LJ baseball: It's spring time

Viking team members stretch down the left field

line before game at Valhalla.

(Photo Ed Piper, Jr.)

By Ed Piper, Jr.

Gary Frank loves baseball. It has marked the cycle of the end of winter and the start of spring ever since the former La Jolla High second baseman was young.

"It's baseball season. There's not a lot that can be bad right now," was the reply of the 14-year head coach, second in service only to his assistant coach, Bob Allen, when asked his thoughts--even including "philosophy". Allen served as head coach of the Vikings for a single season in 1985, then from 1990 through 2003, when Frank took over for him.

Regarding his Vikings' 4-3 record to this early point in the 2017 season, the diminutive Frank--whose father, Howard, taught him to throw right-handed though he continued to bat from his natural left side--said, "We're just going through the normal early season stuff, trying to figure out who we are and what we have.

"How to be competitive and the best we can be," the long-time campus teacher added.

The two Nicks, both seniors, Hammel and Ferenczy, have been two of his most reliable pitchers so far. The red and black bats haven't woken up yet, still slumbering in the lingering March cold. Defense has been solid.

The team's eight seniors have provided leadership and continuity. "With two freshmen, one sophomore, and a couple of juniors who haven't been on varsity before, it's good to have a deep senior group to show these guys how we do things around here," said Frank, taping up his lineup on the visitors dugout wall and attending to other odds-and-ends before a game at Valhalla.

The traditionalist maintains a dress code that requires his players to wear the stirrup socks that he wore in his playing days at La Jolla and in the minor leagues.

In contrast, Valhalla players, in the other dugout at the Vikings' tournament game Thurs., March 23, sported no stirrups, long pants stretching down nearly to their spiked shoes, and plain socks peeking through.

He has also voiced his preference in the past for traditional rivalries, instead of the present realigning that places priority on recent performance over school enrollment.

"The guys voted (catcher) Garrett (Brown) and (first baseman) Dane (Hansen) as captains," related Frank. He reiterated that the captains had been chosen by their teammates.

"Our pitchers are doing pretty well, and our defense is keeping us in games. Our offense is struggling, but we're ready for that breakout game."

Regarding Hammel, the number-one starter, "He has been doing well. He's transitioning well from basketball. We're working on his stamina, because he hadn't been throwing much during basketball season."

"We're working on his pitches, trying to get them to midseason form."

About the other Nick, Ferenczy, Frank said, "He has been pitching really well. Tuesday (March 21) against Montgomery at home, he threw 6 2/3 innings, though it ended in a tough-luck loss."

Ferenczy's strengths: "He can throw his fastball, curveball, and changeup for strikes. He keeps batters off balance. He's just a competitor."

Hansen started on the mound the first two weeks of the season. "It's a different role for him," analyzed Frank. "He hadn't pitched a lot in his life. I think he tried to do too much. We'll try to give him some work out of the bullpen this week and next week just to get him into the game.

"When he's got it on, he's got a good fastball and curveball."

His hitting has maintained through the new experience of starting on the mound and taking his lumps. "He's doing well," said his coach. "He sets such a high standard for himself."

The bespectacled senior is presently developing a changeup on the mound.

Newbies include Cooper McNally, a freshman who bats left playing right field and second base, Blaise Gimber, a left-handed sophomore playing left field and first base, and pitching, junior Alex Monell, and Sola Hope.

"Sola plays football, too. He has been getting a lot of time in the outfield. He cracked the starting lineup in the third game of the season against Westview," said the coach, who announces football during the fall.

Noah Brown, a freshman infielder, moved up from the junior varsity for his first game on the varsity Thurs., March 23. The starting shortstop on JV's, Frank inserted him at second base, moving Ferenczy from second to third. Brown got a hit in his first at-bat.

Frank is trying to help the batting order generate more offense.