JUNIOR COLLEGE BASEBALL PREVIEW : Talent-Laden Pierce the Clear Favorite for WSC Title

Junior college baseball teams from the region will commence play today with an off-season of speculation hanging over them.

Among the most intriguing questions to be answered are: Will a talent-laden Pierce team match last season’s amazing late-season romp to the Southern California regional final?

Can perennial power Canyons regain the conference title that last year eluded the Cougars for the first time in 11 seasons?

Will Oxnard regroup after its program temporarily was dropped over the summer?

Here is a look at the region’s teams:

WESTERN STATE CONFERENCE

Pierce (27-15, 14-6 in conference play): From a talent standpoint, there is no comparison between last year’s playoff team and this season’s edition.

“I think we have a far more talented team,” Pierce Coach Bob Lofrano said. “But this team has to prove that we have the heart and camaraderie of last year’s team.”

Pierce captured a share of the WSC title with Cuesta by winning 10 of its last 11 conference games, including three comeback victories in the final week of the season. The Brahmas carried the momentum into the playoffs and reached the regional final before losing to eventual state champion Cypress, 5-4.

Leading the returnees are first-team all-conference shortstop Ricky Banuelos (.368 batting average) and second-team all-conference outfielder Joey Arnold (.329).

Center fielder Erik Martinez and right-handed pitcher Chris Brown, both honorable-mention all-conference selections, also are back.

Pierce earns the role of preseason favorite with an impressive group of NCAA Division I bounce-back players. From Arizona State, Pierce received two proven players in sophomore first baseman Brian Smith (Agoura High) and pitcher-designated hitter Robby Welles (Beverly Hills).

Welles, a 26th-round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins last year, left Arizona State after pitching just 2 1/3 innings as a freshman. Smith, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound power hitter, joined the team in December. He hit .208 and had two home runs and two doubles in 53 at-bats last season for the Sun Devils.

Joining Brown in the rotation is former Westlake High standout Mike Eby, a left-hander who transferred from UCLA.

Coming over from USC are third baseman Jason Cohen and second baseman Paul Geller, both El Camino Real graduates with freshman eligibility.

“We’re ready and the kids have done a good job,” said Lofrano, whose team will play host to Glendale in a Foothill-Citrus tournament opener today at 2 p.m. “We have a lot more depth than last year.”

Sophomores Danny Rodriguez and Eric Raba, along with freshman Jason Mansfield (Birmingham) are expected to contribute as pitchers.

Canyons (20-19-1, 13-7): The Cougars, who last season finished one win shy of their 11th consecutive conference title, have plenty of pitching depth and a solid infield.

Sophomores Mitch Bowen and Sean Henson, along with freshmen R. J. Simone (Hart) and Jason Chandler (Burbank) lead the list of candidates as starting pitchers.

Second baseman Pat DeBoer (.364) and third baseman Bobby Corrales (.313) are back after all-conference seasons. Starting shortstop Walter White also returns.

Although Canyons’ offense might be down from previous years, the Cougars received a significant lift with the return of former Canoga Park High standout Mike Kerber, who missed last season because of a knee injury. An all-conference first baseman in 1990, Kerber also might do some catching.

Glendale (20-17, 12-8): Traditionally a good hitting club, the Vaqueros will rely on pitching.

Right-hander Rock DeTolve was a first-team all-conference selection last season, leading the WSC with an 8-1 record. He also had a 2.28 earned-run average.

Vaquero Coach Steve Coots also has a pair of promising freshman pitchers in Mike McMullen (a Kennedy graduate who also played quarterback on the Glendale football team) and Mark Vail (Village Christian).

But offense remains a question mark, especially after the team lost Mickey Moreno and Jose Robles, both all-conference selections who were ruled academically ineligible Monday.

Returning first-team all-conference second baseman Mike Regan (.350) and redshirt freshman John Horan will be counted on to produce at the plate.

Oxnard (22-18, 12-8): With only one returning player, first-year Condor Coach Chris Stevens said it is almost as if Oxnard College opened this year and decided to start a baseball program.

After temporarily dropping baseball over the summer, the school hired Stevens in July. He has a team of 21 freshmen and three sophomores.

Steve Susko, Oxnard’s only returnee, is the team’s top player. Although his freshman season was cut short by injuries, the 6-foot-1, 180-pound right fielder from Westlake High seems poised to make an impact on offense.

Right-hander Julio Gonzalez, a freshman from Hueneme, and left-hander Eric Kovach, a freshman from Westlake, were consistent in the fall.

Catcher Mark Contreras (Channel Islands), outfielder Nick Frank (Camarillo) and infielder Al Anaya (Hueneme) are expected to start.

Ventura (25-14, 10-10): With the best hitting and worst pitching in the conference last year, the Pirates finished in the middle of the 11-team conference. Sophomore right-handers Sam Arroyo and Andy Moffat lead a group of pitchers committed to improving.

While Ventura might be hard-pressed to match last year’s conference average of 8.1 runs a game, the Pirates field a solid lineup led by returning second-team all-conference performers Carlos Rios and Mitch King. Rios, a 6-1, 205-pound first baseman, batted .387 in conference play last year. King, an outfielder-catcher who has signed a letter of intent with Texas Tech, batted .386.

Coach Gary Anglin also expects productive seasons from outfielder Tim Cornish (honorable mention all-conference in ‘91) and returning infielders Kasha Clemons and Chris Marsden. Among Ventura’s top newcomers are infielder David Frazier and first baseman-designated-hitter Ryan McMullen, both from Rio Mesa.

Moorpark (19-23, 7-13): The Raiders field one of the conference’s more talented teams, including three returning first-team all-conference selections and a solid group of freshmen.

Right-hander Mike Jenkins (3-2, 2.84 ERA) is the ace of the Raider pitching staff. He earned first-team all-conference honors along with returning shortstop Chris Chandler (.345) and designated-hitter Jeff Sommer (.365).

Former El Camino High standout Del Marine has moved from third base to catcher. Among the pitchers he will handle is Jason Mitchell, a teammate from the Woodland Hills West team that won an American Legion world series title in 1989.

Coach Ken Wagner’s top freshmen are infielders Brian Vasey, an all-state player from Simi Valley, and Camarillo’s Mike Muncy, a New York Yankees’ draft pick who transferred from Arizona State.

First baseman Tom Lunsford, a transfer from Ventura, is expected to provide power at the plate. Billy Hall, a returning honorable-mention all-conference selection, leads the Raider outfield corps.

Valley (8-25-1, 5-15): Coach Chris Johnson has been awaiting the new campaign since the final out last year. Valley’s strong pitching staff and an impressive defense might make it worth the wait.

Leading a 12-man staff is right-hander Arnie Aguinaga, a returning starter, and Manny Fernandez, a left-hander who was 5-3 for Pasadena City last season.

Fernandez transferred to Valley with switch-hitter Mario Joy, an infielder who also will pitch.

The pitchers will be handled by catcher Kevin Walsh, a returning starter who is expected to have a big season. Infielder Mike Murray, an honorable-mention all-conference pick last year, also is solid on defense and at the plate.

Among the top freshmen at Valley is former Burbank standout Willie Rivera, who figures to play a big role.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CONFERENCE

Mission College (20-20, 8-12): The Free Spirit went from a regional playoff team to a .500 team in one season. Shortstop Mike Rogers, a key in the infield two seasons ago, returns after missing the 1991 season because of a shoulder injury.

Catcher Lazaro Campos and first baseman Roy Lozano both hit better than .300 last season and are expected to be top run producers.

Mission does not have much game experience among its pitchers, who are led by sophomores Eric Duncan and Brian Jeffrey, both right-handers.

Freshman outfielders Dereck Ornelas (Sylmar) and Marlon McKinney (Poly) were late-round picks in last June’s professional draft. Ornelas was The Times’ Valley player of the year.

FOOTHILL CONFERENCE

Antelope Valley (6-30, 3-21): After finishing last in the conference last season, the Marauders will start almost from scratch under fourth-year Coach Frank Blua.

First baseman Rod Markovich, third baseman Kendial Armstrong and pitcher Kevin Branch are the top returnees.

Staff writer Sean Waters contributed to this story.