THOUSAND OAKS : Pep Talk Hits Home for Little Leaguers

Ed Kitchen paced in front of the dugout at a Thousand Oaks playing field Sunday morning as nine kids stared at him from the bench.

Kitchen, coach of the Thousand Oaks Little League’s team for 9- and 10-year-olds, was trying to instill some fire in his sleepy players, drawn out of bed for an early practice at Colina Middle School.

He told the boys they needed to strike fear into the opponents they would face in the Little League tournament.

“I want them to stand out there and say, ‘Uh-oh, we gotta play these guys?’ ” he said. “I want to scare them. Do you understand?”

Kitchen’s team will play its first tournament game Tuesday against the South Side Little League team from Oxnard. Last year, the Thousand Oaks 9- and 10-year-olds won the Southern California championship. Although only two players among those winners remain, Kitchen hopes for a repeat.

The tournament demands a major time commitment from players and their families. Parents have groomed the diamond, cutting the grass and dragging the infield.

The team practices for two hours each day, running wind sprints, hitting pitches and shagging balls with Kitchen and assistant coaches Ed Brin and Mark Davis.

“Remember, outfielders, keep your body coming forward, always in the direction of the ball,” Davis called out.

Although clearly tired when Sunday’s practice began at 8:30, the team soon warmed up.

Chad Lundahl hit one pitch deep into right field, dashed round the bases and slid feet-first into home. He lay spread-eagle in the dirt as the ball came in just behind him. “Safe!” he yelled from the ground.

Chad played on last year’s championship team. “It was a great experience,” he said. “It felt just like winning a million dollars.”

An Atlanta Braves fan, Chad said his teammates had no specific game plan other than to win. He’s confident they will.

“Not cocky, but confident,” he said.

Although Chad and others on the team say they hope to someday play in the major leagues, some players join Little League strictly for the thrill of playing.

Pitcher and second baseman Jonathan Cantos has been playing for five years, but doesn’t plan on going pro. “I just want to play the game,” he said. “Who cares if you win?”

Tuesday’s game begins at 11 a.m. at Colina Middle School.