COMMUNITY COLLEGE BASEBALL PREVIEW : Riverside Aims to End Season With a Ring

For the past four years, the Orange Empire Conference baseball championship race has been an Orange County affair.

Orange Coast won the title in 1987, Rancho Santiago won it in 1988, Cypress in 1989 and Rancho Santiago took the top spot again last season. Riverside could do no better than fifth in any of those seasons.

However, local coaches expressed concern that if that program got turned around, the Tigers could become a conference power, chiefly because Riverside would have a larger base to draw from than any Orange County college.

Dennis Rogers took over last season and most predicted Riverside would be an instant contender. The Tigers finished fourth last season but advanced through the Southern California Regional playoffs to the four-team state tournament. Rancho Santiago, Fullerton and Golden West were eliminated in the regionals.

Rogers and Riverside start their second conference season today as the favorites to take the title. Riverside returns five all-conference players and has the most experienced pitching staff.

Rogers isn’t overlooking the value of conference play, he is looking beyond it.

“If you win the conference you get a T-shirt,” he said. “I always tell my kids that. Four and maybe five teams from our conference will make the playoffs and that means a chance to play for a state title and that means a ring. That is the real goal.”

Cypress and Rancho Santiago are expected to be the teams that challenge Riverside.

A closer look at the seven conference teams:

CYPRESS (9-3)

The Chargers have the best infield in the conference with Doug McConathy returing at first, Jason Bates at shortstop and Troy Babbitt at third. Each was an all-conference player as a freshman.

Cypress has also benefited from transfers. Sean Drinkwater (El Toro High School) has come from Texas A&M; to play second base. Monte Jones (Tustin High School) has returned from Cal State Northridge to catch. He was primarily a pitcher in high school but has had arm trouble.

Cypress’ pitching staff benefited from four-year colleges as well. Todd Blyleven came back from Oklahoma and Roger Weems returned from California.

FULLERTON (12-5)

The Hornets might have the conference’s best all-round player in outfielder/pitcher Tom Wilson. Wilson, a sophomore, starts in right field, hits in the third spot and will start as well as relieve.

He is Fullerton’s only returning starter from last season. Fullerton will need others to hit so Wilson can’t be pitched around. The immediate pressure falls to fourth-place hitter Chris Johnson (3-0), who will be the designated hitter when he doesn’t pitch. Sophomore Jim Burchit (3-0) and Johnson are the aces of the staff.

GOLDEN WEST (4-6)

Gerad Cawhorn, the conference’s most valuable player as a freshman, starts at third base. He hit .375 last season but has lost much of the support he had in the lineup and is Golden West’s only returning full-time starter.

Brian Mena, a part-time starter last season, is starting in left field. Golden West was helped when Steve Rath (Kennedy High School) transferred from Cypress and is starting at second. Vince Torres transferred from Riverside and is catching. The success of sophomores Jeff Henderson and Derek Ogle, both right-handers, will do much to determine how well Golden West does in conference.

ORANGE COAST (10-3-1)

The Pirates return only a few players but Coach Mike Mayne is back after working last season as an assistant to Scott Groot, who took over for a season. Groot is back as an assistant.

OCC will go with an all-freshman pitching staff including starters Mike Cutler (Costa Mesa High School), Chad Rolish (Servite) and Duane Page (Ocean View). Page, a right-hander, fell and injured his left elbow a month ago and has pitched in only one game.

Dan Redington, the brother of Tom Redington who is in the Padres’ organization, will work in short relief and play first base. Mike Monday, the son of former major leaguer Rick Monday, will split time at catcher and designated hitter with sophomore Mark Dodd.

RANCHO SANTIAGO (14-3)

The Dons had a strong nonconference season despite the early struggles of key returners Steve Grack (right field) and Jeremy Sherman (center field). But both, who were all-conference players as freshmen, are back up to speed. Sophomore Jeff White returns to play left field and Wayne Hefft returns to play first base after being a backup second baseman last year. Sean Ramos hit .365 with four home runs and 27 runs batted in two years ago. He moved to Texas with his parents last season but is back this year.

Much of the early success has come because of freshman Octavio Medina (Santa Ana High School) at second base and shortstop Raul Rodarte, a transfer from Mt. San Antonio College. Medina is hitting .423 and Rodarte has five home runs.

Sophomores Paul O’Hearn and Jay Hassel have the most experience of the pitching staff. Hassel, who signed to attend San Diego State next season, has been slowed by a sore right elbow and made his first appearence Tuesday.

RIVERSIDE (13-2)

Sophomore Ben Blomdahl, an all-conference pitcher last season, is back to head up a staff. He has already signed with Arizona State. Gary Adcock, a sophomore transfer from UC Santa Barbara, and Bert Horn, a freshman from Norco High School, complete the rotation.

Ray Cervantes returns at shortstop after being an all-star and the top defensive player of the year in the Metropolitan League last summer. Randy Curtis (center field), Mike Alto (designated hitter), Larry Stahlhoefer (catcher) and Curt Callicott (third base) return after earning all-conference honors last season.

SADDLEBACK (5-5)

Saddleback returns all-conference left-fielder Buster Nietzke, who has led off every game he has played at Saddleback. Rob Nye, who struggled a year ago in the field, is back starting at second base and is hitting .524 in the first 10 games. Saddleback has eight starters hitting .314 or better going into conference.

Saddleback’s other key returners are left-handed pitchers Corey Giuliano and Pat Norville. Giuliano was the Gauchos’ top starter last season when he went 8-5. He is 1-1 so far. Norville was 4-2 with three saves last season when he split time as a starter and a reliever.

ORANGE EMPIRE BASEBALL SCHEDULE Saturday games at noon; Tuesdays, Thursdays at 2:30 p.m.

ROUND I

Today--Fullerton at Saddleback, Rancho Santiago at Cypress, Riverside at Orange Coast.

Feb. 26--Cypress at Saddleback, Golden West at Rancho Santiago, Orange Coast at Fullerton.

Feb. 28--Cypress at Orange Coast, Fullerton at Riverside, Saddleback at Golden West.

March 2--Orange Coast at Golden West, Riverside at Cypress, Saddleback at Rancho Santiago.

March 5--Cypress at Fullerton, Golden West at Riverside, Orange Coast at Rancho Santiago.

March 7--Fullerton at Golden West, Rancho Santiago at Riverside, Saddleback at Orange Coast.

March 9--Golden West at Cypress, Rancho Santiago at Fullerton, Riverside at Saddleback.

ROUND II

March 12--Cypress at Rancho Santiago, Orange Coast at Riverside, Saddleback at Fullerton.

March 14--Fullerton at Orange Coast, Rancho Santiago at Golden West, Saddleback at Cypress.

March 16--Golden West at Saddleback, Orange Coast at Cypress, Riverside at Fullerton.

March 19--Cypress at Riverside, Golden West at Orange Coast, Rancho Santiago at Saddleback.

March 21--Fullerton at Cypress, Riverside at Golden West, Rancho Santiago at Orange Coast.

March 23--Golden West at Fullerton, Riverside at Rancho Santiago, Orange Coast at Saddleback.

April 2--Cypress at Golden West, Fullerton at Rancho Santiago, Saddleback at Riverside.

ROUND III

April 4--Fullerton at Saddleback, Rancho Santiago at Cypress, Riverside at Orange Coast.

April 6--Cypress at Saddleback, Golden West at Rancho Santiago, Orange Coast at Fullerton.

April 9--Cypress at Orange Coast, Fullerton at Riverside, Saddleback at Golden West.

April 11--Orange Coast at Golden West, Riverside at Cypress, Saddleback at Rancho Santiago.

April 13--Cypress at Fullerton, Golden West at Riverside, Orange Coast at Rancho Santiago.

April 16--Fullerton at Golden West, Rancho Santiago at Riverside, Saddleback at Orange Coast.

April 18--Golden West at Cypress, Rancho Santiago at Fullerton, Riverside at Saddleback.

ROUND IV

April 20--Cypress at Rancho Santiago, Orange Coast at Riverside, Saddleback at Fullerton.

April 23--Fullerton at Orange Coast, Rancho Santiago at Golden West, Saddleback at Cypress.

April 25--Golden West at Saddleback, Orange Coast at Cypress, Riverside at Fullerton.

April 27--Cypress at Riverside, Golden West at Orange Coast, Rancho Santiago at Saddleback.

April 30--Fullerton at Cypress, Riverside at Golden West, Rancho Santiago at Orange Coast.

May 2--Golden West at Fullerton, Riverside at Rancho Santiago, Orange Coast at Saddleback.

May 4--Cypress at Golden West, Fullerton at Rancho Santiago, Saddleback at Riverside.