Team breaks season record

A little more than a month ago, the Laguna Beach High baseball team appeared to be out of sorts, a season that had potential of looking as though it was heading toward an abyss.

But the Breakers, who had lost four more games than they had won at the outset of the Orange Coast League race, dug deep, dug themselves out of that hole and went on to enjoy the best-win season in school history.

A watershed moment, indeed, for a team that failed to qualify for the playoffs despite finishing in a second-place tie in league.

Several members of this year’s team also were part of the 2006 squad that had previously set the school record for wins in a season — the ‘57, ’63 and ’02 teams also held the mark — which was 13.

The 2007 Breakers now have the school record, 15.

They were 15-13, overall, and tied for second-place with Costa Mesa (6-6) in league. Costa Mesa, however, gained the league’s second of two guaranteed playoff berth by virtue of a league sweep of Laguna.

Calvary Chapel won the league title.

And yet, despite missing out on the postseason, Coach Dave Dopf reflected on several positives from the season.

What pleased him most about his team?

“The way they were able to put themselves back into the playoff picture after starting 2-6 in the first eight league games,” he said. “Team highlights were sweeping Calvary Chapel the final week of the season, going 4-1 in the Anaheim Lions Tournament and breaking the school record for wins in a season.”

In addition, senior Nathan Pickett, one of five seniors on the team, finished the year as the county strikeout leader with 91. He recorded that total in 67 2/3 innings pitched. Pickett held a team-best ERA of 3.10.

He, along with Dominick Robusto, Mike Bradvica, Bill Sanders, Ryan Pidgen and Trevor Pierce, won’t be in a Laguna uniform next year. Robusto led the Breakers in batting average (.423), home runs (3) and stolen bases (21) and was second in RBI (26). Pierce was second in stolen bases (17) and third in batting average (.369). Sanders, like Pickett, had two home runs. Junior Dalton Sype was the team’s RBI leader with 28 and sophomore Dillon Pierce had the second-best batting average (.373).

“Once again, we should be competitive,” Dopf said. “We were a fairly young team this year with only four seniors who were everyday starters. Next year we return 12 players who gained varsity experience with eight of those 12 players starting at their position at some point during the 2007 season.”