COASTERS: Gone Batty

Steve Virgen

So much for the scrappy label for the Orange Coast College baseball

team, at least through the Pirates’ first 12 games that is.

Before the season began, OCC Coach John Altobelli said his 2001 Bucs

would be scrappy and his team would also have to depend on its defense to

win games.

But, much to Altobelli’s surprise, Coast has been able to use some hot

bats as the pitching and defense has played up to what was expected.

“I didn’t think we would get off to 9-0,” Altobelli said of OCC’s

opening winning streak. “But, our offense has surprised me more than

anything else. It’s not just one guy, it’s everybody.”

As the Bucs begin Orange Empire Conference play, Tuesday at Fullerton,

they have built a 10-2 record, thanks in much part to five Pirates

hitting above .350, four are above .400, including sophomore catcher

Brian Murphy, who leads with a .500 average.

Sophomore Josh McCanne is at .476, freshman outfielder/pitcher/catcher

Scott Beerer, a Newport Harbor High product, has a .415 average, freshman

Ryan Marcos is batting .404 and freshman Jonathan Smith rounds out the

top with a .390 mark.

Marcos leads the Pirates in RBIs (23) and home runs (three).

When OCC lost its first game of the season, a 4-3 setback to Treasure

Valley (Oregon), the Bucs responded with a huge victory over College of

the Sequoias to close out the Cy-Coast Classic.

Altobelli said the win was the biggest thus far for the Bucs mainly

because they battled back from a 6-1 deficit to win, 7-6, in 10 innings.

“That was a huge win because Sequoias is a very good ball club,”

Altobelli said.

In the top of the 10th, and with one out, Beerer hit a single to bring

in Glenn Hedgpeth, who also earned the win on the mound. He improved to

2-0 as he took over with one runner on in the eighth and pitched three

shutout innings, striking out four batters.

Hedgpeth’s other victory also came in extra innings, an 8-6 win in 10

over Moorpark.

Statistics could be misleading, but the Pirates could be 12-0 and

dominating the opposition. They have left 114 runners on base, while

their opponents stranded 75. Further, the Bucs are averaging 10 runs a

game.

OCC’s rematch with Treasure Valley, Saturday, was rained out.

Altobelli wanted the game so that the Bucs would be able to get one last

warm-up before conference. But, he still believes the team is ready.

Now is when the real fun starts. The upper-echelon talent of the OEC

will bring the best challenge for Coast. The real Bucs will now stand up.

“With conference coming it’s a new whole ballgame,” Altobelli said.

“The guys believe in the coaching staff and they believe in themselves as

a group.”

OEC newcomers Irvine Valley will pose a playful threat. Lasers

assistant coach Stacy Parker was Altobelli’s former assistant at Coast.

Altobelli also coached Parker at UC Irvine.

“It was fun to coach against him,” Altobelli said of the 13-1 win over

Parker and the Lasers Feb. 3. “The Parker family is a class family and I

wish him luck in his future, just not when he plays Coast.”

The Pirates will play at IVC, Saturday, and host the Lasers on March

6.