Leal Is Powerful Addition for Long Beach

Long Beach State’s baseball team started getting bad news before the season even began.

The 49ers learned senior outfielder Chuck Lopez, the Big West Conference’s batting leader last season with a .422 average, would have to sit out the season because of arm surgery.

Then sophomore catcher Bryan Kennedy was sidelined because of a foot injury. He is expected to be out at least three more weeks.

The 49ers, ranked No. 2 in the nation in the preseason after reaching the semifinals in last year’s College World Series, struggled to an 8-7 start.

Slow starts, however, are nothing new at Long Beach. Last season, the 49ers won only two of their first 11 games, but then won 12 consecutive games. Long Beach went on to win 17 of its last 20.

It looks as though the 49ers (11-7, 3-0 in conference) are starting to make their move. They swept Sacramento State in their opening three-game series in Big West Conference play. “We’re still going to need some people to step up,” Coach Dave Snow said.

Like the way first baseman Jaeme Leal has. Leal has 10 home runs in the 49ers’ first 18 games. The school record is 16, set by Tony Laurenzi in 1982. Leal was three for four with five RBIs in Sunday’s victory.

“There aren’t many people going to the concession stands when he comes to the plate,” Snow said. Leal, a 15th-round draft choice of the Angels in 1996 when he came out of Riverside Poly High, hit 24 home runs last season at Riverside College.

“What has been impressive is that he’s really more of a line-drive hitter,” Snow said. “He’s not hitting those deep fly balls that carry out. Most of his homers are line drives. I’ve also been pleased with how well he’s played first base. He’s worked hard on his defense and he keeps getting better.”

As expected, outfielder Terrmel Sledge also has been a solid hitter, living up to his preseason All-American billing. He is batting .400.

“He’s the prototype leadoff man, but we’ve been batting him in the No. 3 spot because we need men on base when he comes to the plate,” Snow said. “When we lost Lopez, we felt we had to move him down in the order.”

Snow’s biggest concern has been pitching depth.

Mike Gallo (3-0, 1.31 ERA) has been solid as the No. 1 starter, and Jason Berni (2-0) appears to be rounding into form. Berni pitched a two-hitter Sunday against Sacramento State after limiting Arkansas to six hits in his previous start. His earned-run average is 2.30.

Snow says the pitching needs to continue improving for his team to live up to the favorite’s role in the conference race. Cal State Fullerton (17-7, 3-0) has gotten off to a good start.

“I’ve scouted Fullerton, and I don’t know how George [Horton] makes out a lineup some days with that kind of depth,” Snow said. “They have a strong No. 1 starter [Adam Johnson] and a real good closer [Kirk Saarloos]. They’re very athletic and they have excellent team speed. They’ve established themselves.”

BRIGHT SPOT

Houston (11-10), which lost all three games in a series at Cal State Fullerton a week ago, has been struggling, but it’s not because of its closer.

Bryan Moore, a senior from Garden Grove who pitched at Orange Coast College for two seasons, leads the pitching staff with a 1.08 ERA. He picked up his fourth victory of the season in six decisions against Ohio State last weekend.

PAC-10 CHANGE

The Pac-10 has abandoned the two-division format this season after Portland State dropped its baseball program.

Division teams had played each other six times in two three-game series, one at home and one on the road, in a 30-game schedule. This year’s conference schedule was reduced to 24 games.

Some of the teams have continued to play each other in two three-game series, but only one will be designated to determine the conference champion.

ROD PERRY’S FUTURE

Rod Perry Jr. said he isn’t closing the door on playing college baseball again, even after leaving Fullerton’s team last week. Perry said he quit because he wanted to take the time to consider where he would resume his football career.

“If I can establish myself as a starter in football, then I might think about playing baseball again later on,” Perry said. “But I won’t be eligible for baseball next season because of transferring.”

Perry said he plans to take all five recruiting trips allowed by the NCAA this spring while remaining in school at Fullerton. Perry listed Tennessee, Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin, Miami and Colorado among the schools he is considering.

“It’s tough for me to go through this right now, but I feel I need the time to make an evaluation of the schools,” Perry said.

Perry had decided to give up football after a second surgery on his right knee last fall at USC, but changed his mind last week.

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The Nation’s Top Teams

Big West Conference rivals Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State are also neighbors in this week’s Baseball America top 25 college baseball poll.

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TEAM RECORD 1. Florida State 19-3 2. Rice 22-5 3. North Carolina 17-1 4. Auburn 22-3 5. Stanford 15-6 6. Texas A&M; 16-5 7. Miami 17-5 8. Louisiana State 15-4 9. Pepperdine 20-2 10. Texas 18-7 11. Wichita State 11-5 12. Georgia Tech 16-5 13. Texas Tech 19-5 14. Cal State Fullerton 17-5 15. Long Beach State 11-7 16. Florida 12-7 17. Florida International 22-2 18. Mississippi State 16-2 19. Baylor 16-5 20. Arizona State 20-9 21. Alabama 15-5 22. Nevada 16-7 23. Wake Forest 12-4 24. North Carolina St. 18-3 25. Louisville 15-3

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