Prep baseball: High hopes

Barry Faulkner

NEWPORT BEACH - They’re hardly ready for rocking chairs and

shuffleboard, but the Newport Harbor High baseball team’s senior nucleus

has probably compiled more combined varsity experience than any Sea View

League peers.

With five seniors in their third varsity season, and another who got a

taste of varsity competition last spring, Sailors Coach Jim Kiefer

doesn’t have to explain much to half his 12-man roster.

By extension, Kiefer hopes his veteran standouts will keep him from

having to explain how the Tars missed the CIF Southern Section playoffs

for the 10th straight season.

“If our senior crew does a good job and holds things together, we should

win a few games this year,” said Kiefer, whose squad entered the final

week of last season tied for third, only to see a playoff berth slip from

its grasp with two hard-fought losses (5-2 and 2-1) to league co-champion

Irvine.

“We had a little success last year (a 10-14-1 record) and we’re hoping to

build on that,” said Kiefer, who will construct whatevere success this

season brings on the foundation of Scott Beerer, Nick Langsdorf, Justin

Jacobs and Miguel Sandoval.

Beerer, a Division I college and professional prospect whom Kiefer

believes is one of the better players in the area, will be asked to carry

a substantial load.

“He’s one of those rare kids who can do it all,” Kiefer said of the 1999

first-team all-league selection who has twice been All-Newport-Mesa

District. “He’ll be our No. 1 pitcher, he’ll play shortstop and he’ll hit

cleanup. We’re looking for him to be our leader on the field and in the

clubhouse.”

Beerer, being recruitd by Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State, among

others, has hit .301 with four homers and 31 RBIs the last two seasons.

He is also 7-10 with a 4.31 ERA in 104 combined innings on the mound.

Kiefer, however, expects a much better swan-song season.

“He gained a lot of confidence by competing against high-level

competition in the off-season,” Kiefer said. “He was 4-1 in his last five

starts last season and he’ll be one of the top pitchers in league, if not

Orange County. He throws 88-90 mph on a good day, he backs that up with a

good breaking ball and he’s developed a change-up. He’s as good a pitcher

as I’ve had in 10 years and I worked with some All-CIF guys at Brea

Olinda.”

Langsdorf, another two-time all-district performer who was first-team

All-Sea View as a junior, is a power-hitting first baseman. He hit .388

with four homers and 22 RBIs last spring, upping his career varsity

numbers to .369 with five homers and 36 RBIs.

“He hit fourth for us last year, but we’ll move him to the third spot,”

Kiefer said. “We’re looking for around 30 RBIs from him this year.”

Jacobs, entering his third season as a starter, figures to be the No. 2

pitcher and he’ll also play short and second. He hit .337 with two

homers, 13 RBIs and two steals as a junior and had one pitching victory

in 25 1/3 innings.

Kiefer will employ him in the leadoff spot, from where he hopes the

former all-league and all-district wide receiver can steal 10-15 bases.

The element of speed is something Kiefer, who traditionally takes a

little ball approach, hopes will help offensive production this year. The

Tars stole only eight bases as a team last season, when they hit .306

with 15 dingers.

Sandoval will pitch and play center field, after hitting .297 with one

homer and 13 RBIs and pitching 15 1/3 innings without a decision as a

junior.

Senior Sean Rorden, whose career has been hampered by injuries, is the

other three-year varsity veteran. He’ll join fellow senior Justin

McCarthy on a deep mound corps.

McCarthy was 2-1 with a 4.57 ERA in 15 1/3 innings a year ago.

Sophomore Cody Forsythe and junior third baseman Chris Ward, could also

bolster the stable of hurlers, who will be tested with a 16-game league

schedule (four rounds in the five-team circuit). Kiefer said the league

slate includes two three-game weeks.

The newcomers include junior transfer Donovan Wong in left field. He

played junior varsity last season at Tustin High.

“He has a little pop and he swings the bat well,” Kiefer said.

Juniors Alan Lane and Andrew Azevedo are battling for the starting nod at

second, while junior Garrett Brant, the junior varsity MVP last season,

replaces four-year starter Charlie Waite (now at Mississippi) behind the

plate.

“I think (Beerer, Langsdorf, Jacobs and Sandoval) are going to have to

carry us the first part of the season,” Kiefer said. “Hopefully, by

league, our younger guys will have some experience under their belt.

“It’s a quiet team, but they work hard and they’ve shown signs of coming

together. I would say the Sea View League (newly configured with Aliso

Niguel and Laguna Hills coming in and Santa Margarita, Corona del Mar and

El Toro exiting) will be balanced and competitive.”

The Sailors open Friday at home against Temecula Valley in the opening

round of the North Orange County Classic.

Newport Harbor baseball roster

{{Note, Kiefer said he’d fax roster Monday night, he lied, but I should

be able to track down numbers Tuesday}}

Scott Beerer Sr.

Nick Langsdorf Sr.

Justin Jacobs Sr.

Miguel Sandoval Sr.

Sean Rorden Sr.

Justin McCarthy Sr.

Chris Ward Jr.

Garrett Brant Jr.

Donovan Wong Jr.

Cody Forsythe So.

Andrew Azevedo Jr.

Alan Lane Jr.

Coach: Jim Kiefer