Emme’s team tops at CdM

The Corona del Mar High baseball team wasn’t the only squad Coach

John Emme led to a championship this year.

He also guided his whiffle-ball team to the championship in the

school’s end-of-the-year tournament that included eight teams last

week.

The CdM whiffle-ball tournament is in its third year and is headed

by Gary Almquist, who coaches the wrestling and freshman football

teams for the Sea Kings.

“This is the most teams we’ve had,” Almquist said. “I think we can

double it. We want to do it again in the fall. We want to have a home

run derby and try to have eight student teams and eight adult teams.”

Almquist said there were just two teams in the tournament last

year.

This year, there were four squads made up of students and four

other teams of CdM teachers and coaches. Emme’s team, named, “So

Easy,” featured Ryan Curry, the CdM boys basketball coach, and his

fiance, Kari Dean, as well as Peter Selby, a science teacher and

CdM’s Teacher of the Year, and math teacher James May.

Emme did not play in his team’s championship game because his

father passed away. An assistant coach for Curry, Scott Kahawaii,

filled in for the game. “So Easy,” which was named by Almquist, who

predicted Emme’s team would win, defeated a team of players from

Mariners Church, 11-4 1/2.

The designated visiting team opened the game with half of a run

lead.

The Mariners Church team, called, “Circle the Bases,” was coached

by Jeff Pries, a former standout in baseball at CdM.

R.J. Durnburger, who was on one of the student teams, earned the

tournament’s MVP award. He had 12 home runs in 36 at-bats.

Tyler Lents, a junior on the CdM baseball team, produced two grand

slams. The games were played in the CdM gym.

Tom Welch, a standout in football and volleyball at CdM, collected

defensive player of the tournament honors.

“Everyone had a great time,” said Almquist, who at one point

during the tournament juggled duties as scorekeeper, umpire and

player. “Sarah Stern [a junior on the CdM softball team] hit two home

runs in one game.

“She was actually the only girl to hit two home runs in one game.”