Oaks Christian senior hears it from the booth

By Kyle Jorrey jorrey@theacorn.com

ROLE MODEL-Senior Joey Navarro has provided much needed leadership on a young Oaks Christian roster.

When coping with the nerves of stepping into the batter’s box, hitters often appreciate hearing the supportive voice of a parent or loved one as they prepare to face down an opposing pitcher.

For senior Oaks Christian outfielder/pitcher Joey Navarro, that voice comes directly from the announcer’s booth, where his father Joe, Sr., volunteers as the voice of the baseball Lions.

Though his father is committed to showing equality in the booth, Joey says he can still hear the disguised encouragement in his voice.

"It gives me a little edge. He kind of says my name differently," Joey Navarro said. "He tries real hard to treat both teams equally, but I can hear it."

Navarro, who is in his fourth season on varsity, is one of four seniors on the young Lions’ roster. First-year head coach Mike Mao said Navarro’s silent leadership has been critical to the Oaks Christian squad during a rebuilding year-of-sorts.

"He’s a leader on this team, and at this school," Mao said. "He’s our leadoff hitter and he’s given a lot to this team."

The senior, who’s batting .371 and has 14 hits and five RBIs, has been playing baseball since grade school. He was on a Moorpark Little League team at age 12 that won the district tournament.

"I’ve been playing since my dad stuck me in tee-ball," Navarro said. "I played all kinds of sports as a kid but none of them gave me the same feeling inside as baseball."

Although the Lions are off to a 4-9 start, Navarro, who’s been to the postseason every year he’s been at Oaks Christian, holds faith that the team can get things turned around.

"I think if all of us buy into (Mao’s) program, this team can be very good," Navarro said. "I definitely want to win some games, and I want another chance to get further in the playoffs."

The Lions have been ousted from the first round of the postseason the last three seasons.

Joe, Sr., who took a hiatus from his full-time job so he could enjoy every game of his son’s senior season, shares Joey’s optimism.

"They are going through a transitional period but we expect a lot of good things from this team in the future under a coach like Mike Mao," he said.

Navarro, who grew up in Moorpark but made the decision to attend Oaks Christian, said competing at a school where the bar for athletic success is set so high creates both motivation and stress.

"I think it’s good that the football team and other teams are so prosperous and winning championships because it makes us want to win one," Navarro said. "Yes, it’s pressure, but we can’t think about that . . . We like to think about creating a foundation for a future."

When he’s not on the diamond, Navarro often can be found at the beach or in the surf. He said next year he has plans to attend either Chico State or Point Loma University in San Diego. He wants to play baseball when he arrives.

With more than half the season left, the Lions still have a chance to rebound from their 1-2 start in the Frontier League. Tomorrow they are on the road against Malibu, a team that beat them 14-6 at home.

"I feel that we definitely can turn this around if we starting hitting more, and be more effective getting runs," Navarro said. "We also have to cut down on the errors.

"My philosophy is that I try to lead by example," he added. "I go out there and do the right thing and hopefully others will catch on."

Maybe then those teammates would get the same love from the announcer’s booth.

"It’s very difficult sometimes to stay partial," Joe, Sr. said. "You just want to stand up and scream and holler, but you can’t. I do my best to make sure the opposing team doesn’t feel slighted in anyway, but my heart is still down there with my son."