1996 Baseball Preview : Golden West League

Ocean View: 9-17, 4-11 in 1995. Coach: Steve Barrett (eighth year, 120-71). Prospects: Seven starters return for the Seahawks, including senior outfielder Jared De La Chica, who batted .420, and senior first baseman Daniel Keys, who batted .320. Junior second baseman Bobby Mayorga, a .310 hitter, is back, as is senior catcher Tim Wind, a .300 hitter. “We should have good defense, a solid offense and a smart team,” Barrett said. Pitching might be a problem, though, since only Chad Mast has varsity experience.

Saddleback: 7-18, 3-12 in 1995. Coach: Bob Mangram (22nd year, 208-204-4). Prospects: Things are looking up for the Roadrunners, who return five players. “We should be better because we have an experienced pitching staff,” Mangram said. Joel Ramirez, who posted a .377 ERA and 4-7 record, is back, as is Juan Salazar, who will handle the pitching staff at catcher. Infielder Renato Mejia, who batted. 327, returns, but after that hitting is a problem. Defense and team speed are good. Starters Jose Enriquez (infield) and Hector Espino (outfield) are also back.

Santa Ana: 10-15, 5-10 in 1995. Coach: Zeke Barragan (first year). Prospects: Barragan is handling his first varsity assignment and has six starters to work with. The Saints lost five league games by a total of five runs last season. Shortstop Jess Rodarte, a .370 hitter, returns, as do pitchers Carlos Esparza (4-5, 3.50 ERA), Carlos Garcia (1.54 ERA), Danny Saldana (3-5, 5.05 ERA) and Juan Ramirez (2-3, 3.30 ERA). A lack of power and consistency at the plate could put a lot of pressure on the Saints’ pitching staff. “We have a lot of seniors who are very hungry,” Barragan said.

Servite: 16-11, 10-5 in 1995. Coach: Tom Tereschuk (third year, 31-21-1). Prospects: Pitching and defense, as for so many teams in this league, figure to be the Friars’ strong points. Three pitchers, including senior Rick Chessman, return. Senior catcher Dan Nevarez is back, as is junior shortstop Ryan Brown. Marty Hayes, Greg Cicero, Jim Munroe and Vince Melendez add depth. The Friars might be a little better offensively than some of their league opponents, and Tereschuk is guessing Servite will win the league title.

Tustin: 19-6-1, 13-2 in 1995. Coach: Tim O’Donoghue (fifth year, 63-21-2). Prospects: The Tillers have three starters and two backup players back, but their pitching staff is suffering from sore arms even this early in the season. Team fundamentals are sound, but the Tillers lack speed. Catcher Nick Madrid, first baseman Rudy Aguilera (27 runs batted in), shortstop Dave Hjorth, third baseman-pitcher Pepe Vazquez, left fielder-pitcher Brennan Burns and center fielder-pitcher Rick Gonzalez (33 runs scored), return. Gonzalez had a slugging percentage of .646. Also back are sophomore second baseman Dan Trujillo and senior pitcher-outfielder Greg Garcia, who hit .333.

Westminster: 18-9, 10-5 in 1995. Coach: Jim Doyle (second year, 18-9). Prospects: Speed will be a key for the Lions. Outfielder Alexis Vazquez, a base-stealing threat, is nearing the school record in career thefts. All-leaguer Ralphie Flores, a left fielder, batted around .600 early in the 1995 season before tailing off. Also back are right fielder-designated hitter Matt Black and second-team all-league shortstop Ricky Saunders, a .400-hitter. Newcomers include pitcher Mike Carey and catcher Matt Poling. “I think we can finish in the top three and get a playoff berth,” said Doyle, who favors Tustin for the title like most coaches in the league.