Foes Struck by Double Vision

Decisions, decisions.

Ryan and Tyler Holmes have big ones to make. And the fork in their road might for the first time lead to separate paths for the 18-year-old identical twins--so similar since infancy their grandmother mistakenly once fed one of them twice.

Ryan and Tyler, mirror images at 5 feet 9 and close to 200 pounds, are the top hitters on the Thousand Oaks High baseball team--which isn’t surprising since one’s compact swing duplicates the other’s. Ryan is batting .473, Tyler .344.

“They’re very good, very knowledgeable hitters,” Thousand Oaks Coach Bill Sizemore said. “They’re good kids and they work hard.”

The twins’ grade-point averages are equally lofty. Tyler’s is 3.91, Ryan’s 3.85. They excel in advanced-placement classes and have been accepted to Pepperdine based on their academic standing. They share the goal of earning a college degree.

Tyler, who plays third base, and Ryan, who plays first base and left field, have disciplined approaches and courteous dispositions. But they also have questionable defensive skills, which might partly explain the absence of scholarship offers.

Their skills likely would improve rapidly at a junior college, and their bats would be a welcome addition to any lineup.

Ryan and Tyler have, in fact, considered attending Moorpark College over Pepperdine, where they would be forced to fight for playing time as walk-ons while striving to change opinions about their defensive abilities.

“I think they have the potential to be college hitters,” Pepperdine Coach Pat Harrison said. “I don’t have much doubt about that. But they have to rely not only on their hitting but their fielding.”

The twins’ options remain the topic of great debate at home. Ryan and Tyler, whose parents separated when they were toddlers, have lived for the past six years with their maternal grandparents, who are urging them to place a stronger emphasis on hitting the books than the curveball.

The brothers have been approved for considerable financial aid to attend Pepperdine. Shirley Hatfield said she “is praying” that her grandsons will attend the Malibu university.

“They’re very intelligent boys, both of them,” Hatfield said. “They’re straight-A students. I want the best for them and I want them to be happy. Baseball can only last so long.”

Ryan and Tyler are eager to please their grandparents. But they also are eager to play. At this point, they view their futures differently.

“As of today, I’m looking more and more toward Pepperdine,” Tyler said. “It’s a good place to go to school . . . and I’ll be putting academics ahead of athletics.”

Said Ryan: “If I had to choose today, I’d probably go to Moorpark. I want to concentrate on baseball the next two years and if I don’t have a future beyond that, I can always concentrate on academics.”

Neither figures to have difficulty with academics--particularly mathematics, their best subject. Tyler is considering a career in engineering, Ryan in sports medicine.

It is unlikely either player will be selected in baseball’s amateur draft in June. They appear to have a realistic view of their athletic futures.

“I don’t know if I really have that much of a future in baseball beyond the [college] level,” Tyler said.

Still, a sweet swing is a terrible thing to waste. And the urge to progress as players is tempting, particularly for Ryan.

Ryan’s six home runs lead the Marmonte League and he also leads the Lancers with 25 runs batted in. Thousand Oaks (13-9, 6-5 in league play), battling for the league’s third playoff spot, plays host to Simi Valley today at 3 p.m.

Last season, Ryan batted .441 with 23 RBIs, and the twins had exceptional American Legion seasons. Tyler batted .492 with 31 RBIs and Ryan batted .500 with 25 RBIs and 31 stolen bases.

Yet the stigma of being adequate defensive players has stuck to the twins like pine tar. Both could stand to improve, Sizemore said.

“I believe these kids, if they work at it, can become average defensive players,” Sizemore said. “Part of my job is helping them to see the big picture. A lot of kids today, you tell them something they don’t want to hear and they say, ‘You’re bagging on me.’ ”

Harrison echoed Sizemore’s assessment, adding that Ryan and Tyler, at this point, would be best-suited as designated hitters.

Ryan and Tyler do not dispute the coaches’ assessments but are motivated by them.

“That kinda hurts to hear that,” Tyler said. “I’ve been practicing really hard the last three weeks on my defense, putting it way above my offense now. I don’t care if I hit .200 now, I just want to play defense the last part of the season.”

Said Ryan: “Everybody’s always said that about us just because we hit so great. I know I need to get better in the outfield, arm-wise and range-wise. But I can make the plays that need to be made.”

Ryan and Tyler have made only housing arrangements at Pepperdine. They can back out before enrolling this summer. Both are primarily concerned with their team’s playoff chances.

“Right now, I just want to concentrate on baseball,” Tyler said.

Ryan wants to do the same--perhaps for considerably longer.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Ryan said. “I think it will hit me one day when I wake up. Then I’ll know.”