Baseball: New faces for Vanguard

Tony Altobelli

COSTA MESA - For fifth-year Coach Kevin Casper, this year’s

Vanguard University baseball team will have a number of questions as the

2000 season gets underway.

One question might be, “What’s your name, again?”

“We have a bunch of new guys and that’s good and bad,” Kasper said. “It’s

good because I think this program has now come full circle. When you’ve

coached in a place for four years you can finally have a team of all your

guys, so that makes it exciting.”

The biggest areas Kasper has stressed this season are pitching and

defense.

“We’re going right back to the fundamentals,” Kasper said. “Our challenge

is to get things going in the right direction and that starts with the

basics.”

Leading the Lions’ pitching staff are returners senior Joshua Case

(Orange Coast College) and junior Ryan Williams, along with junior

newcomer Anthony Walker.

Walker is a transfer from Mesa Community College, while Steele, who led

the Lions in starts with 13, went 3-8 and Williams posted a 3-3 record

from the Lions’ bullpen.

“I expect both of these guys to really step up and be our workhorses,”

Kasper said. “One of them will rise up and be our go-to guy.”

Pitching looks to be an area of improvement for the Lions, who went 19-28

last year. Opponents hit .310 against the Vanguard staff, something that

will have to change this season.

Look for sophomores Kurtis Broderson and Gerold Shaffer to add depth on

the mound.

On offense, senior Kevin Candelaria leads the attack. He hit .333 with a

team-leading nine home runs and 39 RBIs.

Candelaria was an all-conference outfielder last year, but he’ll play

behind the plate and at third base this season.

“Catcher is his natural position,” Kasper said. “He was drafted by the

Milwaukee Brewers out of high school as a catcher. We needed him in the

outfield last year. It just shows you what kind of athlete he is.”

Despite the small number of home runs, Kasper expects Candelaria, senior

James Dent and sophomore Adam Steckler, each with two home runs last

year, to be the run producers.

“In our park, we get the ocean winds blowing in, so to hit anywhere near

10 home runs is a big deal,” Kasper said. “We’re a team that’s going to

have to manufacture runs out there. We’re not that fast and we can’t wait

for the three-run home run.”

The middle infield will have a deceptively veteran feel.

Even though shortstop Matt Tisthammer and second baseman Timothy Jara are

both freshmen, both played together at Katella High.

“Even though it’s a tough jump to this level, they’ve worked well

together for years at Katella, which will help,” Kasper said.

Kasper expects a wide-open GSAC this year, but sees Biola and Azusa

Pacific as the favorites.

“This conference has gotten built up to the point where any and every

team could wind up as a contender,” Kasper said.

VANGUARD UNIVERSITY LIONS

1 Bryan Davis, INF So.

2 Kevin Candelaria, 3B/C Sr.

3 Shane Lariba, 1B/DH Jr.

5 James Dent, OF Sr.

6 Matt Tisthammer, SS Fr.

7 Erik Dodos, C Fr.

8 Timothy Jara, 2B Fr.

9 Kurtis Broderson, INF/P So.

10 Kevin Mitchell, OF/2B So.

11 Adam Steckler, 1B/P So.

12 Samuel Baeder, OF So.

17 Jeremiah Taylor, P Jr.

19 Ryan Dambach, UTL Sr.

20 Garold Shaffer, P So.

21 Ryan Royer, OF Jr.

22 Anthony Walker, P Jr.

23 Joshua Case, P Sr.

24 Michael Blair, OF So.

25 Brian Skarbek, C Jr.

26 Shadrach Ludeman, P Fr.

27 Joshua Steele, P Sr.

28 Ryan Williams, P Jr.

Coach: Kevin Kasper