NORTHWEST VALLEY CONFERENCE : WEST VALLEY LEAGUE

Chatsworth

COACH: Tom Meusborn, 3rd season LAST SEASON: 18-8, 1st in league, 13-4 PLAYERS TO WATCH: Don’t shed any tears for the Chancellors. Sure, former All-Valley players Mitch Root, Nestor Martinez, Adam Pearlman and Thurman Williams have graduated, but Chatsworth somehow seems to have plugged the holes. The Chancellors won the baseball division of the L.A. Watts Games last summer and have the best returning pitcher in the Northwest Valley Conference in senior right-hander Brandon Nickens (6-2, 1.21 earned-run average). Eric Holliday, a senior right-hander, was a force for the junior varsity last season and is the other starter. Nickens, who has grown to 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, is the premier pitcher among area City teams, but Holliday also has been impressive. Senior Matt Gorman played extensively in American Legion ball last summer and will start at catcher. Eddie Ramos, a senior and part-time starter in 1991, will play at second and senior shortstop Doug Dean also returns. Matt LaCour, a senior who played for the junior varsity, will start at third. The outfield likely will consist of senior Danny Knight and juniors Mark Lopez and Ben Yosfan, all of whom played for the junior varsity in 1991. Senior David Stevenson, up from the junior varsity, will play first base.

OUTLOOK: Folks residing in the apartment complex that lies beyond the fence in left field at Chatsworth can rest easy. For the first time in several years, Chatsworth will rely more on pitching and defense than a long-ball attack. “Most of the guys are players who compete and scrap and scrape,� Meusborn said. “These guys will battle you.� El Camino Real COACH: Mike Maio, 10th season LAST SEASON: 12-10; 2nd in league, 9-8 PLAYERS TO WATCH: Another year older, another year wiser. El Camino Real fielded a team last season that featured several youngsters and many came through with flying colors. Junior shortstop Dan Cey (.360) blossomed over the summer into an All-City candidate. Junior Justin Balser (.250) returns at catcher. The outfield is quick and experienced, led by sophomore Randy Wolf (.404) and junior Mike Smith (.333), both returning starters. Senior Mike McLean is a returning letterman in the outfield. Danny Baker, a junior transfer from Canoga Park, is the probable starter at third base. Strong-armed senior Evan Howland, another returning letterman, will pitch and could see action at other positions. The pitching staff is led by senior right-hander Terry Morrow (3-3 with a 2.12 ERA last spring). Senior left-hander Jason Sipperley, up from the junior varsity, also has been impressive. Senior right-hander Tad Miyoshi and junior right-hander Kevin Szymanski pitched for the school’s successful American Legion team last summer. OUTLOOK: El Camino Real has several capable pitchers and many picked up valuable experience against solid competition during the American Legion playoffs last summer. Many other players also picked up valuable playing time. It is still a young team, which means a premium will be placed on pitching and defense. “We’ve played good defense and we’re quicker than we have been (recently),� Maio said. “But we’re still mainly a bunch of slap hitters.� The outfield might rank among the best in the area defensively. Reseda COACH: Mike Stone, 14th season LAST SEASON: 2-15; 4th in league, 2-15 PLAYERS TO WATCH: Reseda’s strength lies in the infield and at catcher. Returning starter Juan Romero, a junior catcher, is “consistent and reliable,� Stone said. Carlos Nunez, a sophomore who started at third last spring, moves to shortstop and also will pitch. Ruben Guerra, the second baseman as a sophomore last year, moves to third. Senior Tremayne Carter, a reserve in 1991, is the leading contender for the starting berth at first. The outfield features a trio of players from the football team. Will Skett, Larry Trammel and Mike Rutter are seniors and solid athletes who should do the job defensively. Sophomore Jose Ramirez, up from the junior varsity, is expected to start at second. Nunez and senior right-hander John Granillo are the likely starting pitchers. Granillo is a returning letterman. OUTLOOK: Reseda is probably the least intimidating team in the Northwest Valley Conference but should prove capable of a few upsets. “Hopefully, we’ll be competitive,� Stone said. “Playing with Chatsworth, San Fernando, Kennedy and teams like that makes it tough.� Stone said he needs leadership and solid performances from Nunez, Skett and Guerra, his three best players. Taft COACH: Rich McKeon, 5th season LAST SEASON: 8-19; 3rd in league, 3-14 PLAYERS TO WATCH: Taft’s performance in 1991 is misleading. The Toreadors forfeited five victories because they used an ineligible player, and Taft might be fielding its best team of the past few seasons. Junior catcher Stacey Kleiner (.375, 11 doubles, 14 runs batted in) and senior first baseman John Erganian (.320) lead the returners. Junior Warren Stewart is expected to start at second and senior Matt Allison returns at shortstop. Juniors Brandon Witkow, John Novak and Josh Irving, all returning lettermen, are fighting for the starting nod at third. John Soto, who batted .278 with four home runs and 14 RBIs last season as a sophomore, is the leading hitter among outfielders. Mike Sweeney, a senior transfer from Chaminade, could start in center and see action on the mound. Pitching should be improved, despite the loss of six-game winner Nathan Voytek, who moved back to Pennsylvania. Senior left-hander Corey Jacobson, who has suffered arm injuries for the past two seasons, is sound and has been impressive in winter ball. Justin Siegel, a junior left-hander, is expected to be the top starter. “For the first time in a couple of years, it’s more or less a returning team,� McKeon said. “Personally, I like our team a lot. Of the position players, I like our team better than any other in the league.� OUTLOOK: “We should be much stronger offensively,� McKeon said. Like most teams in the Northwest Valley Conference, Taft’s pitching is unproven. The health and durability of Jacobson is a key, especially in light of the loss of Mike Krasner, a senior right-hander who is out for the season because of an arm injury. “Though it’s inexperienced, I like our staff,� he said.