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.
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