Familiarity boosts Costa Mesa

Bryce Alderton

In title only, David Austin might be a first-year head coach at Costa

Mesa High, but he is no stranger to the program or the crop of

experienced players he inherits this spring.

Austin, a 1985 Costa Mesa graduate who played for Kirk

Bauermeister, now the school’s assistant principal, leads a group

that features seven returning starters off last spring’s team the

compiled a 13-11 record, 7-5 in the Golden West League. The Mustangs

finished one win shy of earning a CIF Southern Section Division III

playoff berth.

Austin, the Mustangs’ pitching coach last year, takes over for

Doug Deats, who resigned after two seasons of his second stint at the

helm of his alma mater.

The Mustangs return the bulk of their lineup, which includes

first-team all-league senior first baseman Andrew Sanford, senior

center fielder Jeff Waldron, senior infielder and pitcher Alex

Pisarski and junior Alex Dominguez a pitcher and third baseman.

Twelve seniors dot Mesa’s roster.

Sanford amassed a .473 batting average with 35 hits in 74 at-bats

with 12 doubles, a triple and home run last year.

Waldron tallied 22 hits in 63 at-bats (.349) with three doubles, a

home run and 14 RBIs.

Dominguez batted .288 with two doubles and five RBIs.

Costa Mesa’s infield is bolstered by the return of seniors Dylan

Hunter (shortstop), Ryan Szwast (second baseman). Szwast is the

team’s projected leadoff hitter, while Pisarski figures to play third

base when he isn’t pitching.

Pisarski struck out seven while allowing five hits in five innings

to record a win in his first varsity start in Costa Mesa’s 5-0

victory in the season opener Friday.

Sanford struck out five in two scoreless innings of relief.

Austin expects Pisarski and senior Zack Morton to anchor a staff

that lost two stalwarts in Justin Peterson and Daniel Cooper, both of

whom moved across the street to boster the pitching staff at Orange

Coast College.

The left-handed Peterson joined Sanford with first-team all-league

laurels after compiling an astounding 1.00 ERA with 85 strikeouts in

76 2/3 innings. He finished 7-4 and added three saves.

Cooper, drafted in the 38th round by the Montreal Expos -- now the

Washington Nationals -- last June, finished 5-4 with a 2.84 ERA. He

struck out 71 and walked 17 in 66 1/3 innings.

Austin knows this year’s hurlers have their work cut out for them

trying to compare to last year’s pitching talent.

“[Pitching] is the big question mark,” Austin said. “We’ll be

fighting to develop pitching. There’s going to be more four- and

three-inning outings rather that domination like what Peterson did

last year.”

Dominguez, senior Steven Mendez and Szwast could also get

opportunities on the mound.

Senior Kyle Benson returns at catcher while sophomore Cody

Waldron, younger brother of Jeff, senior Nick Smith, Mendez, senior

returner Rick Wedgeworth and junior Jose Gomez will all compete for

outfield spots, Austin said.

Costa Mesa improved to 2-0 Saturday with an 8-7 home triumph in

eight innings against Schurr.

Szwast and Pisarski are both off to sizzling offensive starts

heading into today’s Newport Elks tournament pool-play clash at Los

Amigos, where Austin used to coach.

Szwast is 4 for 7 with two home runs and five RBIs, while Pisarski

is also 4 for 7 with a double.

Ocean View, which has won at least a share of the last two league

titles and reached the Division III quarterfinals last spring, is the

league favorite, Austin said.

Austin, who guided Los Amigos for eight years, expects few

surprises regarding head-coaching duties.

“There’s much more to do than an assistant coach,” Austin said.

“You have to go home, do fundraisers, talk to parents. But I knew the

demands coming in and I enjoy them.”