Fast Starts by Camarillo Often Finish Opponents

Opponents of the Camarillo High baseball team, top-ranked in The Times’ regional poll, have their hands full with the top of the Scorpions’ batting order.

Leading off is left-handed Andy Kroneberger, who Camarillo Coach Scott Cline said consistently runs to first base in under four seconds.

“He puts a lot of pressure on teams right away and he’s going to get four or five at-bats a game,” Cline said of Kroneberger, who is batting .426 and has 13 stolen bases in 15 attempts. “He’s probably the fastest player in the Southern Section.”

Batting second is junior Jay Caliguiri, a first-year starter with a .444 average, four home runs and 22 runs batted in.

The cleanup hitter? Three-sport standout Joe Borchard, who is batting .425 with 18 RBIs and not seeing a lot of prime pitches these days. The Stanford-bound senior walked 15 times in the Scorpions’ first 12 games.

“Every team knows [Borchard]’s the guy and they’re not throwing to him,” Cline said. “I wouldn’t either. He’s going to have to show patience because he’s not going to get the pitches he saw last year.”

On the mend: Channel Islands pitcher Charles Merricks, an All-Ventura County pick last season, is recovering from a broken finger on his throwing hand suffered March 21.

Raider Coach Alfred Tarazon said Merricks, a pitcher and center fielder, broke a finger on his left hand and severely jammed another while diving back to first base. He has missed four games.

“We’re shooting to have him back in a week to 10 days,” Tarazon said Monday.

“We have league games coming up. We don’t have time to do anything more than put a Band-Aid on it and do your best.”

Tarazon said Merricks, an all-county selection in basketball, turned down a baseball scholarship from University of San Francisco and is being pursued by Cal State L.A.

“They have no problem with him playing both sports,” Tarazon said.

Long run: Julie Harris of Canyon, who was 10th in the 1995 state Division I cross-country championships, has committed to the University of Idaho.