TOP OF THE CLASS

Area players in the minor leagues who had strong seasons, broken down by level.

TRIPLE A PLAYER: Matt Franco POS.: 3B TEAM (AFFILIATE): Norfolk (Mets) SCHOOL: Westlake HS COMMENT: New team, new position, same swing; Batted .323

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PLAYER: J.P. Roberge POS.: IF TEAM (AFFILIATE): Albuquerque (Dodgers) SCHOOL: St. Francis HS COMMENT: Hit well at three levels, .321 at AAA

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PLAYER: Joe Rosselli POS.: LHP TEAM (AFFILIATE): Vancouver (Angels) SCHOOL: Alemany HS COMMENT: Had 2.91 ERA; one of few pitchers not promoted

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PLAYER: Jeff Suppan POS.: RHP TEAM (AFFILIATE): Pawtucket (Red Sox) SCHOOL: Crespi HS COMMENT: Was 10-6, 3.22 ERA; has done enough in the minors

DOUBLE A

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PLAYER: Chris Fick POS.: OF TEAM (AFFILIATE): Arkansas (Cardinals) SCHOOL: Cal Lutheran COMMENT: Old (27) but had 19 HRs, 74 RBIs

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PLAYER: Bobby Hughes POS.: C TEAM (AFFILIATE): El Paso (Brewers) SCHOOL: Notre Dame HS COMMENT: His fifth season was his best; Hit .304, 15 HRs

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PLAYER: Jalal Leach POS.: OF TEAM (AFFILIATE): Harrisburg (Expos) SCHOOL: Pepperdine COMMENT: .328 in AA earned promotion, then hit .317 in AAA

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PLAYER: Ryan Radmanovich POS.: OF TEAM (AFFILIATE): New Britain (Twins) SCHOOL: Pepperdine COMMENT: Made AA All-Star team; Had 25 HRs, 86 RBIs

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PLAYER: Greg Shockey POS.: OF TEAM (AFFILIATE): Midland (Angels) SCHOOL: CS Northridge COMMENT: Energizer bunny; Age 26 and still going; Hit. .317

CLASS A

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PLAYER: Bryan Corey POS.: RHP TEAM (AFFILIATE): Fayetteville (Tigers) SCHOOL: Thousand Oaks HS COMMENT: Reliever had 34 saves; 101 Ks and 17 BBs

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PLAYER: Brad Fullmer POS.: OF TEAM (AFFILIATE): W. Palm Beach (Expos) SCHOOL: Montclair Prep COMMENT: Found position; hit .303, promoted to AAA

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PLAYER: Andy Hall POS.: 2B TEAM (AFFILIATE): Peoria (Cardinals) SCHOOL: Camarillo HS COMMENT: Sleeper in ’95 draft, batted .300 both seasons

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PLAYER: Gabe Kapler POS.: OF TEAM (AFFILIATE): Fayetteville (Tigers) SCHOOL: Taft HS; Moorpark COMMENT: All-Star hit .300 with 26 HRs, 99 RBIs

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PLAYER: Bobby Kazmirski POS.: RHP TEAM (AFFILIATE): W. Michigan (Athletics) SCHOOL: Agoura HS COMMENT: Not drafted, he led league with 28 saves

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PLAYER: Dave Newhan POS.: 2B TEAM (AFFILIATE): Modesto (Athletics) SCHOOL: Pepperdine COMMENT: Came on after slow start, .301, 25 HRs, 75 RBIs

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PLAYER: Russ Ortiz POS.: RHP TEAM (AFFILIATE): San Jose (Giants) SCHOOL: Montclair Prep COMMENT: 96-mph fastball helped him to 0.25 ERA and AA

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PLAYER: Scott Richardson POS.: OF TEAM (AFFILIATE): S. Bernardino (Dodgers) SCHOOL: CS Northridge COMMENT: .306 average kept 25-year-old around

SHORT SEASON A AND ROOKIE *

PLAYER: Tim Carr POS.: RHP TEAM (AFFILIATE): Port St. Lucie (Mets) SCHOOL: Westlake HS COMMENT: Weeks out of high school had 3.86 ERA, 6 saves

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PLAYER: Robert Crabtree POS.: RHP TEAM (AFFILIATE): Bellingham (Giants) SCHOOL: CS Northridge COMMENT: Not overpowering, but 72 Ks in 52 innings

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PLAYER: Chris Garza POS.: LHP TEAM (AFFILIATE): Elizabethton (Twins) SCHOOL: Notre Dame HS COMMENT: Reliever was 4-0, 1.98 with 44 Ks in 36 innings

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PLAYER: Mike Glendenning POS.: OF TEAM (AFFILIATE): Bellingham (Giants) SCHOOL: Crespi HS, Pierce COMMENT: Impressive power (12 HRs) but 80 strikeouts

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PLAYER: Ryan Kritscher POS.: 2B TEAM (AFFILIATE): Johnson City (Cardinals) SCHOOL: Thousand Oaks HS COMMENT: Hit .310, 5 HRs, 19 2Bs, 33 RBIs

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PLAYER: Pete Paciorek POS.: 1B TEAM (AFFILIATE): Idaho Falls (Braves) SCHOOL: Glendale College COMMENT: His HRs, 69 RBIs among leaders

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PLAYER: Will Skett POS.: OF TEAM (AFFILIATE): St. Cath. (Blue Jays) SCHOOL: Valley, Reseda HS COMMENT: Led league with 15 HRs, 1 in SkyDome

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PLAYER: Ryan Stromsborg POS.: 2B TEAM (AFFILIATE): Med. Hat (Blue Jays) SCHOOL: Notre Dame HS COMMENT: Fresh out of USC, hit team-high .310

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PLAYER: Jon Tucker POS.: 1B TEAM (AFFILIATE): Great Falls (Dodgers) SCHOOL: Chatsworth HS COMMENT: Hit .345; Named organizational player of month

WHO’S NEXT: The top local players who figure to be taken in the ’97 draft.

* PLAYER: Joe Borchard POS.: OF SCHOOL: Camarillo HS COMMENT: Will choose between football scholarship and baseball

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PLAYER: Sean Douglass POS.: RHP SCHOOL: Antelope Valley HS

COMMENT: 77 Ks in 71 2/3 innings and 1.85 ERA as a junior

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PLAYER: Jon Garland POS.: LHP SCHOOL: Kennedy HS COMMENT: Stock rose at Area Code Games in August

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PLAYER: Ryan Hankins POS.: 2B SCHOOL: UNLV, Simi Valley HS COMMENT: Put together back to back standout seasons

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PLAYER: Adam Kennedy POS.: SS SCHOOL: CS Northridge COMMENT: All-American with power led nation in hits in ’96

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PLAYER: Mike Madsen POS.: RHP SCHOOL: Quartz Hill HS COMMENT: Tall and lanky with 90 mph fastball

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PLAYER: Jim Parque POS.: LHP SCHOOL: UCLA, Crescenta Valley HS COMMENT: Olympian just seems to find a way to get outs

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PLAYER: Jon Schaeffer POS.: C SCHOOL: Stanford, Harvard-Westlake HS COMMENT: Was All-Star in top college summer league

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PLAYER: Bill Scott POS.: OF SCHOOL: Alemany HS COMMENT: Gifted hitter has been touted since he was a freshman

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PLAYER: Andy Shibilo POS.: RHP SCHOOL: Pepperdine COMMENT: 6-foot-6 draft-eligible sophomore was 5-1, 3.33 last year

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PLAYER: Randy Wolf POS.: LHP SCHOOL: Pepperdine, El Camino Real HS COMMENT: 25th-rounder out of high school, possible 1st-rounder now