There are the seven individuals returning with...

There are the seven individuals returning with honors, including

Pacific Coast League and Newport-Mesa Player of the Year Josh

Bradbury. But anyone seeking insight into this year’s Corona del Mar

High baseball team, might need to think outside of the park -- as in

over the fence.

“We’ve had to put a guy outside the [outfield] fence in batting

practice again,” said Emme, whose powerful lineup is already stirring

comparisons to the Back Bay Bombers of the late 1990s. Those

prodigious hitting teams posted prolific power numbers (77 combined

home runs in 1998 and ‘99) and also earned a CIF Southern Section

Division IV championship in 1999.

“I haven’t had to do that in five years,” Emme continued. “Let’s

just say you won’t see a lot of sacrifice bunts.”

Balls flying over the fence is not the only link with the 1999

championship season, according to Emme, whose team started just one

senior in the field in last year’s CIF Division IV quarterfinal loss

to eventual champion La Quinta.

“We’ve got virtually all the pieces of the puzzle back, and a few

replacements,” Emme said. “Baseball is a crazy game, but I’ve talked

with the kids about [winning CIF], which I did with only one other

team [1999]. Another goal is to win league. Anything less than [a PCL

crown] would be a disappointment.”

Bradbury, who has signed with UNLV, figures to lead the bashers,

after hitting .438 with 10 home runs and 28 RBIs en route to All-CIF

laurels last season. Bradbury, like 1999 CIF Division IV Co-Player of

the Year Ty Harper, will bat leadoff for the Sea Kings, in order to

increase his plate appearances.

“I’ve got my best hitter at the top,” said Emme, who expects the

move to inhibit teams from pitching around the powerful slugger.

Bradbury, who was 4-2 with a 3.44 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 39

innings while not playing third base last season, also figures to

contribute on the mound. But a sore shoulder will relegate him to

designated-hitter duty until further notice and the status of his

right throwing shoulder will determine whether he will do anything

more than swing the bat and play a little first base.

Emme, however, said the shoulder problem has not affected Bradbury

at the plate.

“He has been killing the ball,” Emme said.

Even without Bradbury, the Sea Kings should feature a killer

pitching staff, led by USC signee Todd Macklin, a senior left-hander

who was 6-2 with one save, a 2.03 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 51 2/3

innings last spring.

Macklin, who hit four homers and drove in 21 runs last year,

playing primarily center field when not on the bump, was first-team

all-league and All-Newport-Mesa in 2003.

“Todd is throwing hard and has command of three pitches,” said

Emme, who will also ask senior Blake Contant to shoulder much of the

pitching load.

Contant, another All-Newport-Mesa performer, was 5-1 with a 3.72

ERA and one save as a junior.

“I think we have three No. 1 starters,” Emme said of Macklin,

Contant and Bradbury.

Emme’s pitching plans also include sophomore left-hander Eric

Eadington, senior Barrett Sprowl, junior Wess Presson, as well as

juniors Mitch Folks, Ben Maggert and Aaron Harper.

Eadington has shown great potential, Maggert has come out of

nowhere and we’re hoping Presson (a top-hitting outfielder in two

previous varsity seasons) can be our closer,” Emme said.

“We play five games in eight days [beginning with today’s 3 p.m.

opener against visiting Mission Viejo in the first round of the

Newport Elks tournament], so all those guys will get a chance to show

us what they can do,” Emme said.

Sprowl showed plenty as a junior first baseman, hitting .368 with

32 hits, 15 RBIs and nine doubles. Emme said Sprowl, a noted defender

last spring, figures to shift to third base this season, in addition

to his pitching role.

Presson (three homers and 14 RBIs last season) is among an

outfield rotation that presents Emme with an enviable lineup dilemma.

An All-Newport-Mesa performer as a freshman, Presson was second-team

all-league last spring.

“We’ve got five outfielders who can flat-out go get the ball,”

Emme said.

Junior Nik Palchicoff hit .373 with four homers, 19 RBIs and 24

runs in 2003, when the corner outfielder earned first-team all-league

and All-Newport-Mesa recognition.

Senior Parker Ferguson joins Macklin, Presson and junior Tyler

Ray, a transfer from Edison, on the capable outfield patrol.

Senior Dan Marin-Finn, a second-team all-league performer after

hitting .412 with 10 RBIs in 51-at-bats last season, returns behind

the plate, where senior Ryan Kelly also brings experience.

Emme said he plans to allow his catching duo to utilize their

experience by calling pitches this season.

Adding to a strong defensive theme up the middle will be senior

shortstop Jeritt Thayer and freshman second baseman Jake Lemmerman.

Thayer, who played primarily at second as a junior, is one of the

better glove men Emme has seen in his now seven seasons at the helm.

Emme terms Lemmerman, the younger brother of 1999 second baseman

Nate Lemmerman, “special.”

Said Emme of the younger Lemmerman: “He has great hands, he’s a

great athlete and all our older guys could learn a thing or two about

how to carry themselves on the field from him. He comes out every day

in practice with his mouth shut and just works hard. He’s going to be

fun to watch the next four years.”

Senior Dan Whitaker, who sat out last season after playing with

the varsity as a freshman and sophomore, will supply depth at second

base.

Whitaker, like Thayer, Palchikoff, Cory Azzalino, Ferguson and

Marin-Finn, just came out Wednesday after helping the PCL champion

soccer team reach the CIF Division II semifinals.

Azzalino, a senior, as well as juniors Blake Allred, Andy Frenkiel

and Tyler Lance will also compete for playing time on the talented

21-player roster.

Emme said the Sea Kings have also benefited from the part-time

hitting instruction provided by Ty Harper, who completed his

collegiate career last season at Peppedine.

Harper, a .514 hitter in three All-CIF seasons at CdM, owns school

and Newport-Mesa career records for hits (132), homers (24) and RBIs

(99). He’ll help Bradbury take aim on the single-season home run

record (12) he shares with 1999 CdM graduate Eric Wiethorn.