Laguna hopes to make noise at all-star tourney

In his eight years of coaching in the Majors Division, Bill Burk said he hasn’t had the firepower that his team possesses this year.

Burk will get a chance to see his arsenal in action when he leads the Laguna Beach Little League Majors All-Star team into battle Saturday, the opening day of the District 55 All-Star Tournament.

Laguna will square off against Central Irvine at 9 a.m. Saturday in an opening-round game at Woodfield Field in Aliso Viejo.

The double-elimination tournament features district leagues from Laguna Beach, Aliso Viejo, Central Irvine, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Lake Forest, Newport Beach, Northwood, Rancho Niguel, Saddleback and South Irvine.

For Burk, who said he is retiring from coaching after 14 years, Laguna’s Majors All-Star team is stocked with talent. An infusion of four new players to the All-Star team, three of whom were new this year to the league, could be the key to the team making a big run in the tournament.

“Let’s put it this way: In my 14 years of coaching and being involved in tournament play, this is the first time I’ve had two pitchers who can throw near 70 miles per hour and have two other off-speed pitchers on our staff,” Burk said. “I feel that it’s a really good starting point for us.

“In addition, we have a slew of home-run hitters in that group. Combine our pitching with solid hitting, and I feel that we will be very competitive. I think it will all come down to our ability to make the plays in the field.”

Pitcher/infielder Richie Nunis, utility player Dakota Holm and outfielder Cameron Hall are three players new to the league this year. Nunis, Burk said, will get the start Saturday against Central Irvine. The right-hander, along with Elijah Cassard, are the Laguna pitchers who clock in at close to 70 miles per hour, he said.

Morgan Lebby and Garrett Burk are the two hurlers who tease opponents with their off-speed styles.

Nunis and Cassard also make noise at the plate offensively. Bill Burk said that Nunis led the league in home runs this year with nine, while Cassard had the second most and also won the home run derby title at the league’s year-end celebration earlier this month. Hall had the third most homers in Majors play.

Should Laguna defeat Central Irvine Saturday, they’d move on to face Aliso Viejo National in a winners’-bracket game at 6 p.m. Sunday.

“Historically, Aliso Viejo is one of the best teams in the district,” Burk said. “That game will be a barometer of where our team stands, should we advance to play them Sunday. I’m just very excited about our team. I’m excited about the first game, and I really think that this team has the talent to make some noise in this tournament.”

?Dakota Holm

?Richie Nunis

?Robert Clemons

?Garrett Burk

?Cameron Hall

?Morgan Lebby

?Derek Strombotne

?Elijah Cassard

?Adam Rodner

?Brett Dunlavey

?Adam Farsheed

?Sundance Severino

?Sam Wogulis, alternate

?Andrew Victor, alternate

?Barrett Thornton, alternate

?Bill Burk, coach

MIKE SCIACCA covers sports. He can be reached at (949) 494-4321 or by e-mail at michael.sciacca@latimes.com.