April slumpers become May thumpers
They started the season cold, but Oaks Christian's baseball team is getting hot at just the right time
By Stephen Dorman sdorman@theacorn.com

BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers TWO-SPORT STAR- Oaks Christian junior Chris Potter takes a swing in the batting cage during Monday's practice. Potter is also a standout on the OCHS football team. Of the two sports, Potter says he loves baseball, but feels more passionate about football. He's helped OCHS turn around its season.

The blueprint for success has already been established.

In the past several years the Oaks Christian baseball team has started the season slowly before finishing strong and making it deep into the postseason.

Entering today's regular-season finale at home vs. Nordhoff, the Lions (10-12) have won five of their last eight games. With an 8-3 record in the Tri-Valley League, OCHS will likely earn the league's second or third seed when the CIFSouthern Section announces its playoff pairings next week.

Although he wasn't with the program when former skipper Mike Maio led the Lions to semifinal and quarterfinal playoff appearances in 2005 and 2006 respectively, first-year head coach Jim Stueve said the current squad has the ability to carry on the team's late-season tradition.

"We're peaking at the right time. We're playing the best baseball we have all year," said Stueve, who worked as an assistant at Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park high schools before coming to OCHS.

Stueve said there were several reasons for the Lions' slow start, when the team lost 10 of its first 15 games.

"Being a new coach, they didn't know how to react to me and I didn't know how to react to them," he said.

"We were also trying to find the right lineup. In the first five games we had five different lineups. It took a little while for them to get used to me and trust me, and for me to know what I could expect from each individual player."

Jason Brooks, the team's starting third baseman who will attend Dartmouth in the fall, has been an offensive force in the middle of the Oaks Christian lineup. He's belted a league-leading seven home runs to go along with a .368 batting average and 20 RBI.

Brooks concedes that his club has played much better since league competition got underway in earnest last month, and he's confident OCHS can continue to build on its positive momentum from here on out.

"Our team has a history of peaking at the right time," Brooks said. "The beginning of the season is important, but the end of the season and league is more important because league is what gets you into the playoffs.

"If our pitching comes together and our offense continues to do what it can do, we can win."

Still, winning in the playoffs won't be easy, Brooks said, especially considering the Lions have been elevated to Division IV status after playing in Division V during the past few postseasons.

"From what I've heard they've moved a couple of teams down from Division III that were pretty good last year," he said. "I think (Quartz Hill) moved down, and they were the Division III champs but played in a weak league.

"The competition should be really good. The thing is, when you move up divisions the pitching gets much better. That's something we're going to have to do well. We haven't had too many games where our offense and pitching have come together at the same time, but we're starting to get there," Brooks said.

Although his name is synonymous with success on the football field at Oaks Christian, UC Davis-bound Tommy Grillo has performed well on the baseball diamond, too.

Grillo, the team's No. 1 starting pitcher, has posted a 4-3 record with a 3.35 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 54.1 innings pitched. He's also been outstanding at the plate, hitting .418 with 17 RBI and 16 runs scored.

The key to winning playoff games, Grillo said, will be the pitching staff. If he, Matt Ramirez, Chris Potter and/or Matt Moore can keep the Lions close, the team's offense should be able to put numbers on the scoreboard.

"If we can just do our job and keep the score low, I think we'll win in the playoffs," Grillo said. "We can score runs."

As a unit, Oaks Christian is batting a robust .338 on the year. The Lions have three players- right fielder Joe Lee, Grillo and second baseman Mark Gose- who are hitting over .400. Three others- Brian Gose, Brooks and Potter- are batting better than .345.

First baseman Nick Kimball, left fielder Kyle Leonard and shortstop Sean McCarthy have also swung hot bats over the past few weeks, Stueve said.

Catcher Matt Nestlerode has struggled somewhat with the bat but has more than made up for it by calling excellent games behind the plate, the coach added.

OCHS can be menacing on the base paths as well, having converted 38 of 42 stolen base attempts.

"We like to hit and run, put the ball in play and put pressure on the other team," Stueve said. "We usually have four or five steal attempts per game. We're aggressive."

While the pressure will be on every team once the playoffs begin next week, Stueve knows his group is well-equipped to handle the challenge.

"This team can compete with any team in the state, I believe," the coach said. "I have faith in their abilities, and they have faith in their abilities. We have a lot of momentum heading into the playoffs. We're excited about it."