Newport Harbor Volleyball Team Must Get Along Without Wells

When the boys’ volleyball team at defending Sea View League champion Newport Harbor (6-0, 2-0) returns to the court next week, the Sailors will be without senior Zach Wells.

Wells, a 6-2 outside hitter who will attend UCLA, leaves Sunday for Argentina to play for the United States junior national soccer team. He’ll be gone two weeks.

“He deserves to go on this trip,” Newport Harbor volleyball Coach Dan Glenn said. “We’ll miss him, but we can work around it.”

Glenn said disruptions this season have been a real test. Four starters missed the first month because of the basketball playoffs. And Matt Jameson is scheduled to play in the Orange County all-star basketball game. Glenn has tried to schedule practices around Jameson’s schedule.

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The hottest baseball team in the county is Los Amigos (13-0), which began the season with a school-record number of victories going into Monday’s game with Century in the Santa Ana Elks tournament.

The Lobos, who won only 12 games in 1998, are tied with La Quinta for first in the Garden Grove League.

Los Amigos is batting .347 and averaging nine runs a game. The pitching staff has allowed 33 earned runs in 88 innings, a collective 1.93 ERA.

Assistant coach Matt Witmer also said that the Lobos have had a relatively easy schedule.

Adam Shaeffer, who pitched a no-hitter against Laguna Beach, has been Los Amigos’ most productive all-around player, Witmer said. Shaeffer is 4-0, 2.80, with 31 strikeouts in 25 innings. And he’s hitting .567 with three home runs and 19 RBIs.

Other top contributors include Jose Rodriguez (5-0, 1.93, four saves), Raphael Jesus (2-0, 1.27) and Jesus Rodarte (.356, 12 RBIs).

“This is certainly the deepest team we’ve had in several years,” Witmer said. “We have several guys who can play anywhere on the field.”

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Brea Olinda guard Lindsey Davidson, who will play women’s basketball next season at George Washington, had something to say about officiating during the Ladycats’ march to the state Division II title.

“The referees need to learn that the girls’ game is excelling to the point where there can be contact,” Davidson said.

The Ladycats were whistled for 23 fouls in the state final against Pleasanton Amador Valley. In the regional final against Fresno Edison, referees called 54 fouls.

“That’s a foul every 37 seconds. That’s ridiculous,” she said. “How else is the game going to grow?”

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This might be spring break for most high school students, but not for seniors chosen to participate in the Kiwanis of Costa Mesa Orange County All-Star basketball games, who began practice this week.

The games are April 24 at Orange Coast College. The 22nd girls game is 5 p.m. and the 34th boys game is 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door. For information call (949) 589-7573.

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Aliso Niguel softball Coach Joe Miller called last Saturday “one of the better days in the program’s history” after the Wolverines knocked off eighth-ranked Santa Margarita, 1-0, and second-ranked Pacifica, 5-2, in the Woodbridge Classic.

It was the first time Aliso Niguel had beaten one ranked team, much less two.

“It helps our girls realize they can beat anybody if they put their minds to it,” Miller said. “We want to be that caliber [of program], but it takes a lot of hard work. They’re not intimidated, we have a lot of club players, but being youthful, they make mistakes sometimes. But they’re in every game.”

Aliso Niguel starts only three seniors, pitcher Danielle Heath, catcher Sara Sheikh and designated hitter/outfielder Alissa Cunningham. The other starters are a freshman, five sophomores, and junior Lisa Krueger, who had the only RBI against Santa Margarita, and two RBIs against Pacifica.

Times staff writers Martin Henderson and Mike Terry contributed to this report.