Breakers open season today

Mike Sciacca

A new era in Laguna Beach High baseball will be ushered in today.

Dave Dopf will make his head coaching debut at 3 p.m. when the

Breakers host Western in a first round game of the Newport Elks

Tournament.

Laguna returns to tournament play Saturday for a 10 a.m. second

round game at Bolsa Grande.

Below is a capsule look at the 2005 squad:

Laguna Beach Breakers Baseball

Head Coach: Dave Dopf (first year)

Coaching staff: Matt Lucas (specializes in catchers’ instruction);

Blake Hite (frosh/soph coach); John Studer (frosh/soph assistant

coach).

2004 overall record: 5-21

2004 league record: 3-12

2004 league standing: Fifth place

Last CIF playoff appearance: 2000

Returning starters: Jeff Bolar (SS/P, Sr.); John Ewing (OF/P,

Sr.); Kevin Kelly (1B/P, Jr.); Garrett Rauch (3B/P, Jr.); Calvin Mead

(OF/P, Jr.).

Key additions: Noah Brewster (C, transfer from El Toro, Jr.); Ryan

Landry (Inf., transfer from Tesoro, Jr.); Jason Wahler (P/OF, Sr.);

Michael Selevan (2B/P, Sr.); Dane Vikander (Utility, transfer from

Montana, Sr.); Brendon Preston (1B/P, transfer from Boston, Sr.); Sam

Palfreyman (OF, Jr.); John Begay (OF, Jr.); Anthony Schuller (P/1B,

Jr.).

Season opener: today, home vs. Western, first round of Newport

Elks Tournament.

Team strengths: “Defense, depth and the ability to manufacture

runs,” Dopf said. “This could be the best line up at Laguna Beach

High in decades.”

Room for improvement: “Gaining a home field advantage with each

practice, since we were unable to hold practices on the new field

until the beginning of February.”

Coach’s outlook: “I definitely think that we are going to surprise

some people this season. After a 5-21 record last season, if nothing

else, we should be able to double the win total from last spring. But

I would not be surprised if this year’s team set the school record

for wins in a single season [13]. Our goal is to make the playoffs.”