Mash unit

BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers WE HAVE LIFTOFF- Oak Park senior first baseman/pitcher Blair Walters hammers a home run to right field last week against Kilpatrick. The Eagles scored 90 runs in their first seven games. Tri-Valley League pitchers beware.

If the preseason is any indication, league hurlers are going to have a difficult time slowing down the Oak Park High baseball team's potent offense this year.

Prior to Wednesday's TriValley League opener at Malibu, the Eagles had scored 90 runs through their first seven games, including a 26-run performance during a shutout victory over Kilpatrick last week.

"Our lineup is dominant right now," senior first baseman/pitcher Blair Walters said. "Everyone is going up swinging, making contact and putting the ball in play, and things are dropping for us."

Walters, who entered the Malibu game with a .583 average and a team-high 19 RBI, said he expects the torrid offensive pace to continue throughout the year.

"This is who we are," he said. "Every day in practice everybody's hitting solid ropes and making their swings better. Nobody's trying to show off. We're all about hitting solid line drives."

In the first inning against Kilpatrick, the left-handed hitting Walters crushed a home run well over the right-field wall at OPHS. The blast, his third round-tripper of the young season, nearly hit a car driving toward the upper parking lot, well past the outfield.

Walters typically bats third in the Eagle lineup, behind senior shortstop Zach Granowitz and sophomore left fielder Ryan Jensen. Jensen's five stolen bases lead OPHS.

Senior catcher Ty Muller hits fourth. Muller has been outstanding at the plate, too, leading the Eagles with a .632 average. He's tied for second on the squad with 14 RBI.

Muller said the middle of the Oak Park batting order is the TriValley's finest.

"No doubt," Muller said. "We, by far, have the strongest lineup in our league right now."

Senior second baseman Jake Whitaker bats fifth, with junior center fielder Mitchell Halpert in the sixth spot. Both are hitting at least .500 thus far.

Third baseman Eric Columbia, designated hitter Jordan Grossman and right fielder Trent Hoerman comprise the remainder of the Eagles' starting lineup.

Tyler Morelli, Jake Hagan, Conrad Williams, Alex Malin, Daniel Hendrix, Derek Lee and Cameron Dechene will all be vying for playing time and at-bats.

Of course, even the best offense needs quality pitching and a reliable defense to win games, and OPHS first-year head coach Chris Sale believes the Eagles are strong in all three areas.

"We are really stacked," Sale said. "We have an awesome core of seniors who are leading the way. But our real challenge lies in league play. By no means are we comfortable where we're at."

Walters is probably the team's No. 1 starting pitcher, but Jeffrey Pfeifer, Barry Rodich, David Domke and Jensen all have quality arms, Sale said. Having three lefthanded pitchers on the roster- Walters, Pfeifer and Rodich- will be a luxury, the coach added.

"We've got a lot of guys who can come in and do a good job for us," Sale said.

Before landing the head coaching job at Oak Park, Sale spent nine years as an OPHS assistant, where he worked under Eric Pryor. When Pryor stepped down after last season to spend more time with his family, Sale took over.

"Honestly, the transition is very easy when someone leaves a program in as good of shape as (Pryor) did," Sale said. "The ability that we have, as far as being a first-year coach, I walked into a great situation. It's pretty remarkable that it happened the way it did."

Sale said the Eagles' first priority this season is to win the TriValley championship. OPHS finished second last season to St. Bonaventure, but the league has been realigned and is expected to be much more competitive.

Carpinteria and Bishop Diego have left the Tri-Valley League and are now in the Frontier League. In those schools' place are Malibu, Nordhoff, Oaks Christian and Santa Paula, to go along with Fillmore and St. Bonaventure.

"It's always one game at a time," Sale said, "but as far as we're concerned, after that one game at a time, we know that we have the ability to make a championship game."

Oak Park also has postseason redemption on its mind.

During the first round of last year's CIFSouthern Section Division V playoffs, OPHS gave away a 9-2 lead and was defeated by Nordhoff 12-10. Sale said that loss continues to motivate his squad.

"We opened the door and they walked right through it and shut it on us," Sale said. "It was a difficult loss, but also something the boys here took personally. They came back and wanted to show what they were capable of. There's definitely a little added fire because of that defeat."