Leaving Las Vegas to Others, t’Sas Opts for Santa Barbara

With a choice of tournaments to enter over spring break, Antelope Valley Coach Ed t’Sas has no problem in selecting the Santa Barbara tournament over higher-profile tournaments in Las Vegas and Pomona.

The Antelopes will stay in Santa Barbara and play games in Oxnard and Santa Barbara over the next couple of days.

“We’ve been up there the last couple of years and we have a great time,” t’Sas said. “All the coaches bring their golf clubs. Besides, I wouldn’t want to be in charge of 20 high school kids in Vegas and who wants to go from the Antelope Valley to Pomona?”

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Looking good: Hueneme, which began the week 6-3 and 2-2 in Channel League play, looks like an improved program and not a one-year fluke after sharing last year’s league title.

Viking Coach Reg Welker credits senior pitcher/outfielder Chris Neri with the team’s rise. Neri entered the week batting .481 with 10 runs batted in and as a pitcher was 3-0 with an 2.23 earned run average.

“Chris has been a surprise; we didn’t know if he could carry us,” Welker said. “He’s been our main pitcher, he’s our leadoff batter and he’s shown leadership, which he didn’t do before.”

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Near perfection: Agoura’s Chris Poling has stolen 38 bases in 40 attempts the past two seasons. He was picked off first on his two failed attempts.

SOFTBALL

We’re No. 1: Call it new math, but an interesting combination of scores could make Antelope Valley (2-8) feel it should be the top-ranked team in The Times’ softball poll.

Simi Valley, ranked No. 1 in the preseason, lost to Thousand Oaks. Thousand Oaks lost to Chaminade. Chaminade lost to Crescenta Valley. Crescenta Valley lost to Saugus. Saugus lost to Canyon. Canyon fell to Antelope Valley on Saturday.

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Strange: Highland won its first eight games before falling last week to nemesis Alemany.

Alemany scored two runs in the seventh inning to claim a 3-2 nonleague victory, the Indians’ fifth consecutive over the Bulldogs and the third time they came from behind.

“It’s a weird thing,” Highland Coach Glenda Potts said. “I just can’t explain it.”

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Add Highland: Highland pitcher Michelle Wintermute had her wisdom teeth pulled on Monday and missed the Bulldogs’ game against Quartz Hill for the championship game of the High Desert tournament.

Who experienced the most pain?

“I did,” said Highland Coach Glenda Potts, who had to watch her team lose, 5-0, to its Golden League rival.