SUNSET LEAGUE
* Edison: 20-9, 9-6 in 1998. Coach: Tom Duggan (fourth year, 39-40). Prospects: Edison has gone from fifth in league to second in two seasons. Now the Chargers are thinking league title. Six first- or second-team all-league players return, including senior catcher Tony Capuccilli (.380, nine home runs, 29 RBIs), senior pitchers Dale Thayer (7-5, 2.83 ERA), junior pitcher Glenn Hedgpeth (4-1, 3.20) and senior first baseman Jon Bates (.322, four home runs, 19 RBIs). Duggan has a deep pitching staff, a solid offense and a team that historically doesn’t fear Esperanza or Fountain Valley.
* Esperanza: 21-8-1, 11-3-1 in 1998. Coach: Mike Curran (19th year, 328-157-1). Prospects: Curran did a better coaching job last year than in 1997, when the Aztecs were Division I champions because last year he took a nondescript team and returned to the division final. The 1999 Aztecs have four returning starters. One is senior Bo Ashabraner (8-2, 2.10), considered among the county’s best pitchers. Another is 6-7 senior first baseman Nick Gor (.407, six home runs, 30 RBIs), who got better as last season progressed. Curran must replace his entire infield and frets he doesn’t have enough pitching. But people said the Aztecs were down last year, and look where they ended up.
* Fountain Valley: 16-12, 8-7 in 1998. Co-coaches: Chris Sorce and Joe MacDonald (first year). Prospects: One reason Coach Ron La Ruffa resigned after last season was that he had a hard time watching the Barons’ lapses on the field. Sorce and MacDonald will have a calmer approach. There are three returning starters: senior catcher Brett Cayton (.344, two home runs, 19 RBIs), senior shortstop Will Hudson (.365) and junior third baseman Casey Janssen (.390, four home runs, 16 RBIs) were all second-team all-leaguers. The pitching staff is balanced (four lefties and four righties). But, for one of the few times recently, the Barons are not a league favorite.
* Huntington Beach: 13-13, 5-10 in 1998. Coach: Mike Dodd (19th year, 274-192). Prospects: Fate should be kinder to Dodd and the Oilers, who have missed the playoffs the past three years. It’s not as though Dodd doesn’t have good players. Senior first baseman Jeff Ruziecki (nine home runs) and senior shortstop Ryan Hubbard (30 RBIs) were all-league selections. Junior catcher Shawn Shuck (.454, four home runs, 16 RBIs) was a surprise. But Dodd is more concerned about the Oilers’ pitching. Until he finds some, it’s difficult to predict when Huntington Beach will be a contender.
* Los Alamitos: 11-13-1, 6-8-1 in 1998. Coach: Rob Wigod (first year). Prospects: Wigod walks into a great situation. On paper, the team looks to have matured after a couple of rocky seasons. Six Griffin starters return, including two senior all leaguers: shortstop Chad Lindholm (.470, five home runs, 30 RBIs) and outfielder Greg Castillo (.355). Wigod should also benefit from a healthy Ryan Godfrey; the senior outfielder only played seven games last year because of injury. Los Alamitos’ playoff hopes depend on whether the pitching matures. But Wigod is not starting from scratch, so he and the Griffins are already a step ahead.
* Marina: 8-18, 5-10 in 1998. Coach: Paul Renfrow (16th year, 180-211-2). Prospects: Like Huntington Beach, the Vikings are in need of good fortune. Last year’s team took a big tumble from the 1997 squad that went 17-11. And there are no assurances Marina will stop falling in 1999. Renfrow has seven returning starters, the most impressive being all-league senior outfielder Joey Ammirato and second-team all-league senior designated hitter Bobby Guerrero. But Marina has no top newcomers, and the offense looks thin.