 |
 |
 |
||
|
||||
|
Jun. 05, 2009
SEASON OPENS AT HOME SUNDAY Where are Region prospects?
On Tuesday night, 27 boys representing Pahrump Valley High School's varsity and junior varsity baseball teams went on stage to receive awards for competing in the spring campaign. Sunday night at 5, only 11 will be in the uniform of Pahrump Valley's American Legion baseball team that opens the 2009 Silver Division summer season against visiting Las Vegas Sierra Vista (5 p.m. at Honeysuckle Park). The 11 are: * Tyler Lepley, an outfielder known more for his soccer prowess and did not play prep baseball this spring; * Ethan Wald, who spent the 2008-2009 school year in college, after starring for the 2008 PVHS Trojans; * Cody Nielsen, who was another 2008 standout for the Trojans, who made a lot of noise in the Southern Nevada Class 3-A regionals; * 2009 PVHS grad Mike Gonzalez, regarded as one of the tougher pitchers to face in Sunset Region Southwest 4-A baseball this spring; * Rising junior catcher Eddie Martinez, who was the MVP on the 2009 Trojans team; * Grad pitcher Danny Cazier, who played four years for PVHS baseball teams; * Sam Morrow, a young lefthander working to reach his potential; * Joey McCaw, a youthful outfielder still fighting to reach his level; * Ryan McBride, John Arieola and Alex Davidson, youngsters hoping to earn a starting job. And the other 16? What are they doing this summer? No one is certain. Some are going to work. Some are going away for the summer. A few did not know Pahrump Valley had an American Legion baseball team. Others were not told about the program. Those are some of the explanations we heard at the awards assembly the other night. Having to work, or going away for the summer -- totally understandable; money is cool and getting away from it all is cooler. But not knowing Pahrump had a Legion team? Or not being told about it? What's the saying? Give me a break. Were they telling me that no adult involved in high school baseball in Pahrump told them that they should think about playing Legion baseball in the summer? That is the only way they could believe there was no such program available in the valley or did not know the team plays 20 games in about six weeks against stiff competition, that they have those days to get repetitions in all the fundamentals of the game so they can be better prepared to play high school baseball in 2010? Pahrump Valley is in the best high school baseball league in Nevada, with the presence of Bishop Gorman, which has now won four consecutive state 4-A championships, as well as perennial contenders Durango and Sierra Vista. Believe me when I say Pahrump baseball players -- at all the levels available in the valley -- need all the work they can get pitching, catching, defense, offense, and most important of all, thinking ... about baseball. Pahrump Valley is 24-20 in two Silver Division seasons; in 2008, the Trojans were fifth out of 11 teams, narrowly missing the playoffs. This summer, the team has 20 games scheduled, 10 in five doubleheaders at home and 10 in five twin bills on the road. The Trojans are at Eldorado June 10, at Faith Lutheran June 13, at home vs. Coronado June 17, at Eldorado June 27, at home against Desert Oasis June 30, at Centennial July 2, at Eldorado July 10, at home against Bishop Gorman July 15 and at home July 21 against Liberty. The regular season ends July 25, with the playoffs to start later that week. Brandon Bietar, a former Pahrump Valley high school and Faith Lutheran Legion player, is the manager, with Fred Pang his assistant. Of course, we wish the best for Bietar, Pang and the boys. It's too bad that more of the players' peers aren't in uniform this summer. |
|
