Times-Advocate from Escondido, California • 22

C4 TIMES ADVOCATE, Escondido, Thursday, March 7, 1985 Avocado League baseball preview Cougars looking to turn tables team all-league pitcher after going 4-1 with a 1.72 ERA in 53 innings last year. Adams was 1-5 with an inflated 6.62 ERA. He fanned 28 hitters in 30 innings of work, but struck out seven in a four-inning stint in the season opener this year. "If Robbie stops letting little things bother him, said San Pasqual Coach Bill Green, hell do a good job. Chris Portis is the first baseman, Roberto Salas, only a sophomore, has moved up from the JV to take over second with Scott Norman handling third base.

Norman hit .313 with 10 RBI last year. Randy Green, the coachs son, is back at shortstop after hitting .152 with four RBI. Green may be slowed by an ankle sprained during basketball. Yale Fowler and David Clayton have outfield slots locked up. San Pasqual finished third with an 8-5 record in league play and an overall mark of 12-10.

Ramona Coach Bill Tamburrino returns a .400 hitter and a .300 hitter this season. Second baseman Tom Martz, who Tamburrino kiddingly calls the worst .400 hitter in the world, batted .404 with 12 RBI. Catcher Paul Cavallo hit a solid .353 with four homers and 12 RBI. John Schmutz, who hit .250 in limited action, and George Cobian are backup catchers. Craig McNamara is the shortstop ahead of Oscar Bravo, only a sophomore.

Junior Tim Ellis is leading Troy Pierce at first base. Junior David Roe is up from the JV to take third base ahead of Robert Vaughan. Mark Menotti, who batted .258 with 15 RBI, Chris Lawler and junior Frank Romero form the best outfield in Bulldogs history. Juniors Nick Dillon and Shawn McConaughey are the reserves. On the mound Brad Berry, a lefthander, has been the most consistent hurler thus far.

Ellis is the hardest thrower. Ramona was 2-10 in league play and 4-16 overall. ton. "Its nice to hear that people think were going to be contenders, but we have to go out and do it or itll just be talk. San Marcos was 10-2 in league play and 15-11 overall after losing to Mission Bay in the second round of the playoffs.

Escondido Coach Bill Kutzner returns three all-leaguers this season. Junior shortstop Ricky Afenir was a first teamer after hitting .304 with one homer and 14 RBI. His running mate up the middle, Tim Saffell, has moved from second to third base after hitting .278 with 18 RBI and earning a second-team slot. First baseman Joe Perry, who will be the ace of the pitching staff, hit .339 a year ago as a sophomore who made second-team all-league. Finishing up the middle of the Cougars defense are junior centerfielder Orlando Bakerink and catcher Scott Swafford.

Bakerink, mainly a defensive outfielder last year, hit .152 and Swafford hit .286 in limited duty. Sophomore Jason Hobbs, the MVP with a .380 average on the Cougars freshman team, has moved in at second, while Randy Ford is stationed in leftfield, and Joe Petrucelli is in rightfield. Brian Staab, Mark Melton and Lance Gabberd all juniors are reserve outfielders. Junior Nick Scales, the MVP on the JV team, is behind Swafford after hitting .400 down there. Junior right-hander Arnie Spiker, the best pitcher on the JV, and Mike Hopkins are slated for pitching duties this year.

Hopkins will also play first base when Perry pitches. "Were OK except for our pitching, said Kutzner. "I like the arms we have on the mound, but theres almost no experience there. "Ricky and Jason Hobbs give us strength up the middle. Our infield is as solid as its ever been.

Escondido was 9-4 in league play and 14-13 overall. San Pasqual Bratten, a junior, was a second Jim BairdThe Times-Advocate Afenir hit .304 with one homer and 14 Escondido's junior shortstop Ricky Palomar League baseball preview Mt. Carmel, Poway should find their customary spots at the top By Terry Monahan Times-Advocate Sportswriter A year ago, San Marcos High School won the Avocado League championship while Escondido finished a close second. This season should again find the two teams battling for the top spot, with the Cougars seeking to reverse the order. San Marcos returns the Player of the Year, pitcher Mike Ponio, while the Cougars boast five returning starters.

San Pasqual could make a run for the top behind the pitching of Greg Bratten and Robbie Adams, while Ramona begins the year with five returning starters. San Marcos The Knights will be counting on Ponio to anchor their pitching staff and provide the punch in their offense. Ponio was 8-3 with a 2.13 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 77 innings of work. As a hitter, Ponio, who will also be the designated hitter when not pitching, hit .378 with three home runs and 30 RBI. Bob Mora is fighting with two juniors Tino Lozano and Eric Brio to start at first base while Keith Rollins returns to second base and Greg Helm is back at shortstop.

Victor Vega and Kipp Landis are also shortstops. Sophomore Jose Canedo is at third base ahead of junior Robbie Rubidoux. Scott Beardshear has moved behind the plate after a .194 season. Jimmy Terral is the backup. John Rowe, who hit .220, and Mike Barone, up from the JV, are stationed in centerfield and right-field, respectively.

Chuy Lozano and Steve Villalobos are battling for the leftfield slot. Pollins, who was 0-1 in less than seven innings, and Beardshear, who hurled three innings, will be behind Ponio on the mound along with sophomores Mike Dent and Jim Jennings and junior Mario Lara. Weve got a lot of problems that have to be solved pretty early, said San Marcos Coach Ron Lay- pitching staff that numbers just one experienced hurler. Jeff Farrar, a senior left-hander, was 4-1 with a 2.56 ERA in 38 innings of work a year ago. Junior right-hander Tim Johnson spent a limited amount of time on the varsity last season while Dominick Johnson, a junior righthander, is returning after sitting out last season with a broken leg.

Conrad Vaplon could wind up pitching in relief. Elsewhere, the Titans are fairly well off. Joe Bellezzo, a junior, split time last season but has inherited an infield job with junior Jeff Page and sophomore Mike Skaggs backing him up. njporluiq Fri. 9-7 Sat.

9-5 -COUPON- WOOD SHAPER Reg. $250 239" 12' BOOSTER CABLES 7 PC. NUT DRIVER SET RBI for the Cougars last year. Happ is in leftfield and Veale will be in rightfield. But Danny Rumsey, a transfer from Poway where he batted .384 with 14 RBI, will play somewhere.

We dont have what it takes yet, said Blalock. We could be good because we have one of the best pitching staffs even though theres not much experience. Theres not much experience on the whole team, although most of them have been in the wars a little. Mt. Carmel was 11-1 in league play and 26-3 overall, losing to Santana in the CIF championship game.

Poway The whole season hinges on a Slugger Brian Thornbury is back from a .377 season in which he drove in 18 runs. He picked up where he left off, banging out eight hits in nine at-bats in two scrimmages. Switch-hitting junior Cory Fennell, has a slight lead on John Peterson at shortstop, but Peterson could well wind up playing second base if either Jerry Bennington or sophomore Brian Korgel falter. Kevin Kaerth, who hit .339 with three home runs and 14 RBI last year, returns to third base. In what Harmon calls his best outfield ever, starters Dennis Carhart and Scott Anderson will play leftfield and centerfield, re back in the lineup, the Sundevils are fairly well off because two pitchers have spent some time on the varsity.

Seniors David Schiesser, who may play first base when hes not pitching (he hit .429 as a junior), and Dean Siskowski have only pitched 31 innings, but have shown they belong. Last year Schiesser was 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in seven innings while Siskowski was 2-1 with a 3.16 ERA in 24 innings. Matt Haggerty, a transfer from Colorado, sophomore Ed Van Ael-styn, junior Jim Tejcek, up from the junior varsity, and Scott Happ are lined up behind Schiesser and Siskowski. Miah Bradbury, a junior, has taken over the catching job by himself after hitting .375 last season with two homers and 16 RBI. Dan Farren is a good defensive catcher.

Scott Benefiel has the edge on Todd Ringery at second base while Van Aelstyn is battling Tim Veale at third base. Pete Cowan, who transferred from Fallbrook, and Richard Hooper, only a sophomore, will handle shortstop until Jeff Gilmore comes back from surgery to remove bone chips from his throwing shoulder. Pete Ramdin, who hit .269 with one homer and seven RBI, will come back from an injury in soccer to play centerfield while VJGGCX WB' VI MOVED Corner of Washington Quince, Escondido 745-7727 FINAL MOVING SPECIAL SPAS as low as $1995 Solar Open 6 Days Mon. By Terry Monahan Times Advocate Sportswriter In the five years the Palomar League has been in existence, no team other than Mt. Carmel and Poway high schools has ever claimed a baseball championship.

Mt. Carmel has won the last four years with Poway second the last three seasons. Once again this year, there is nothing to make anyone think one of those two powers wont win the title. Mt. Carmel keeps changing players but the results are always the same.

The Sundevils have won 103 games in the last five seasons. Even though Coach Sam Blalock is starting over, look for Mt. Carmel to contend. Poway seems to have answered two of its three question marks shortstop and second base and now Coach John Harmon must restructure his pitching staff. If he is successful, the Titans should do well.

Vista returns a veteran team with plenty of experience for Coach Mike Sanchez. This may be the year the Panthers put it all together. Fallbrook starts with its strong point being the pitching staff. Orange Glen may be a year away with its underclassmen-dominated club. Mt.

Carmel Despite having just one starter 18x24 HEAVY DUTY TARP 2295 11 PC. SCREWDRIVER SET WOOD HANDLES $399 KTra 323- sass5- COUPON 12 PC. EXTRA HEAVY DUTY PUNCH CHISEL nnf SET 15 spectively, along with sophomore Phil Plantier. Carhart hit .375 with two homers and 11 RBI while Anderson hit .310 with two homers and 23 RBI. Its a matter of whether we execute, said Harmon, who is entering his 10th year at the helm of the Titans.

"The talent is there. This is probably the easiest group to coach. They seem to be very eager to learn. Theyll go as far as they want to. Its all up to them.

Poway was 8-3 in league play and 16-8 overall. The Titans lost to Santana in the first round of the playoffs. Please see Baseball, page C5 What we havent mentioned is the 740 GLEs remarkable performance and handling. Which is best demonstrated by a test drive. Get in touch with us today and well be happy to arrange one.

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