1994 PREP BASEBALL / Los Angeles Times ALL-STARS : Speedy St. Bernard High Outfielder Is Best in His Field

St. Bernard’s best sprinter may have been a baseball player.

As the Vikings’ leadoff hitter, Dana Harrison set the tempo with his speed and ability to reach base. He has been clocked running to first base in 3.8 seconds.

“If he didn’t get on base when he first got up, he would get on the next two or three times,” St. Bernard Coach Bob Yarnall said. “He would wreck havoc on the bases. No one could throw him out.”

It’s easy for a coach to pump up his players, but what about St. Bernard’s opponents?

“I never threw him out,” Beverly Hills catcher Jeremy Booth said.

The right-handed-hitting Harrison was a reason the Vikings went from 1-13 in 1993 to 14-11 in 1994.

“It’s been fun playing with the team,” said Harrison, who signed with Long Beach State.

For his efforts, Harrison has been selected The Times’ 1994 Westside Player of the Year.

In his second season as coach, Jon Beckerman of University takes his job so seriously that he became a target for gamesmanship from the dean of coaches.

“I remember leaving a nasty message on Jon’s answering machine that he didn’t turn his contract in on time for the Westside tournament,” former Crossroads Coach Chuck Ice said. “He took everything I said seriously and I was kidding half the time.”

Although Beckerman, 26, took his shots off the field, he finished one up on elder statesman Ron Kasparian of Westchester to win his second Western League title. The Warriors (19-8-1, 14-3 in the Coastal Conference) won their last four games to win the league title.

“Winning the Western League title was a big accomplishment,” Beckerman said. “It’s been difficult coaching because at times I don’t feel mature enough to handle some of the tasks.”

For his efforts, Beckerman was selected The Times’ Westside Coach of the Year.

All-star profiles

Jeremy Booth, Beverly Hills--The Times’ 1993 Westside player of the year, Booth moved from catcher to first base and had another stellar season. He batted .357, had two home runs and 21 runs batted in. Among his school records are most doubles in a season (29), most RBIs in a season (80) and best on-base percentage (.703). Booth will attend Loyola Marymount on a baseball scholarship.

Carlos Casillas, St. Monica--The junior first baseman is another returning Times’ Westside all-star. A three-time selection to the Camino Real League team, Casillas batted .468 and had four home runs. He had his best game against St. Genevieve with a three-run home run, two doubles and six RBIs.

Oscar Casillas, St. Monica--Joining his brother on the first team, the senior had an 8-1 record as a pitcher and batted .335. Voted most valuable player in the Camino Real League for second consecutive season, Casillas received a scholarship to USC.

Gerry Cohen, Beverly Hills--The senior left fielder led the Ocean League with a .500 batting average. As the leadoff hitter, he batted .476 overall and led the Normans in RBIs (25) and stolen bases (20). He dropped only one fly ball and made two assists. He was also selected to the Ocean League first team.

Sergio Gonzalez, Santa Monica--The senior pitcher received the toughest starting assignments and managed a 5-5 record and 3.00 earned-run average. Gonzalez gave up only 27 earned runs on 69 hits and 20 walks in 63 innings. He threw a three-hitter, striking out six in a 3-1 win over Long Beach Millikan in the first round of the Southern Section Division I playoffs.

Juan Guzman, Crossroads--In his first season as full-time pitcher, the senior had a 5-2 record, one save and a 2.32 ERA. He had 47 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings. He shut out Village Christian, 10-0, in the first round of the Division V playoffs.

Dana Harrison, St. Bernard--The senior outfielder had a .427 batting average and .645 on-base percentage. Included in his 35 hits were a triple, three doubles and a home run. He stole 24 bases and drove in 15 runs. Harrison received a scholarship to Long Beach State.

Kirk Romo, University--Voted most valuable player in the Western League, the junior catcher batted .378, had three home runs, 22 RBIs and 40 runs scored. Romo threw out 70% of the runners attempting to steal.

Gilbert Solis, Venice--The senior has been a starter at third base since he was promoted to the varsity midway through his sophomore season. Solis batted .407 against Western League competition and .410 overall. He led the Gondoliers in hits (34), doubles (11), triples (two) and total bases (52).

Rod Washington, Westchester--The senior catcher batted .420 overall, .404 in the Western League. He led the Comets with 37 hits and drove in 24 runs. Washington called a good game behind the plate and threw out 60% of the runners attempting to steal. He was named to the Western League first team.

Jake Willens, Brentwood--The two-time Delphic League batting champion batted .488 and had 43 RBIs, one short of the school record set by Jeremy Milken. He also had five home runs, eight doubles and four triples.

Damon Williams, Culver City--One of the area’s top two-sport athletes, Williams also made The Times’ Westside football team as a quarterback. In baseball, the junior used his strong arm as a pitcher and outfielder. He batted .420 with 17 RBIs, 19 runs and eight stolen bases. He was selected to the Ocean League first team; football recruiters and major league scouts will be watching Williams next season.

All Star Team

Name: Oscar Casillas Position: Pitcher School: St. Monica Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: 8-1

Name: Sergio Gonzalez Position: Pitcher School: Santa Monica Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: 5-5

Name: Juan Guzman Position: Pitcher School: Crossroads Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: 5-2

Name: Kirk Romo Position: Catcher School: University Year: Junior W-L/Avg.: .378

Name: Jeremy Booth Position: Infield School: Beverly Hills Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: .357

Name: Carlos Casillas Position: Infield School: St. Monica Year: Junior W-L/Avg.: .468

Name: Gilbert Solis Position: Infield School: Venice Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: .410

Name: Jake Willens Position: Infield School: Brentwood Year: Junior W-L/Avg.: .488

Name: Gerry Cohen Position: Outfield School: Beverly Hills Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: .476

Name: Dana Harrison Position: Outfield School: St. Bernard Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: .427

Name: Damon Williams Position: Outfield School: Culver City Year: Junior W-L/Avg.: .420

Name: Rod Washington Position: Designated Hitter School: Westchester Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: .420

Westside Second Team

Pos. Player School Yr. W-L/Avg. OF Jose Barillas Fairfax Jr. .333 P Jose Navarro University Sr. 7-1 P Jelani Ferguson Westchester Sr. 7-3 INF Henry Jones Westchester Sr. .348 INF Andy Cope Culver City Jr. .329 INF Aaron Suzar Crossroads Sr. .410 P David Close Hamilton Sr. 5-6 INF Greg Thomas Palisades Sr. .375 INF David Forst Brentwood Sr. .445 OF Kirk Renn Santa Monica Sr. .325 OF Roberto Marroquin Hollywood Sr. .438 INF Danny Ragsdale Murphy Jr. .545