Real Power Struggle Lies Ahead

Much of the early talk about Orange Empire Conference baseball teams has centered on Cypress, which returns a core of talented sophomores.

And Cypress has started well. But so have the other six teams in the conference, including defending co-champions Saddleback and Riverside.

“It doesn’t matter who the favorite is,” Cypress Coach Scott Pickler said, “It’s going to be tough. The [conference] is more balanced than ever.”

To prove Pickler’s point, every team is over .500 and has at least eight victories. Conference games start Saturday; here is a look at each team:

Cypress (10-1-1)--Pickler has been asked a lot about Gerald Laird, a freshman catcher who was picked in the second round by the Oakland Athletics but failed to come to terms.

But the coach is quick to point out that there is much more to his team, including sophomore center fielder Cory Sullivan, who is hitting .537 after 12 games. Sophomore left-fielder Adam Spiker is at .476 with a team-high four homers and Laird is at .455 with four triples. Sophomore first baseman Steve Hindman is at .436 and sophomore second baseman Shaun Larkin is at .392.

Ron Corona, a sophomore right hander, is 2-0 including a 17-strikeout performance. Jason Stewart, a sophomore left hander from Cal State Fullerton, is 3-0.

Fullerton (10-5)--Eddie Romprey, a freshman from Victor Valley High, has been as impressive as any player in the conference so far. The shortstop is hitting .522 but also pitches in relief and leads the conference with five saves.

Jeffrey Cruz, a sophomore left hander, is 3-0 and Erik Jensen, a freshman right hander, is 2-0.

David Cosato, a freshman right fielder, is hitting .481 and sophomore second baseman Ernie Jaime is at .454 and freshman first baseman Cesar Carrillo is at .375.

Golden West (10-4)--The Rustlers are off to their best start since 1990, which was the last time they made the playoffs. The pitching must hold together for a return to postseason play.

Sophomore right-hander Ryan Brown is 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA and has given up only 11 hits in 26 innings. Brown also plays third base and designated hitter and is hitting .429 through 13 games.

Andrew Rodriguez is 2-0 but his ERA is 6.48 and no other pitcher has an ERA under Nate Beucler’s 3.86.

Hitting is where the Rustlers are strongest. Designated hitter Reuben Gulledge has five home runs and is batting .514 with 23 runs batted in. Sophomore catcher Kevin Sullivan is hitting .344 and right fielder Bobby Mayorga is at .415 with 19 runs scored.

Orange Coast (8-5)--Sophomore Brandon Thompson has had a powerful start with seven home runs, 19 RBIs and a .382 average through 13 games. The Pirates are hitting a conference- low .305 but are third in home runs with 15.

Freshman Paul Devries, who is alternating between catcher and designated hitter with Thompson, is at .370 with 20 RBIs and freshman first baseman Ryan Clark is at .367 with five home runs and 16 RBIs. Sophomore outfielder Matt Pope is at .364.

Freshman right-hander Mike Carey is 3-0 including a shutout, and has an 0.50 ERA and sophomore right-hander Matt O’Brien is 2-0. Jamie Brown, a freshman left hander, hasn’t given up a run in 7 1/3 innings.

Riverside (8-5-1)--The Tigers have three pitchers--Steve Kaustinen, Ben Quick and Teddy Sutton--with two victories each and a staff ERA of 2.83.

Catcher Lachlan Thorburn is hitting .500 with outfielder Kelvin Day at .475. Antoine Cameron, another outfielder, is at .396.

Saddleback (13-2)--The Gauchos lost in the state title game to Sacramento last season and have the firepower to get that far again. Sophomore shortstop Jimmy Luster, a reserve last season, is hitting .538 with 25 RBIs. Sophomore first baseman Jason Marian is at .509 and Greg Pines, a sophomore catcher and designated hitter, is batting .458 and has 25 RBIs. Outfielder Mike Clifton is at .394.

The big issue for the Gauchos is pitching. Mike Pazzulla, a sophomore right hander, spent much of last season running the video camera behind home plate, but this season is 3-0 with 16 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings. Kekoa Colon, another sophomore right hander who was a key to the Gauchos’ stretch run and postseason success last season, has battled illness much of the season and is 0-1 with a 10.97 ERA.

Santa Ana (10-5)--Richard Lane’s decision to attend Santa Ana and not Pepperdine, where he was offered a scholarship that he plans to use next year, has been a powerful bonus for the Dons.

Lane, a freshman center fielder from Tustin High, is hitting .400 with an Orange-County leading nine home runs through 14 games. He has also driven in 27 runs. Sophomore designated hitter/left fielder Joe Urban is hitting .367 with six home runs but only eight RBIs.

Shortstop Josh Shaffer is hitting .411 with 17 RBIs and Albert Rodgers returns at third and is batting .483.

An arm injury to Greg Young has forced Coach Don Sneddon to cobble together a pitching staff. Sophomore right-hander Michael Natale (2-1) is back. Jeremy Weinberg, a transfer from Cal State Fullerton, has moved from third base to pitcher and is 2-0. Gabriel Salazar, a converted outfielder who has an ERA of 0.56 in 16 innings, is another possible starter.