Baseball Notebook: Start of Spring Finds Every Team Tied for First Place

There's nothing quite like the arrival of a brand new baseball season. Everything that accompanies the annual return to the diamond is what makes the sport so unique. A fresh start in league standings, stiff gloves that need breaking in, the sudden acceptance of grown men spitting sunflower seeds in public, the crack of new bats becoming battle-tested (though it's more of a ping at the high school level) and all the glorious sunshine that comes with it.

I suppose the latter on the list is a result of my upbringing in the Northeast.  The amazingly temperate weather of Orange County certainly makes it a challenge to notice the start of spring, but that wasn't the case during my playing days.

March is brutal back home -- the southern tip of New Jersey's shoreline -- and a dry day is rare, which meant far too many early season practices spent wearing sneakers inside the gymnasium. However, once the schedule was finally underway, we knew it wouldn't be long until spring's comfortable climate arrived to rescue us from a long-term case of the winter doldrums.

I've had a deep-rooted passion for baseball since childhood. Perhaps it was my dad's enthusiasm -- the man has never been too tired or busy for a backyard toss -- or how baseball season feels like a fun-filled bridge to summer break. Whatever the case, I'm thrilled to find myself in the center of a baseball-crazed community like Orange County, despite the fact that I’m more than 3,000 miles removed from my beloved Philadelphia Phillies -- a reality I’m still coming to terms with.

Now that you know why I’ll be traveling through mountains and beaches in order to find a spot on the bleachers of your local ballpark, let’s do some research on the region‘s vast baseball spectrum. For my sake, and yours.

There are plenty of storylines scattered through various leagues, which are ultimately destined for tight title races that begin this week.

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Academy League

2010 Champion: Oxford Academy

2011 Outlook: Oxford Academy enters the season searching for a three-peat. The Patriots cruised to a 14-1 league record last year, dominating en route to a second consecutive league title and ultimately the CIF Southern Section Division VI championship. They are easily the favorites again this season, as Oxford returns all-league hitters Steve Criss and Lucas Sardo. Staff ace Daniel Lucak (15-3, 1.64 ERA as a sophomore) is also back on the bump.

Sage Hill is the only team other than Oxford to take the league crown during the past six years. Senior outfielder Jack Heffron leads the Lightning pitching rotation, while also anchoring the team’s batting order.

St. Margaret’s has predominately been a middle-of-the-pack ball club, accumulating a 36-39 league record since 2005. The Tartans return with seven starters from last year’s squad and are counting on consistency to carry them to the next level. Senior Marcos Avila could make quite a name for himself this season if he continues to make strides at the plate (.353 average in '10) and on the mound (2-0, 2.92 ERA in three March appearances).

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Orange Coast League

2010 Champion: Estancia

2011 Outlook: The Orange Coast title has changed hands each of the past three seasons, and there’s little reason to think this year won’t be another wide-open competition. Reigning champion Estancia is powered by senior outfielder Victor Trujillo, who led the team in home runs and batting average last season to earn all-league honors. The Eagles rode the right arm of senior Marc DeFrenza (9-3, 1.85 ERA) in 2010. His absence leaves a question mark at the top of Estancia’s rotation.

Costa Mesa lost its top two run producers to graduation, but senior P.J. Maloney provides firepower at the plate (.375 batting average through five games) and on the mound (two complete games in March).

Laguna Beach hasn’t finished higher than third in the league since 2006, but could be primed to make a title run. The Breakers, led by all-league seniors Keaton Jones and Chris Paul, are unbeaten in their first five games and won the Costa Mesa bracket of the Newport Elks Tournament over the weekend. Paul, who belted eight home runs in 2010, already has 10 RBIs.

The league welcomes in newcomer Saddleback, a team that finished 2-23 as a member of the Golden West last season.

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Pacific Coast League

2010 Champion: Beckman

2011 Outlook: The Pacific Coast battle probably comes down to Corona del Mar and Beckman. The Patriots own a sterling 29-1 league record during their two-year run as league champion and figure to be a strong contender again. Beckman, the second-ranked team in Division III, welcomes back all-league seniors Will Barring and Justin Hazard, along with junior James Kaprielian, who earned Pacific Coast pitcher-of-the-year honors as a sophomore.

Corona del Mar settled for second place at the conclusion of its last two campaigns, but took a major step toward bucking the trend by beating Beckman, 18-14, in Saturday afternoon’s Foothill bracket championship of the Newport Elks Tournament. Junior Brent Lawson tallied two home runs, 13 RBIs and eight hits in 15 at-bats during the five-game tournament, which should put him on the radar of every opposing coach.

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Sea View League

2010 Champion: El Toro

2011 Outlook: Aliso Niguel coach Craig Hanson called Mission Viejo "the class of the league" and "the team to beat." It's hard to disagree. The Diablos are well-armed with all-league returner Willie Kuhl and junior Kieran Lovegrove, an Under Armor All-American Game participant who recently committed to Arizona State. Mission Viejo is powered by a stellar senior class, which includes six who hit at least .330 in 2010. Simply put, the Diablos are loaded and primed for a banner year.

Hanson's squad heads to the Sea View after claiming the South Coast title last year. The Wolverines move on without their top four offensive performers. "When you lose players of that caliber, it certainly challenges you to work harder," Hanson said. All-league outfielder Dutch Deol batted .393 last year and is coach Hanson's offensive catalyst.

Trabuco Hills is in rebuilding mode after a 3-27 league stretch since 2008. Despite the team's struggles, senior Brandon Pace had a fine junior season (.333 batting average, seven extra base hits).

San Juan Hills took a step forward in 2010. Following a winless '09 league season, the Stallions finished only one game removed from second place, picking up six league victories with three of them coming on the road. Senior pitcher Christian Stubbs comes off a season in which he tossed three complete games en route to a 2.10 ERA.

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South Coast League

2010 Champion: Aliso Niguel

2011 Outlook: Capistrano Valley, coached by legendary Bob Zamora, has historically owned the South Coast League. The Cougars claimed CIF championships in every decade since the 1980s and look to extend the trend, but it will be a difficult task in 2011. Capistrano Valley lost a ton of  power from its lineup and the top two winners from its pitching staff to graduation. Nevertheless, the Cougars defeated a highly-touted Mission Viejo team in their season opener. Hawaii commit David Longville, who led the team in saves out of the bullpen last season, assumes the role of ace. Kyle Hunt, the team’s Nevada-bound shortstop, is as sure-handed as they come on defense. 

Pitching will once again power Dana Hills. The Dolphins’ staff combined for a 3.31 ERA in 2010, while maintaining a 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Senior Eric Hsieh, who is committed to Yale, holds the rotation’s top spot after finishing 5-7 with a 2.89 ERA last season. Outfielder Trevor Scott was the team’s top RBI producer as a junior and is already on a tear early in his senior season (.353 average through five games).

El Toro crashes the South Coast party after winning its fourth straight Sea View League title in 2010. The Chargers have plenty of potential to make a similar run in their new league. Armed with two legitimate front-end pitchers -- Fresno State signee Garrett Mundell and junior Tyler Brashears (UC Irvine commit) -- El Toro won’t lose many high-scoring games. The Chargers’ outfield is simply stacked. Junior Mitchell Tolman is committed to Cal Sate Fullerton, as is senior Matt Chapman, who batted .387 last year. Senior Ryan Joyce (.368 average, 20 RBIs in ‘10) rounds out the group.

San Clemente is a team in search of a new offensive identity after the departure of nine starters from last year's lineup. Senior shortstop Christian Knauer is the team's lone returning everyday player. The Tritons' pitching has been on point early, posting an ERA of 1.62 during a 4-1 start. Junior Braden Riddle has struck out 16 batters in two starts.

Tesoro aims to rebound from a disappointing 2010 season, when the Titans finished 5-10 in league play. Connor Spencer and Kris Paulino each earned all-league honors as juniors. Spencer finished with an astonishing .538 batting average and can expect to see a lot of intentional walks during his senior season.

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Sunset League

2010 Champion: Edison

2011 Outlook: Unfortunately for the rest of the league, the Chargers aren't going anywhere. The two-time defending Sunset champions are the top-ranked team in Division 1, but Edison must still earn its title against a solid field of challengers.

Newport Harbor hit 32 home runs in '10, a huge number at the high school level. Junior first baseman Matt Carpenter clobbers pitchers' best efforts. He batted .356 with eight bombs as a sophomore. The Sailors' potent offense should help a pitching staff in transition.

Los Alamitos is better than its 5-10 league record indicated last year and the team aims to prove it this spring. Senior shortstop Nick Vitter earned the opportunity to play at UC Riverside with an impressive 2010 season, when he led the Griffins in extra base hits and RBIs.

Fountain Valley dropped its final four league games last season. The Barons return plenty of intriguing talent, including first baseman Danny Jiminez and pitcher Zack Millan.

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Trinity League

2010 Champion: Orange Lutheran

2011 Outlook: Orange Lutheran has won the Trinity title two of the past three years, but make no mistake, JSerra is a slight favorite to take home the trophy in 2011. The second-ranked team in Division 1 attacks opponents with an offense unequaled among most Southern California squads. Senior catcher Austin Hedges is a superstar, ranked No. 12 on Baseball America’s list of the top 100 high school players in the nation. Hedges’ hitting technique has no glaring weakness and he is considered the country’s best defensive catcher. Outfielders Clay Williamson and Tyler Krause, along with USC-bound third baseman Trent Boras surround Hedges with talent. Opposing pitcher will just have to pick their poison against the Lions.

Mater Dei has reloaded once again. Junior Ty Moore (.413 batting average in 2010) is expected to develop into a top-of-the-rotation pitcher when he’s not patrolling the field at third base.

Servite junior pitcher Cole Irven is already being acknowledged as an ace to be feared by rival coaches. Irven has allowed only two runs in 13 innings pitched this year.

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Be sure to check in next week, as we explore the opening week of league competition, check in with coaches and players from across the county and take a look at the San Joaquin and Garden Grove leagues.

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Swinging with a New Stick

In December, CIF announced that baseball bats used at the high school level must adhere to the new BBCOR Bat Certification Standard. The new rule also effectively discontinued the use of composite barreled bats, which have fallen out of favor across the country because of injuries. California's youth aren't swinging with wood just yet, but this is a measure aimed at reducing the velocity of balls hit by athletes.

"They've changed the exit speeds coming off the bats," El Toro coach Mike Gonzales said. "It's basically half of what it used to be. They've definitely altered the bats where it's similar to hitting a wood, where if you hit on the inside part of the bat, the ball's not going to travel as far."

Let's not make too big a fuss over of the policy change. Odds are, it will prevent at least a handful of devastating injuries throughout the state this spring. It's impact on the game itself won't resonate nearly as much. A sweet swing will always send the ball soaring, regardless of the hitter's weapon of choice.

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Games of the Week

Today -- Edison vs. El Toro at UC Irvine (doubleheader), 5:30 p.m.

Friday -- JSerra at Servite, 3:15 p.m.

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Tyler Donohue's weekly "Baseball Notebook" will appear on all of Patch's Orange County sites.