Laguna Beach Closing In On First League Title In 48 Years

Leading Off

When the high school baseball season began nearly two months ago, a new set of rules regarding bats took effect in an effort to reduce the rebound speed of batted balls and, as a result, hopefully reduce injuries and inflated power numbers.

Sweeping changes at the national collegiate and high school level, including CIF Southern Section competition, went into effect this spring. If you are a collegiate player, you must now swing a BBCOR certified bat -- one that performs like a wood bat rather than a metal one -- that meets ABI (Accelerated Break-In) testing standards in order to take a hack at the plate.

BBCOR, which stands for “Batted Ball Coefficient Resolution,” measures the trampoline effect of a bat. The trampoline effect is the transfer of energy from a pitched ball to the bat. When a pitched ball is struck by a solid wood bat, the ball compresses and loses energy. However, a thin-walled, hollow-metal bat serves as a trampoline for the ball.  The bat absorbs the ball without the ball losing its energy,  and it leaves the bat at a much faster rate.

This season, high school players can still use composite bats but only if they appear on the National Federation of State High School Assn.'s list. Also, composite taper or handle bats and aluminum bats are still allowed but they must meet BESR (Ball Exit Speed Ratio) certification.

Beginning next season, however, high schools will be subject to the exact same bat restrictions as colleges are currently facing.

The rule alteration drew immediate skepticism from different corners of the country. Would it take players too long to become acclimated to their new tools of the trade? Would home run numbers plummet? Would third-base coaches be signaling for more sacrifice bunts than ever before?

The answer to all of the above seems to be a firm "yes." Midway through the college season, home runs, runs scored and batting averages are down across the board. With the trampoline effect of composite and metal barrels now a thing of the past, college and high school players and coaches are rewriting the script on how to get runners across home plate.

“Its brought a new sense of strategy to the game,”  San Juan Hill coach Jeremy Wooten said. “A lot more guys are dropping bunts in order to mover baserunners, rather than trying to drive the ball deep. Sacrifices are certainly up, just like they are at the college level.”

The newfound emphasis on small ball is evident. Take for instance, a situation in which a team has a runner on second base with fewer than two outs. Before the rule change, a coach may have been more likely to give his batter a green light to swing away and drive something into the outfield. However, unless you’ve got an ideal matchup at the plate, concentrating on moving the runner to third might be the safer bet today.

“Base-running and bunting have become even more important than before,” JSerra coach Brett Kay said. “Execution with runners on base, pitching and defense are what wins you games.”

No, this isn’t the end of extra-base hits and line drives. Talented players are still crushing the ball, but they may now be relying less on the physical makeup of their bats and more on their own fundamental precision.

“It seems like the ball still travels and you can still drive it,” Wooten said. “But I’ve noticed that the sweet spot of the bat is smaller. You’ve really got to contact the ball at the perfect point if you want to send it far.”

Many Orange County teams began swinging with their new BBCOR certified sticks during the fall and winter, setting themselves up for a seamless transition this spring.

Of course, you must always tread lightly when attempting to tweak any facet of America’s beloved game. 

“There’s a thought process that all infielders should wear helmets on the field,” Kay said. “Stuff like that changes the game. The most important thing at this level is safety, but we have to try to stay true to the sport and remember that occasional injuries are a part of athletics.”

If you want to read more about the NFHS bat rules, click here.

Touch 'Em All

Game results from across the region:

Dana Hills Splits With Tesoro, Maintains Slim South Coast Lead

The week didn’t start well for the Dolphins when they lost to Tesoro, 10-0, on the road last Wednesday. Scott Hahn had a double, home run and drove in two runs for the Titans (12-12, 4-4) in the convincing win.

Dana Hills (14-9, 6-2) rebounded at home on Friday. A four-run fourth inning fueled a 7-5 Dolphins' victory. Senior Peter Maris was three for four with two RBIs, helping South Coast League-leading Dana Hills preserve two-game cushion in the win column.

El Toro Takes Two From Capistrano Valley

The Chargers (17-6, 4-2) pushed their win streak to six games and thrust themselves into the thick of title contention with back-to-back wins over Capistrano Valley. Daniel Conmy hit a home run in support of pitcher Tyler Brashears in Wednesday’s 7-2 road victory over the Cougars (16-9, 4-4). The right-hander shut down Capistrano Valley to earn his fourth complete-game and eighth win of his junior season.

Despite a home run off the bat of Cougars’ junior Jeff Ortega, El Toro claimed a 5-3 win at home two days later. The Chargers put four runs on the board in the first inning and rode the early advantage to another victory over their South Coast rival. Capistrano Valley managed only six runs in three losses to El Toro this year.

Aliso Niguel Claims Season Series Against Mission Viejo

The Wolverines (14-8, 4-4) wrapped up their Sea View League series against Mission Viejo with their second victory on the Diablos’ home diamond. After losing 7-3 in Wednesday’s meeting with Mission Viejo (13-10, 3-3), Aliso Niguel narrowly won the grudge match, 3-2, on Friday afternoon.

Dutch Deol and Brett Barker both blasted home runs in the victory. Barker’s long ball was his third of the spring and he impressed on the mound as well. The junior tossed his a complete game against the Diablos to improve his pitching record to 5-3.

Though Trabuco Hills (20-2, 9-0) continues to pull away with the league lead, Mission Viejo and Aliso Niguel are jockeying for preferable playoff positions.

Fountain Valley Beats Foothill in Wild One

The Barons (11-9) buried Foothill in a 4-0 hole after six innings, but the Knights (11-10) bounced back with four runs in the bottom of the seventh to send Thursday’s nonleague bout into extra innings. Fountain Valley overcame adversity and put up a four-spot in the eighth inning en route to a dramatic 8-6 victory.

San Juan Hills Squeaks Past Los Alamitos in Extra Innings

The Stallions and Griffins met at UC Riverside on Friday for an exciting nonleague battle. San Juan Hills (12-9) saw a late 7-4 lead evaporate in the final innings before rebounding to defeat Los Alamitos, 8-7, in the 10th inning. Stallions senior Casey Przybylak brought home Sam Robinson with a game-winning RBI single.

Seeing-Eye Singles

Random observations of recent baseball occurrences in Orange County:

* Tesoro’s season began shakily, with the team falling to 5-10 early on. It has since used its bats to battle back. The Titans are 7-2 since April 5, averaging approximately eight runs per game during the span. Outfielder Scott Hahn leads the way with 13 RBIs during the nine-game stretch and has two home runs in the last three games.

* San Clemente remains winless in the South Coast League but Mike Erb is emerging as a promising program cornerstone. The junior infielder is batting well over .400 while leading the Tritons in runs, RBIs and hits. Offensive production has been an issue at times this season for San Clemente, but that’s hardly the case with Erb. He reached base three times in the Tritons' most recent win, an 11-10 victory over Foothill.

* Corona del Mar (11-7, 5-4) faces a crucial two-game series against Woodbridge (10-10, 4-5) this week. Each team is teetering on the brink of relevance in the Pacific Coast League, which is led by Beckman (15-5, 8-1). A sweep of Woodbridge could vault the Sea Kings into the mix for first place, while a Warriors sweep could drop Corona del Mar to fourth place.

Curtain Call

I spoke with Laguna Beach coach Jeff Sears this week. In a beach community where surfing and volleyball reign supreme, the high school's baseball program is making noise. Sears, currently in his fourth season as skipper of the Breakers, leads a Laguna Beach squad surging toward its first league title in 48 years. The team is 19-2 overall and remains undefeated in Orange Coast competition.

Tyler Donohue: Laguna Beach enters the last week of April in command of the Orange Coast League. How do you keep your club focused on the prize toward the end of regular season play?

Jeff Sears: We don't really look ahead. It's about staying focused on the innings in front of us. We've worked pitch-by-pitch this season and there's no reason to change our approach now.

TD: Chris Paul has produced at the plate and on the mound all season. What's the key to his consistency?

JS: Chris has contributed since his freshman season and he really bought in from Day 1. He's as dedicated as they come and he means a lot to this program.

TD: Who else has been behind the Breakers' success this season?

JS: This is certainly far from a one-man show. Keaton Jones (.408 avg., 11 doubles) has been a catalyst for our lineup and Erik Peruzzi is batting nearly .500 (.486 avg., 29 RBIs). It’s a group effort and different players keep stepping up.

TD: You’re hitting just about as well as any team in the area, but you’ve been able to limit other teams when they’re at the plate. What kind of approach have you seen from your pitching staff this season?

JS: They’ve done an excellent job of throwing quality strikes all year. We’re locating our pitches and being smart in tough situations. Our pitchers have gained a lot of knowledge and experience over the year and you usually know what you’re going to get from them.

Games of the Week

JSerra vs. Mater Dei, Tuesday and Friday, 6 p.m.

The Monarchs smacked JSerra, 10-3, when they met for the first time a month ago. Mater Dei (17-4, 8-1) continues to gain steam as a national power and has lost only twice since March 11, but the Lions (18-3, 7-2) might be the hotter ballclub.

JSerra still hasn’t been defeated since it fell to the Monarchs and enters tonight’s game on an 11-game unbeaten streak. They’ve quickly become a battle-tested group, especially after winning the highly-competitive Anaheim Lions Tournament earlier this month.

Mater Dei junior pitcher-outfielder Ty Moore (.514 average, 27 RBIs) and JSerra senior Austin Hedges, arguably the best high school catcher in America, are two of California brightest baseball stars.

This is a must-see series for local baseball enthusiasts -- Tuesday's game is at JSerra and Friday's is at Mater Dei. The Lions could wake up on Saturday in first place. The Monarchs might just put the Trinity League championship trophy on lockdown. Stay tuned.

Closing Number

13

The Tesoro Titans have launched 13 home runs in their last 22 contests and have four multi-home run games this season. And the bats are just heating up. Tesoro hitters have belted home runs in each of the past four games, accounting for six total long balls during that stretch.

So much for BBCOR bats bringing an end to power hitting