ORANGE EMPIRE CONFERENCE BASEBALL PREVIEW : Rancho Santiago Shoots for Third Title

The Orange Empire Conference is considered one of the strongest baseball leagues in the state, as a glance at recent playoff brackets will attest.

Three of the final four teams in the 1990 and ’91 Southern California Regionals have come from the conference, and Cypress, which could do no better than third in the Orange Empire last season, won the 1991 state championship.

But so much for the miracles of last May. The Orange Empire Conference race, with two-time champion Rancho Santiago preparing to defend its title, is ready to begin again today, and no clear-cut favorite has emerged.

Preparation has been a problem. The teams have spent the first three weeks of the season trying to get in a few games between rain storms.

Here’s a closer look at the conference:

CYPRESS

1990-91 Record: 36-15, 13-11

Conference finish: Third

Cypress (10-3 this season) lost most of its state championship team to four-year colleges and the major league draft. Outfielders Eric Nygard and Abijah Alastra are the only sophomore position players back.

Todd Blyleven, the son of major leaguer Burt Blyleven, and Chad Troxel are the only sophomore pitchers.

Coach Scott Pickler did well recruiting, getting first baseman Jason Hodges and second baseman David Newhan from Esperanza High School’s Empire League championship team. Charles Gipson, who played for Fullerton College’s football team, is starting in the outfield.

FULLERTON

1990-91 Record: 25-20, 11-13

Conference finish: Fourth

Fullerton (7-3-1) returns three infielders--third baseman Frank Sarver, second baseman Ramon Apodaca and first baseman Sal Mancuso. Sarver hit .311, Apodaca hit .299 and Mancuso hit .309 with three home runs and 23 RBIs last season.

The Hornets have been hurt by injuries with Sarver and Malcomb Cepeda, the son of former major leaguer Orlando Cepeda, both out with sore knees.

Jason Diplock is back in center field, and Rob Williams, Chad Bumgarner and Todd Hennigar, all freshman pitchers, have done well so far.

GOLDEN WEST

1990-91 Record: 15-21, 10-14

Conference finish: Fifth

Many of Golden West’s current players were together this summer on a team that won the Metro League, giving the Rustlers (4-3-1) added confidence.

First baseman Rob Walker and shortstop/third baseman Jason Brissey are back. Walker hit .275 with 20 RBIs last season, then went on to win the Metro League batting title last summer. Brissey is playing third base.

Ben Mendoza returns to center field, and Harvey Perez is back at catcher. Golden West’s pitching staff lacks a standout but has some depth.

RANCHO SANTIAGO

1990-91 Record: 41-11, 18-6

Conference finish: First

Pitching is the strength for Rancho Santiago (6-4). Sophomore right-handers J.J. Thobe and David Goldstein are back after impressive performances last season.

Thobe has moved from the bullpen--where he had a school-record 11 saves--into the starting rotation. Goldstein was 7-1 last season and already has set a school single-game record with 15 strikeouts against Mt. San Jacinto last Tuesday.

Robin Lindsey, an all-conference pick last season, is back at catcher, giving the Dons an emotional leader. He hit .347 with six home runs and drove in 32 runs last season.

RIVERSIDE

1990-91 Record: 36-15, 15-9

Conference finish: Second

Riverside (7-3), which has made two consecutive appearances in the final four of the state tournament, returns only one starter, center field Darvin Traylor. He hit .384 with 42 RBIs last season.

Dean Funkhouser, who played on the 1990 team but missed last season because of a broken ankle, is back playing first base. David Reteria, a utility player last season, is starting at shortstop.

Bert Horn and Toby McFarland are returning pitchers, and freshman Joey Dawley is off to a 3-0 start.

ORANGE COAST

1990-91 Record: 24-28-1, 9-15

Conference finish: Sixth

Orange Coast (5-1) has experienced pitching in left-hander Chad Rolish and right-handers Mike Cutler and Duane Page. Rolish was 7-4, Cutler was 5-3 and Page finished 2-3 last season.

Daniel Hernandez, who hit .315 last season, is back at shortstop, and Dan Redington has moved from designated hitter/first base to right field. Redington hit .368 with 39 RBIs last season.

OCC has some impressive bloodlines at catcher as well with Mike Monday, the son of former major-league outfielder Rick Monday, and Dusty Wathan, the son of former major-league catcher and manager John Wathan.

SADDLEBACK

1990-91 Record: 14-21, 7-17

Conference finish: Second

Mark Wells, a sophomore third baseman who hit .262 with six home runs and 29 RBIs last season, is back. Saddleback (3-3-1) also received a boost when shortstop Chris Sauritch transferred from Chapman. Transfer Ron Kortman had five saves for OCC last year, and Karl Hardman returns to the mound for the Gauchos.

Saddleback will also be counting on several freshmen including Nathan Malagon, Neil Garcia and Matt Maffei. Malagon is catching, and Garcia and Maffei are being used in utility roles.