Prep baseball: Sea Kings have pile of talent

Barry Faulkner

CORONA DEL MAR - The last Corona del Mar High baseball season that

began with this much promise, ended in a massive dog pile at Edison

Field.

While a repeat of the Sea Kings’ 1999 CIF Southern Section Division IV

title is certainly a tad presumptuous at this stage, fourth-year coach

John Emme likes his assemblage of experience, speed, pitching, defense

and even moderate power.

“We expect to be pretty strong,” said Emme, who welcomes back seven of

eight position-player starters, five All-Pacific Coast League performers,

as well as seven players who were in uniform for the aforementioned

Division IV title conquest.

“This is the best defensive team I’ve had, by far. I expect us to hit

more than 20 home runs this year and (last year’s school single-season

record) 104 stolen bases isn’t safe,” Emme said. Junior center fielder

Billy Eagle leads the returners. After hitting .444 (36 for 81) with one

homer, 17 RBIs and 17 steals, and dazzling with the glove last spring, he

was second-team All-CIF, all-state, first-team all-league and shared

Newport-Mesa District Player of the Year honors.

“Billy is probably the best center fielder in Southern California,”

Emme said. “With him, Rory McKeever behind the plate, Wes Hockinson at

second and Keith Long at shortstop, we definitely believe we’re strong up

the middle.”

The center of the diamond should also feature some strong pitching

talent for CdM, the lone Newport-Mesa playoff team last spring, when it

finished 14-12, 6-6 in league (tied for second).

Senior right-hander Cavan Cuyler was 6-2 with a 2.87 ERA en route to

first-team All-PCL and all-district recognition last year. He’ll anchor a

staff that includes seniors Dave Knecht, Eric Snell, Matt Marston and

sophomore Nick Rhodes.

Knecht was 3-2 with a 3.73 ERA as a junior, while Marston was 1-0 with

a save.

They’ll be throwing to McKeever, whom Emme called the team’s defensive

MVP last spring. Emme also expects McKeever to be productive offensively.

While Emme is proud of his team’s strength up the middle, the corners

aren’t bad either.

Snell, who’ll be the primary starter at third base, earned

all-district honors (.370 with two homers and 12 RBIs), as did senior

first baseman Andrew Johns (.366 with 17 RBIs and 10 steals). Snell and

Johns, as well as Knecht, were second-team all-league in 2000.

When not pitching, Knecht, a lefty who is expected to lead off, will

play left field. He hit .324 with two homers, 13 RBIs and 16 steals as a

junior. Emme expects him to threaten the 28 steals Alex Swanson swiped

last year to lead Orange County.

“I don’t think we’ll miss a beat in the leadoff spot,” Emme said.

“Dave is actually a hair faster than Alex and I expect him to hit much

better. He corrected a little mechanical flaw and he’s been hitting the

ball better than I’ve seen him in his life the last three weeks.”

Hockinson hit .344 with 13 RBIs last spring, while Long is expected to

blossom after making the tough adjustment to the varsity level as a

freshman.

Long figures to bat second, followed by Eagle, Snell and either

Hockinson or Johns.

The only spot up for grabs is right field, where Marston, sophomore

Nick Lutton (4 for 7 in a late-season call-up last year), senior Jason

Savopolos and junior Brandon Lewis are engaging in a battle that may well

extend for much of the preleague campaign.

Whoever does not start in right will be used at designated hitter,

Emme said.

Juniors Matt Gugliuzza and Derrick Lewis contribute depth to a team

Emme expects to challenge defending champion University and Laguna Beach

for the PCL crown.

One new feature at the CdM diamond is the removal of the trees that

bathed the third-base dugout, as well as some of the stands, in shade.

Their removal should increase the already powerful jet stream blowing to

right-center field.

CdM is scheduled to open Friday at Magnolia in a 3 p.m. Newport Elks

Tournament game.

The Sea Kings are scheduled to meet Capistrano Valley, ranked No. 1 in

one preseason county poll, March 8.

Corona del Mar roster

1 Eric Snell Sr.

2 Matt Gugliuzza Jr.

3 Andrew Johns Sr.

7 Keith Long So.

8 Nick Rhodes So.

9 Rory McKeever Sr.

10 Nick Lutton So.

15 Dave Knecht Sr.

17 Cavan Cuyler Sr.

21 Jason Savopolos Sr.

23 Billy Eagle Jr.

25 Derrick Lewis Jr.

34 Matt Marston Sr.

45 Brandon Lewis Jr.

47 Wes Hockinson Sr.

Coach: John Emme