Costly Mistake Inspires Him to Work Harder This Season

Jason White remembers the final game of last season at Golden West College, but it’s not a happy memory.

In the sixth inning against Los Angeles Harbor, White tried to score on a single but failed to touch the plate. After an appeal, he was called out. The Rustlers lost, 4-3, and were eliminated from the Southern California Regional playoffs.

Harbor went on to win the State title, and White immediately went to work erasing the memory of his lapse.

“That’s the one single thing that inspires me the most to work hard, not just for myself but for my teammates,” White said. “When someone makes a joke about it, I try even harder.”

His hard work is paying off this season.

White, a 20-year-old right fielder and leadoff hitter, is leading Golden West with a .382 average, 26 the fifth best mark in the Orange Empire Conference.

He has scored 32 runs and stolen 14 bases for Golden West (13-18, 8-11 in conference), which is in fifth place.

White was a shortstop at Estancia High School and played the position as a reserve last season at Golden West. He was 0 for 12 until the season’s final game, when he went two for four as the designated hitter. He made the switch to right field on the advice of Golden West Coach Bert Villarreal.

“He had a few problems in the infield,” Villarreal said. “I figured he could be a good outfielder with his speed.”

White worked hard at playing right field in the Metropolitan League over the summer. He also spent a lot of time swimming and working with free weights to improve his strength and stamina.

White, who is 5 feet 9, went from 145 to 160 pounds over the summer and continues to lift and swim a couple days each week during the season.

“He is usually out here well before everyone else, hitting balls off the tee or running,” Villarreal said. “He is our hardest worker. He gives it the same effort in the classroom he does on the field. His hard work and maturity are the big reasons he is doing so well.”

White’s accomplishments have prompted Chapman and Utah to recruit him; he said he’s leaning towards Chapman because of its academic reputation.

“I feel great right now to be in the position I’m in,” White said. “I feel fresh and strong and ready to go.”

Pitch of the week. Rancho Santiago used an old baseball trick to strike out Fullerton’s Tom Wilson on Thursday.

Wilson was at the plate with a runner on third and the count full when Rancho Santiago Coach Don Sneddon went to the mound to visit starter David Goldstein and catcher Robin Lindsey. Rancho Santiago was leading, 3-1, at the time.

After the meeting broke up, Lindsey stood up from his crouch as if to signal an intentional walk. But as Goldstein started his motion to the plate, Lindsey jumped back into his normal position and Goldstein threw a called third strike on the inside corner of the plate, past the surprised Wilson.

Orange Coast will play host to the Southern California men’s volleyball regionals Friday. Orange Coast (18-3) plays El Camino (8-8) at 10 a.m., and Palomar (15-5) plays Los Angeles Pierce (15-4) at 1 p.m. in the single-elimination tournament.

The winners come back to play at 7 p.m. Friday. The regional winner advances to the state tournament May 3-4 at L.A. Pierce. Long Beach, Santa Barbara and DeAnza already have qualified for the state tournament.

Cypress took control of the Orange Empire Conference softball race by defeating Orange Coast, 5-0, Monday. The victory gives Cypress (35-10, 12-2) a 1 1/2-game lead over OCC with four games remaining. Cypress is the conference’s defending champion and OCC finished second last season.

OCC (29-13, 11-4) will qualify for the playoffs if it can hold second place. Fullerton (12-18, 9-6) is third, Golden West (15-14, 8-7) fourth, Riverside (12-13, 5-9) fifth, Saddleback (5-16, 3-11) sixth and Rancho Santiago (9-17, 3-12) seventh.

The track and field championships of the Orange Empire Conference are Friday starting at 2 p.m. at Golden West. Riverside is the favorite in both the men’s and women’s competition.

Community College Notes

Cypress third-baseman Troy Babbitt has set the Chargers’ career record for doubles with 30. Babbitt has 20 this season and needs one more to set the school’s single-season record he shares with Jason Friedman (1989).