Sea Kings loaded for PCL run

Barry Faulkner

Every day is tryout day for the Corona del Mar High baseball team, a

unit Coach John Emme calls by far the deepest he has had in six

seasons at the Sea Kings’ helm.

“We’re two-deep at every position and we have a stable full of

pitchers who, at this point, are running pretty even,” said Emme,

just days before today’s season opener against visiting Rancho

Alamitos in the first round of the Newport Elks Tournament.

“Jobs are going to be won and lost during games,” Emme said.

Four decorated returners are unlikely to find much time on the

bench, but Emme said anything is possible in the competitive

environment created by personnel parity.

Senior Nick Karpe, a first-team All-Pacific Coast League and

All-Newport-Mesa performer a year ago, has yielded his catching job

to former outfielder Wess Presson, a sophomore who became only the

second freshman to earn All-Newport-Mesa recognition last spring.

Karpe, who figures to be the designated hitter, hit .355 (32 for

90) with one homer and a team-leading 30 RBIs as a junior, after

transferring from Mater Dei.

Presson, who hit .344 (31 for 90) with 16 RBIs, 17 runs and five steals, brings a strong arm and rare athleticism to catcher, said

Emme, who also believes junior Ryan Kelly, a varsity newcomer, can

provide innings behind the plate. When Kelly catches, Presson will

return to the outfield.

Junior Josh Bradbury and senior left-handed pitcher Nick Rhodes

round out the most notable returners. Bradbury his .324 with 11 RBIs

and 15 runs and also earned two pitching victories in 25 1/3 innings

en route to All-Newport-Mesa and second-team All-PCL laurels. Emme

said Bradbury’s work ethic is the best on the team and he’ll be

counted upon to pitch when he’s not playing third base.

“Josh has continued to improve his hitting and he has really been

crushing the ball,” Emme said.

Rhodes, a two-time All-Newport-Mesa Dream Team honoree who was

first-team all-league in his second varsity season last spring, is

nursing a sore elbow that has kept him from pitching the last month,

Emme said. He is expected to be ready at some point, but just where

he fits in, remains to be determined, particularly if other pitchers

step up and seize spots in the rotation. He was 5-7 with a 3.87 ERA

and one save a year ago. He was 5-2 with a 3.18 ERA and two saves as

a sophomore.

Juniors Blake Contant and Todd Macklin, as well as Bradbury and

seniors Beau Stockstill, Griffin Dunzer and Ryan Rhodes, are among

those working to get opposing hitters out. Contant won 3 of 5

decisions, while Stockstill split his four decisions last spring.

Macklin, who started in center field last year (13 RBIs), has

picked up considerable heat on his fastball and, at around 86 mph,

has the best velocity of any CdM hurler, Emme said.

Senior shorstop Keith Long, back for his fourth varsity season,

has made strides offensively and defensively and is ready, Emme

believes, for a breakout season. He had 15 RBIs as a junior, though

he hit just .222.

“Keith has shortened his swing and he’s getting on top of the ball

now,” Emme said. “I anticipate some big offensive numbers from him.

He’ll probably join Karpe and Bradbury in the Nos. 3, 4 and 5 spots

in the order. Emme said Long has also begun to receive some

recruiting interest from schools including Long Beach State.

Barrett Sprowl, a junior up from the junior varsity, is dueling

Contant, a lefty, for time at first base.

These two, along with Karpe, Bradbury, Presson, Long and Macklin,

Emme believes, will help CdM improve upon its meager home run total

of a year ago (seven, four of which were belted by then-senior Billy

Eagle, who had committed to continue his career at UCLA, only to see

a torn elbow ligament prompt his retirement from the sport).

Ryan Rhodes, juniors Nick Palchikoff, Parker Ferguson and Danny

Marin-Finn, as well as Presson, give Emme several swift outfielders

who can cover a lot of ground.

Emme said Palchikoff, a left-handed hitter with speed, might lead

off and play left field.

Tyler Lents, a junior transfer from the Army Navy Academy, could

also contribute in the outfield if and when his is deemed eligible

after satisfying transfer requirements. He was the MVP of CdM’s

freshman team in 2001.

Junior Jerrit Thayer, who won the second base job last spring,

will add sparkling defense up the middle, Emme said.

Tyler Lance, a sophomore who has already earned a varsity letter

in football, may get a chance to do the same this spring. But, if he

remains gridlocked behind older players, he will spend the season

gaining experience on the junior varsity.

Seniors Brandon Kurtz and Mike Manning, as well as junior Cory

Azzalino, add further depth.

Emme, whose teams won league titles in 1999 (also the CIF Southern

Section Division IV champions) and 2001, said his team could make a

run for the PCL prize this season. The Sea Kings, who won a three-way

tiebreaker to earn the league’s third guaranteed playoff berth last

season, have been to the playoffs the last five seasons.

They lost in the first round last year.

“Our goal is to win league and we think that’s very realistic,”

Emme said.