PREP BASEBALL 1993: SUNSET LEAGUE

Westminster

1992 RECORDS: OVERALL: 12-14 LEAGUE: 5-7

COACH: RECORD AT SCHOOL Brian Batesole: First year

RETURNING STARTERS YR. POS. B-T Keith Cowley Sr. 3B/P R-S Chris Denningham Sr. OF R-R Jason Fabisiak Sr. 1B R-R Matt Murphy Sr. P R-R Aristeo Rodriguez Jr. C R-R

OTHER TOP RETURNERS YR. POS. B-T Keith Bigalow So. P L-L Jeff Sorensen Jr. P R-R

TOP NEWCOMERS YR. POS. B-T Mike Boucher Sr. Util. R-R Steve Murphy Sr. 2B R-R Jorge Valles Jr. SS R-R

OUTLOOK

The Lions are off to their best start in years with victories over Bell Gardens and Arcadia in the El Segundo tournament. “We hit the ball well in one game, pitched well in another and played good defense in both,” Batesole said. Batesole, a former head coach at Rancho Alamitos and Loara, did his student teaching at Westminster and is a resident substitute this year. Cowley, the best player on the team, had 11 strikeouts and allowed only two hits in a nine-inning victory over Bell Gardens. “He only threw 100 pitches and had a perfect game from the fifth to the ninth,” Batesole said. Murphy, the No. 2 pitcher, earned the victory over Arcadia and will be the team’s designated hitter when he’s not pitching. Valles, up from the junior varsity, had a double and single in his varsity debut. “We’ll play good defense, and we’ve got good pitching,” Batesole said. Westminster meets top-ranked Simi Valley today and Batesole said, “If we can play with them, we can play with anybody.” Batesole said he was hired on the first day teachers reported this year, so “it’s going to take a few games to get acclimated.”