Green and red and eager all over

Barry Faulkner

First-year Estancia High baseball coach Jon Green didn’t look far for

the inspiration he hopes will turn around an Eagle program that has

not been to the CIF Playoffs since 1994.

Green, a 24-year-old walk-on with three years experience as a

varsity assistant at Laguna Hills and Newport Harbor after playing as

a prep at Dana Hills, said one need only look at the world champion

Anaheim Angels to grasp the scope of possibility for immediate

improvement.

Green even credits the Angels’ Red October with helping generate

player turnout at Estancia, where just 19 players comprised the

entire program last spring.

“Baseball is up in this area,” said Green, who has a 14-player

varsity roster and nearly two dozen competing on the junior varsity.

“There were a lot of kids wearing Angel hats in September and that’s

a good thing for Orange County baseball.”

The Eagles are in need of something good to happen, coming off a

6-18 campaign that included a 3-12 record in the Pacific Coast

League.

In addition to Green, who has drawn raves from Principal Tom Antal

for his positive attitude and his ability to teach the game, a shift

to the Golden West League should help the Eagles’ aspirations for

success.

“We’re going to be able to compete with everyone we play against,”

said Green, who was a part of back-to-back Sea View League

championships at Laguna Hills the last two years. “Green’s emphasis

on fundamentals, a talent pool that has impressed him thus far, as

well as his players’ gung-ho attitude, all fuel his boundless

optimism.

“The players have been very eager and receptive,” he said. “The

attitude and the work ethic is there. When I applied for this job, I

heard a lot of negative things about this school and this program

from the coaching grapevine. But I’ve seen nothing but positives,

from the kids, to the boosters, to the administration.”

A deep pitching staff will attempt to support the Eagles’ playoff

hopes, as Green said nine players are fighting for innings.

Brad Young, a junior transfer from Fountain Valley who has already

shown off his arm by throwing for 910 yards as the Eagles’

quarterback last fall, is among those expected to contribute on the

bump.

Mike McDaniels, a freshman left-hander, junior Tyler Hoffman, the

nephew of injured San Diego Padres closer Trevor Hoffman and former

major league infielder Glenn Hoffman, sophomore Ryan Gleason and

junior Jeremy Hauser are all prospective hurlers.

Cullen Crom, a junior, and Greg Hughes, a sophomore, have shown an

aptitude for closing, while senior Tony Ippolito and junior Jose

Jauregui are additional arms at Green’s disposal.

Adam Green, Jon’s brother, who played collegiately at Purdue, will

work with the pitchers. C.K. Green a former Estancia standout who

took over as head coach when Doug Deats resigned after three games

last spring, is back as an assistant. So, all dugout decisions will

be made by Gang Green.

“With our pitchers, we’re trying to emphasize mental toughness and

competitiveness,” Jon Green said. “We want them to go after hitters.”

Crom, a linebacker on the football team, should do most of the

catching, said Green, who recruited him to fill a void behind the

plate. “We had no natural catchers, but I like Cullen’s hard-nosed

approach and leadership abilities.”

Young and Jauregui will play first base, while Hauser at short and

junior Eric Scheafer at second give the Eagles a veteran double-play

combination.

Hughes is in the mix at third base, while junior Ivan Paz could

also provide help in the infield.

In the outfield, junior Matt Ronquillo has the nod in center, with

Hoffman, Gleason and Ippolito vying for time at the corners.

McDaniels can also help out at first and in the outfield.

Green said the home run will not be a major part of his offense,

but he believes the Eagles can score runs by hitting the ball hard

and limiting strikeouts.

“The strength of our team is on the mound,” Green said. “I think

the area we need to improve is our approach at the plate. We need to

be more aggressive and confident.”

Seniors Jeremy Guillen and Ryan Wilson will be looked upon to add

depth.

Estancia, which missed out on its scrimmage opportunity due to a

scheduling conflict, opens its season today against visiting Magnolia

in the first round of the Newport Elks Tournament. It starts at 3.

“I want our approach to be day-to-day, inning-to-inning,

out-to-out,” Green said.