LJ g beach VB 2, Mission Bay 3 - 3/6

Photos by Ed Piper

Jori leaps for a spike at the net.

LJ coach Kelly Drobeck talks with her

players during a "tech" (timeout break).

WBC: Early impressions

By Ed Piper

Having watched players destined for the 2026 World Baseball Classic in Spring Training last week (Feb. 25-March 2) and viewing the U.S. team's initial win in pool play over Brazil last night on TV (Fri., March 6), I'm enjoying the baseball and thinking of my roots in first watching and attending WBC games years ago.

When games were played at Petco Park--or was it Qualcomm Stadium?--I attended and was immediately caught up in the noisemakers, loud cheers, and emoting by the Latin American fans over their teams: the Dominican Republic at the top, with Venezuela, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and others (Nicaragua?).

It's something we North Americans lack--the emoting. Plus, in our safety and efficiency, we ban noisemakers from stadiums. I lived and taught English for 14 months in Mexico City as a young adult, and unbelievably to me now, I never went to a Mexico City Reds (Rojos) or other team's baseball games. That seems unthinkable now, as my fervor for beisbol has spiked in the last several years.

Anyway, I'm American, and proud to be a citizen of this country. But the Dominicans, especially, by way of my teaching in Mexico City and resultant gaining of a teaching credential in English and Spanish back here in "Gringolandia" and teaching English as a Second Language in night school at Oxnard High School, fed my baseball mania. Whenever I read a story online or look at posters in classrooms (I substitute-teach now), I'm always drawn to the Latin side of things.

Meanwhile, back at the U.S. ranch, I'm pumped over the U.S. team, which probably has few or no players who speak Spanish. In Arizona last week, we saw shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., second baseman Brice Turang (Brewers) (played a key role last night, with two RBI hits), and missed Cal Raleigh.

They all thumped Brazil, another favorite of mine since we had Frederico, a foreign exchange student from Rio, live with us during my senior year of high school. But to their credit, the Brasilenos played well for their level--populated by several present or former minor leaguers in affiliated baseball. For eight innings, it was a ballgame, 8-5, not bad, fairly close, before walks given up led to the bottom falling out.

 Imagine being a 17-year-old and pitching to Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, stars you have been watching on TV for years? That happened. The bottom of the first was also led off by Manny Ramirez's son, 20 years old whose mother is Brazilian, hitting a home run on veteran Logan Webb's second pitch. The young man also hit his second homer of the night--the Brazilians out-homered the Americans--later in the game.

Tonight (Sat., March 7), the U.S. vs. Great Britain, another hotbed of baseball. I'm kidding. My wife asked me why they're doing this tournament. I said, it's marketing. Like the NBA and NFL, they're spreading their sport across the globe. It worked in China, where millions of NBA fans live. Why not Brazil, whose national team is coached by Japanese-Brazilians?

LJ softball 12, Holtville 18 - Gold & Silver/Jimmy Ross Tourney - 3/5

By Ed Piper

The Vikings, with a whole new crop of players--"a lot of freshmen", Coach Anthony Sarain said with a smile--were moving individuals around the diamond as the game warranted in the early innings Thurs., March 5, at home against Holtville.

As the "other" Vikings--Holtville's green, in contrast to the red LJHS'ers--put on runners, Sarain started senior Savannah Putnam, a likely co-captain, in the pitching circle, then Melanie Smith, then sophomore Ella Pearl.

What was impressive was that the 2026 edition of the red-and-black is versatile enough to play different positions. In the recent pass, you haven't seen that kind of flexibility, or need to position players at different spots throughout the game.

With Pearl returning at shortstop in her 10th-grade season (except for helping out with pitching), freshman Ellie Thomson (no "p") is starting at third base, right next to her.

The only veteran/upperclassman in the infield is lefthanded power-hitter Jacey Taylor, who also did a turn in the pitching circle.

At bat, in the bottom of the second inning, catcher Aviv Laska drilled a line drive to left-center that was flagged at by Holtville's centerfielder, but it went on through.

Thomson dropped a basehit over second into short centerfield, driving in baserunner Maddie Quach, the Designated Runner for Laska. Quach, who went to Masters in wrestling last month, is still recovering from a shoulder injury she suffered in a bout.

Pearl's dad, Matt, is a new assistant coach. Complimented on his daughter's athleticism in softball and field hockey, he responded, "This is her sport."

Besides Charlotte Putnam, Savannah's younger sister, and Charlotte Vargas, an outfielder who was absent from Thursday's game, the others of the six freshmen include Smith, Thomson, and Lily Carnaje and Lily Fernandes, both latter players on the field playing positions at the time.

Spring Training: Hiura, Kim go back-to-back

Second baseman Hyeseong Kim follows through

as he hits a home run, back-to-back, with

Keston Hiura in the bottom of the sixth inning

Thurs., Feb. 27, at Camelback Ranch.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

I kept score of most of the six games we attended at Spring Training in Arizona Feb. 25-March 2, after a year-plus hiatus from scorekeeping.

This focus also helped me take long-distance photos with my tiny camera of player action through the first few games, when we were planted in seats (when I went solo, I would buy the cheapest lawn entry ticket and roam the grounds), and could focus on the game at hand.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, after viewing morning workouts at Camelback Ranch, then attending the 1:10 p.m. afternoon game with the White Sox, Hyseong Kim--nicknamed "The Comet" in his native South Korea for his speed--blasted a home run after teammate Keston Hiura did the same.

Reliever Alex Vesia received a heart-felt

round of applause from fans after finishing

the fifth inning.

A heart-warming moment occurred in the middle of the fifth inning, when Alex Vesia walked off the field after retiring three White Sox. Vesia and his wife lost their newborn baby soon after birth last October, and as a result the reliever was not available for duty in the World Series.

As Vesia stepped over the third-base line and headed toward the Dodgers' dugout on the leftfield side, fans gave him a round of applause in support. In response, the player tapped his heart with his left hand to acknowledge the gesture. Pro athletes are real people, and live daily lives with the ups and downs, just like all of us.

Spring Training: Witt Jr. hits a 3-run bomb

All eyes are up as Bobby Witt Jr., headed to

the WBC in a week, hits a three-run homer

against the A's (note the manager and coaches

sitting in chairs on the field, a Spring Training

practice) at Surprise Stadium Feb. 27.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

One of the joys of Spring Training is getting up close--in some cases, right up to the players as kids get autographs, or sitting in seats much closer to the action for a lot less (though prices are going way up).

Another benefit this pre-Spring is seeing MLB stars who will play in the World Baseball Classic (held every three years) beginning Thurs., March 5.

I wasn't close in this case, but in the Fri., Feb. 27 Royals game at Surprise Stadium, Bobby Witt Jr., superstar shortstop headed to the WBC, hit a three-run homer. We stayed just long enough to see the big fly, as we were going to work in a night game between the Mariners and A's at Peoria Sports Complex later in the day.

The luck was that during his at-bat, we were headed down the left field line to go out the outfield gates. I caught a view (see lower photo) of the lawn, where Witt's drive flew to. I've never taken the at-bat and then the landing point in photos before--at least, not in a straight angle near the HR destination.

Witt Jr.'s drive is going to land on the lawn

over the fence in left field, where the young boy

is holding his glove. (He didn't catch it on the fly.)

A's leftfielder Carlos Cortes (26) watches the

ball go.

LJ g water polo: Top seed in D2 Southern California Regionals

Junior Avi Cavaiola scores against Torrey Pines

in the second quarter of a 20-13 CIF Open

quarterfinal Feb. 11. Six 11th-graders have

played key roles for the Vikings this season,

portending well for 2027.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

La Jolla's girls water polo team, led by senior captain Stella Tezcan, takes the top seed into today's (Feb. 24) 4 p.m. home game against Glendora, the eighth seed, in the first round of the Southern California Regionals.

The Vikings, with firepower from juniors Cora Pfau and Aviana Cavaiola, rank among the elite three of the San Diego Section, with a record of 22-7 overall and 4-2 in the Western League--the only two losses to Bishop's, ranked fifth in the nation, fifth in the state.

All the talk about "physicality" and who pushes who around is really a family feud, local to San Diego. Coach Tom Atwell's squad is still one of the top three teams in the area, and that is attested to by the fact Bishop's is the fourth seed in Division 1 of the Regionals, and Valhalla is the seventh seed.

The cross-town-rival Knights play at home today at 5 p.m., hosting San Marcos of Santa Barbara.

Junior Avery Edstrom, joining classmates Pfau and Cavaiola, has also had a strong season, peppering opponents with key goals and beefing up La Jolla's overall strength. Yet another junior, Taylor Goldstein--making the Class of 2027 very talented--has played effectively in Atwell's rotation.

Coach Tom Atwell trusts Alicia Vargas Lopez (5)

enough to start her and play her during crucial

stretches of games. The "facilitator" has added

more to her game this season.

Probably the unsung hero of the starting lineup is Alicia Lopez Vargas. Yep, you guessed it. She's a junior, as well. Asked her role earlier in the season, the coach responded, "She's a facilitator." Well, she's grown wings and filled a bigger role than that through the second half of the season.

Finally, 11th-grader Sophie Trinidad continues to fulfill a key function in the rotation. She sees a ton of playing time while the outcomes of games are still in question.

Newcomer of the year? Carys Villano, who as a ninth-grader has started most or all of the Vikings' games this season. She started out well, and she continues to get seasoning and see what "life in the big city" is about in facing Bishop's in league and Valhalla in non-league and playoff games. She carries the torch for the freshmen, as Mackenzie Adams and Zoe Griffis continue to see spot playing time. Tall Jane Peay, the fourth freshman, broke fingers on one hand and has a cast on for the last several games.

As the top seed in D2 (Regional divisional assignments never correspond to San Diego Section designation), La Jolla could do very well this week. If they win today, the Vikes face the winner of the Santa Barbara-Carlsbad game on the upper end of the bracket. They can beat Carlsbad, and Santa Barbara would seem to be at a similar level due to seeding--and La Jolla would get the home game again Thursday.

Tezcan and crew beat La Serna, on the lower end of the bracket, twice during the season in tournaments: 15-11 on Jan. 10 in the Troy Tournament, and 17-8 in the Vikings' own tourney, the Beaches  Invitational, on Jan. 16.

LJ baseball: Smith, Eveleth remember

Andy Strasberg (right), former VP of the Padres,

with Viking catcher Carter Strauss after

throwing out the first pitch at the Alumni Game.

Strasberg got married at home plate at

Qualcomm Stadium, with his bride Patty

coming out of the dugout during the ceremony.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Stan Smith, La Jolla High Class of 1960, played the National Anthem on trumpet for the umpteenth time Sat., Feb. 21, before the Alumni Game. As a senior in high school, the catcher--catchers are usually not fast runners--stole home six times. I asked him how he did that. He said, "I was a catcher. I watched players and knew when to go."

The fit, with-enough-breath octogenerian to play a wind instrument, rolled into memory time while his alumni colleagues played the 2026 varsity. He mentioned some names new to this reporter: Butch Van Artsdalen played catcher, then shortstop, an unusual combination.

Regarding the original baseball field, with home plate at the corner of Rushville and Fay and right field extending toward the tennis courts, Smith said Bob Barnhart, a centerfielder, broke his leg in 1961 or 1962. He was attempting to catch a flyball, and he fell backwards over the line of track hurdles set up next to the track to line the outfield perimeter.

"You had to watch your a-- in left field and centerfield," said Stan. In left field, the raised curb on the track presented a hazard. In right field, the fence limited how far back a fielder could go to try for a flyball.

Rick Eveleth, Coach-Athletic Director Emeritus and public address announcer for the Alumni Game, recounted the "Tudor house story". Bob Skinner, an LJHS graduate and LJHS Baseball Hall of Famer, played in the Major Leagues for the Pirates and Phillies. He was a lefthanded hitter. (I have his baseball card. I only found out he went to La Jolla High well after I collected his baseball card as a youth.)

Skinner is said to have hit a home run to right that went over outfield fence, over the tennis courts and onto the Tudor house beyond them. Quite a shot.

Eveleth, a Coaching Legend with his wife Vicki (no "e" at the end), mentioned Vikings from the early 50's: Bud Relyea, Art Lapino, and Charlie Wray; and later in the 50's, Bob Skinner and Eddie Olsen.

*  *  *

"Andy (Strasberg) has been a mentor/coach for Gary Frank for over 40 years," Howard Frank, the Viking head coach's father, told me at the Alumni Game.

Strasberg, who threw out the first pitch, served as Padres VP from 1975-1996. He has written seven books, and his eighth one, his memoirs, comes out Nov. 1. Andy, who wrote a book 1961 about Roger Maris' breaking of Babe Ruth's 60 home runs the summer Strasberg turned 13, was married at home plate at Qualcomm Stadium. His bride, Patty (they're still married), came out of the dugout during the ceremony.

What connected for me was that the former Padres exec represented the following baseball personages--some from my era: Harmon Killebrew, the Twins slugger; Nolan Ryan; Jerry Coleman; Doug Harvey (an umpire from San Diego); Ozzie Smith, a Hall of Fame shortstop; and the San Diego Chicken, among others.

I asked Strasberg, who headed the Padres' marketing and promotions, to what level he played baseball. He said he reached the junior varsity at White Plains, New York, in 1965.