PREP BASEBALL 1992: EMPIRE LEAGUE

Esperanza

1990 RECORDS: OVERALL: 26-3 LEAGUE: 13-2

COACH: RECORD AT SCHOOL Mike Curran: 206-88

RETURNING STARTERS YR. POS. B-T Poncho Ruiz Jr. SS R-R

OTHER TOP RETURNERS YR. POS. B-T Jeff Quinn Sr. P R-R Randy Wilson Sr. P R-R

TOP NEWCOMERS YR. POS. B-T Jason Goettsche Jr. OF R-R Sal Hernandez Jr. OF R-L Bobby Ponce Jr. 2B R-R

OUTLOOK

Esperanza lost only three games last season, including a 6-0 decision to Long Beach Millikan in the 5-A semifinals. Millikan went on to win the 5-A title. Two Aztec players were named to the All-Southern Section 5-A team. Esperanza won its sixth Empire League title in the past eight years. But all of that is in the past. This is a new season, and it doesn’t look as promising as many past ones have. Only one starting position player, Ruiz, is back from the 1991 team, and he is moving from third base to shortstop. Wilson was the only other player to see much playing time last season, with Quinn making some appearances. Goettsche, Hernandez and Ponce were all standouts on the junior varsity; in lesser programs, they probably would have made their marks on the varsity, but not at Esperanza. A lack of varsity experience might devastate another program, but it doesn’t figure to throw the Aztecs too far off track. There is a lot of baseball tradition at Esperanza, and the lean years have been few and far between as Curran’s record, which includes one section championship and two runner-up trophies in the past six years, would indicate. Curran thinks El Dorado is the team to beat in the league race, and could be the top team in the section’s 5-A; the others, including his, will be fighting for second.