs. Same thing with Santa Margarita and Irvine in the Sea View, although Corona del Mar might make things even more interesting.

What team has the best bloodlines?

At least six teams feature sons of current and former major league players and one major league coach. El Dorado outfielder Brandon Downing is the son of ex-White Sox, Angel and Ranger Brian Downing. Esperanza catcher David Parrish is the son of Lance Parrish, who has caught for many major league teams and is at spring training with the Pirates this year.

Marina’s Cresse, a catcher, is the son of Dodger coach Mark Cresse. Whittier Christian outfielder Tyler Burleson is the son of Angel coach and former major leaguer Rick Burleson. Brea Olinda’s Hough is the son of former Dodger, Ranger, White Sox and Marlin Charlie Hough. And Villa Park infielder Matt Boone is the son of former Phillie, Angel and Royal--not to mention current Kansas City manager--Bob Boone.

Which player has the best baseball name?

El Toro’s sophomore second baseman Clemente Bonilla, whose parents, obviously, were big fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Which team is the most fit?

Try Western. Coach Robert Harrison has a rule: If your only sport is baseball, then you must run on the school’s cross-country team too. This past season, the Pioneers won two Orange League cross-country meets for the first time in 18 years. How that translates into hitting a curveball remains to be seen.

Who received the first honors of 1996?

Hi Lavalle. The former Canyon High coach had the school’s baseball field named after him Friday before the Comanches’ home game against Aliso Niguel. Lavalle coached at Canyon for 19 seasons, leading the Comanches to the section Division 3-A title in 1984 and the Division 4-A final in 1991.

Who is making the biggest comeback?

Fullerton’s Coach Marty Berson. The last time he coached a high school baseball team was 18 years ago at Savanna. “Many of my players now weren’t even born then,” Berson said. In between prep stops, Berson coached at Santa Monica City College, where he still teaches. The Indians would be wise to listen to Berson. Among the future major leaguers he coached at Savanna include Greg Mathews, Glenn Hoffman and Marty Castillo.

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The Top 10

1. Capistrano Valley

“Every three to four years,” notes a rival coach, “Bob Zamora puts together one of those loaded teams.” This is one of those. The Cougars have the county’s best pitcher in junior Rik Currier and have an excellent blend of juniors and seniors. Capistrano Valley wants to show there are other teams besides Mater Dei in the South Coast League.

2. Marina

The Vikings could almost be No. 1A. On paper, at least, they are bursting in talent with pitcher Justin Lynch, a 10-game winner in 1995; catcher Brad Cresse, a transfer from Los Alamitos who had nine homers and 28 RBIs; second baseman Kenny La Point (.462), a transfer from Woodbridge; and a corps of returning players led by third baseman Brandon Schneider.

3. Mater Dei

The Monarchs were, perhaps, one pitcher from joining the school’s football and basketball teams as section champions last season. That pitcher was Mike Hessman, whose sore arm kept him from throwing after the middle of March. There was nothing wrong with Hessman’s bat, however, as he tied Cypress’ Bobby Brito for the county home run title (12). Hessman said he is ready to return to the mound.

4. Santa Margarita

The Eagles are another team that supposedly had too many quality players graduate, but Coach Tip Lefebvre has built a powerful program. The feeling here is finishing as runner-up in the Division III finals to La Quinta last season was only the beginning.

5. Sonora

Another team that came of age, the Raiders not only reached their first title game since 1973, but they won their first section championship (Division II). Most of last season’s nucleus returns for another title run, led by David Miller, who had a record of 9-3-1 and batted .454.

6. Katella

The varsity experience is minimal, and after Joe Fraser, the pitching is suspect. But the bats of Drake Gustafson (.396, 40 hits), Hector Vazquez (.396, 25 RBIs) and Fraser (.360) should keep the Knights atop the Empire League and make them a difficult tournament opponent. How far Katella gets in the playoffs will be determined by how fast the sophomores and juniors mature.

7. La Quinta

Like Fountain Valley, La Quinta is a two-time defending section champion (Division III). Like Fountain Valley, the Aztecs have several outstanding players to replace, including The Times’ Orange County player of the year, Craig Jones. Coach Dave Demarest will tell anyone who listens that he has to put nine new players on the field and has no idea what will happen. But the Aztecs, like Fountain Valley, have too much tradition to expect a mediocre season.

8. Fountain Valley

It’s hard to contemplate a two-time Division I champion not being the favorite in its own league, but the Barons play in the county’s toughest, the Sunset. Fountain Valley also is a little down this year, having lost two Times’ first-team all-county players and most of its pitching staff. But down for Fountain Valley is not the same as it is for other teams.

9. Esperanza

The Aztecs might be the first team to fall out of the top 10; their pitching staff entered the season beset by injuries. If Coach Mike Curran’s squad gets healthy by spring break, look out. Esperanza plays good defense and has some decent hitting.

10. Calvary Chapel

The program by which all other small schools are measured. The Eagles have been to two section finals in a row and are the defending Division V champions. They return most of their players, including six starters. Pitchers Josh Stewart and John Tucker combined for 19 of the Eagles’ 20 victories last season.