Grossmont League Preview : Santana Is Favored, but Others Will Challenge

SAN DIEGO —  Ask any baseball coach in the Grossmont League which high school will be the favorite and all will quickly say Santana, the defending co-champions.

Although the Sultans seem to be the best team, most league coaches agree others will test them.

Valhalla and Granite Hills, which shared the title with Santana last season, is expected to give Santana a run for the championship, and El Capitan could be the sleeper.

“This year, the league has the strongest field of teams since 1970,” Valhalla Coach John Marlow said.

Santana

Last season’s record: 19-6, 13-3.

Finish: Tied for first with Granite Hills.

Coach: Jim Saska.

Top returners: Jeff Gay (senior catcher, throws right, bats left); Mike Hook (senior pitcher, throws left, bats right); Bill Reed (junior pitcher, throws and bats left-handed).

Top newcomer: Dale Henson (senior third baseman, throws and bats right-handed).

Outlook: The Sultans, the winner of the AAA Division of the 36th Annual Lions/Mike Morrow Invitational baseball tournament last week, are among the county’s best teams. Saska said Santana’s only weakness is its hitting strength toward the bottom of the order.

Gay, who was an all-county selection as a sophomore and junior, we catch the experienced Santana pitching staff, anchored by Hook and Reed.

Valhalla

Last season’s record: 19-6, 11-5.

Finish: Third place.

Coach: John Marlow.

Top returners: Ted Gilmore (senior outfielder-second baseman, throws and bats right-handed); Rob Sharp (senior pitcher-first baseman, throws and bats left-handed); Steve Phoenix (senior pitcher, throws and bats right-handed).

Top newcomer: John Ace (junior third baseman-shortstop, throws and bats right-handed).

Outlook: Valhalla doesn’t have the individual stars like the Sultans, but the Norsemen are solid, which they proved winning the Lions tournament.

Granite Hills

Last season’s record: 21-6, 13-3.

Finish: Tied for first with Santana.

Coach: Gordy Thompson.

Top returners: Todd Parker (senior shortstop, throws right, bats right); Donnie Carroll (junior center fielder, throws left, bats left); Kurt Southworth (junior right fielder, throws right, bats left).

Top newcomer: George Bishop (junior left fielder-pitcher, throws right, bats right).

Outlook: Thompson lost seven of his top players to graduation, including first-team all-league shortstop Frank Carey, now a starter for Stanford University.

Thompson was hoping for a strong pitching staff to lead the Eagles this year, but Granite Hills has lost three out of its last four games partly because of weak pitching.

“We will have to get our pitching staff squared away to compete in this league,” Thompson said.

El Capitan

Last season’s record: 9-15, 7-9.

Finish: Fifth place.

Coach: Steve Vickery.

Top returners: Steve Nowlan (senior shortstop-pitcher, throws right, bats right); Rob Arnold (junior pitcher, throws right, bats left); Scott Murray (left fielder-third baseman, throws right, bats right).

Top newcomer: Carlos Guiterrez (throws left, bats left).

Outlook: The Vaqueros’ bright spots this season will be hitting and pitching, which Vickery originally thought would be their weaknesses.

Arnold, who threw a one-hitter in five innings against Santana in a recent tournament, should be the top pitcher. Nowlan will also be valuable and Vickery said the senior right-hander could lead the team in hitting. Last year, Nowlan hit .333 with four home runs.

Helix

Last season’s record: 17-9, 10-6.

Finish: Third place.

Coach: Jeff Boutelle.

Top returners: Jerry Oedewaldt (senior infielder, throws and bats right-handed); Tim Neal (senior shortstop, throws and bats right-handed); Mike Quesenberry, senior third baseman, throws and bats right-handed).

Top newcomer: Rick Page (sophomore catcher, throws and bats right-handed).

Outlook: Graduation robbed Boutelle of much of his team, which has left him with the task of trying to rebuild during the tournament season. “We’ve got kids that haven’t played at this level before,” Boutelle said.

Grossmont

Last season’s record: 9-15, 7-9.

Finish: Fourth place.

Coach: Bill Gray.

Top returners: Lance Dickson (junior pitcher-infielder, throws left, bats right); Shon Boney (senior shortstop, switch-hitter, throws right); Aaron Albert (sophomore catcher, switch-hitter, throws right).

Top newcomer: Roy Neder (sophomore transfer from Valhalla, pitcher, throws and bats left).

Outlook: The Foothillers are a junior-dominated squad, with four seniors and three sophomores. Grossmont needs more experience in the pitching department, which is without any seniors.

Mount Miguel

Last season’s record: 9-16, 6-10.

Finish: Seventh place.

Coach: Mike Trigs.

Top returners: Jason Stewert (senior third baseman, throws and bats right-handed); Don Young (senior outfielder, throws and bats right-handed); Rick Wurtz (senior catcher-outfielder, throws and bats right-handed).

Top newcomer: Eddie Cervantes (sophomore shortstop, throws and bats right-handed).

Outlook: With no returning pitchers, Trigs found himself converting infielders into pitchers. The Matadors have nine players returning.

Stewert, who currently leads the county with his .577 average, should lead Mount Miguel this season.

El Cajon

Last season’s record: 3-19, 2-14.

Finish: Ninth place.

Coach: Kent Holly.

Top returners: Joey Kaewpalug (senior second baseman-shortstop-pitcher, throws right, bats right); Steve Boone, senior first baseman, throws left, bats left); Juan Zamora (senior pitcher-infielder, throws right, bats right).

Top newcomer: Rusty Pennock (junior third baseman, throws right, bats right).

Outlook: The Cougars are a senior-dominated team, yet the experience has not shown on the field, Holly said.

“The pitchers aren’t getting much help from the fielders,” he said. “We’re giving teams an extra five or six outs a game.”

Holly said he expects Kaewpalug and Boone to lead El Cajon this season.