Is there an encore?

Mike Sciacca, Independent

A year ago at this time, something magical was about to grip Little

League baseball in Huntington Beach.

No one knew what was about to happen, nor did anybody expect it. Sure,

a few surmised that a certain team had the “talent” to go very far, but

no team from Huntington Beach had traveled this road before.

Ocean View Little League’s Majors Division All-Star team changed all

that last July.

It all began, too, with the Little League District 62 All-Stars

Tournament, where Ocean View hardly was challenged in tearing its way to

the championship.

The team outscored its five district opponents, 45-4, to move on to

the Section Tournament. There, it whipped three foes by a combined 16-1,

to advance to the Southern California Division 3 Tournament. It won twice

more before absorbing its first postseason loss, 7-1, to East Yorba Linda.

But, Ocean View bounced back to win its next three, including twice

defeating that same East Yorba Linda team, to win the tournament and go

where no local Little League had before -- the Western Regional

Tournament in San Bernardino.

Four straight wins there set up the unbelievable: a date against Hazel

Dell of Washington, with a ticket to the Little League World Series in

Williamsport, Pa., awaiting the winner.

Ocean View came up two runs short of winning that game, but its

incredible playoff run didn’t go unnoticed in the city.

“It was a fantastic ride,” said Randy Melchert, who last year was an

assistant coach on that team. “We had such a great squad, from top to

bottom, and we were tough to beat.”

While Ocean View was the hands-on favorite to win last year’s district

tournament, there is no clear-cut choice this year, as the District 62

All-Stars Tournament opens this weekend.

Melchert will be back, but this time he’ll be the manager of an Ocean

View squad that will be seeking to carry the torch from last year’s team.

“It’s going to be very tough to win this tournament,” Melchert said.

“I would say that, definitely, we are not favored to win it this year.

There are a few teams that I feel should be considered favorites.”

Melchert points to Fountain Valley and Seaview.

Just last week, Fountain Valley had its two teams reach the semifinals

of the District 62 Tournament of Champions, and Fountain Valley’s No. 1

entry defeated Costa Mesa National for the district title.

Seaview’s squad is comprised of several players that played in the

state tournament as 10-year-olds.

As for Ocean View, there’s just one hold over from last year’s

district championship team, and that’s the manager’s son, catcher Scott

Melchert, who was the lone 11-year-old on a roster dominated by

12-year-olds.

There’s just one catch, though: Scott Melchert might not play in the

All-Stars tournament. He was hit by a pitch on his right elbow in the

fifth inning of last week’s semifinal loss to Fountain Valley No. 1, and

X-rays that night revealed a small fracture.”We could have an entirely

new look from last year’s team,” Randy Melchert said. “What it will take

for us to win this tournament again is solid pitching. I think we also

will need to play some perfect baseball.”

Robinwood and Westminster will host the All-Stars tournaments.

The Area 1 Majors and 9/10 tournaments, as well as the entire Junior

League event, will be played at Westminster.

Area 2 competition in both Majors and 9/10, and the Senior League

tournament, will be played at Robinwood.

The District 62 Majors and 9/10 championship series will be held July

17-19 at Westminster Little League.

Double elimination play begins Saturday.

Can any of these teams recapture the magic that Ocean View’s Majors

Division All-Star team wove a year ago?

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

AREA 1

Majors Division

(at Westminster Little League)

Fountain Valley vs. Costa Mesa American, 9 a.m.

Ocean View vs. Westminster, noon

9/10 Division

Fountain Valley vs. Ocean View, 9 a.m.

Westminster vs. Costa Mesa American, noon

Junior League

Huntington Valley vs. Robinwood, 9 a.m.

Fountain Valley vs. Seaview, noon

Ocean View vs. Westminster, 3 p.m.

AREA 2

(at Robinwood Little League)

Majors Division

Seaview vs. Huntington Valley, 9 a.m.

Robinwood vs. Costa Mesa National, noon

9/10 Division

Robinwood vs. Huntington Valley, 9 a.m.

Costa Mesa National vs. Seaview, noon

Senior League

Ocean View vs. Westminster, 9 a.m.

Robinwood vs. Huntington Valley, noon