Newport Beach All-Stars play for title

Bryce Alderton

Of the 21 teams that began the District 55 All-Star Tournament,

only the Newport Beach Little League National Majors Division

All-Stars have yet to lose a tournament game.

Their locals’ success has them playing for the district

championship tonight at 6:30 at Hicks Canyon Park against the winner

of Tuesday night’s Lake Forest-North Mission Viejo clash.

Newport can claim the tournament crown by winning either of two

games in the double-elimination format. If Newport loses tonight, it

would play the same team Thursday to decide a champion.

But Newport Manager Bob Rovzar isn’t thinking about the negative,

only the positive.

In his seventh season as a Little League manager, Rovzar has

enjoyed success this All-Star season with a group of kids who, he

said, “Know their roles and understand the game.”

“There’s always talk of some kids not playing as much as others,

but this year, all kids have accepted their roles with great

enthusiasm and always pick each other up,” Rovzar said. “The kids

realize they’ve got a great group of teammates and players. It’s

pretty impressive. The chemistry has been fantastic.”

After winning its first two tournament games, 3-0 and 7-4,

Newport’s last two games have been much closer. They topped San

Clemente, 2-1, then earned a 4-3 triumph in 11 innings Saturday over

Lake Forest, in what Rovzar called, “The most exciting game I can

remember playing or coaching.”

In each of its last two games, Newport had to rally in the later

innings, getting clutch at-bats from players who had struggled

earlier in the game, such as Conner Whalen in the San Clemente win

and Garrett Amoroso in the Lake Forest contest.

Both Whalen and Amoroso fell victim to the strikeout earlier in

the games they collected the game-winning RBIs. Whalen hit an RBI

double against San Clemente and Amoroso walked with the bases loaded

against Lake Forest.

“Our kids could have quit, but they didn’t,” Rovzar said. “They’re

really a great group of kids.”

Newport has prided itself in this tournament on pitching and

defense, according to Rovzar, who said it won’t stray from that

formula.

“People are always backing up and in a position to make plays and

the pitching has been great,” Rovzar said.

Chris Rosen has thrown 12 innings and allowed only one run in

All-Star play, while Scott Colton hasn’t allowed a walk in his two

games in the tournament.

Colton, who was sidelined for six weeks with a shoulder injury,

pitched a complete game, striking out six in a 7-4 win over Rancho

Santa Margarita. He then pitched nine more innings against Lake

Forest, recording three strikeouts on 110 pitches.

Rovzar said he intended to throw Colton six innings, but continued

to use him in the extra innings because, “He was rolling and hadn’t

thrown that many pitches.”

Rovzar hopes the bats will come alive soon, but is pleased with

the defense and pitching.

“At this stage, I’m happy to have the opportunity to keep the same

chemistry of solid pitching and great defense going,” Rovzar said.

“Hopefully, we’ll get to where we’ve not been before.”

That promised land is a five-team Orange County championship

tournament that Rovzar said begins Saturday at Huntington Valley

Little League in Huntington Beach.