LJ baseball: Quick turnaround

Jimmy Meyerott, Vikings JV baseball coach, slides
into second inning safely, well ahead of
Jake Klimkiewicz's tag in the top of the first inning.
Meyerott came around to score as the alumni
then moved out to a 2-0 lead.
(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

It was a quick turnaround.

There they were in the Vikings' dugout, lined up along the fence.

And in Coach Gary Frank's pitching rotation for the 27th Annual Alumni Game at noon, Sat., Feb. 15.

Luke Brunette, a senior first baseman--throws left, bats right--and Ryan Lancaster, a junior, were slotted in fourth and seventh, respectively, in Frank's nine-pitcher rotation (about one inning each) against the older, un-uniformed returning former players in the opposing dugout.

"I don't think they could receive a playoff spot. They're here in the game," said Cory Lancaster, Ryan's father, a friendly and knowledgeable presence at his sons' athletic contests.

The elder Lancaster was referring to La Jolla High's basketball team, which a short 16 hours before had been facing off against rival Bishop's in the varsity's final game of the season.

That tilt fell on a pupil-free day Fri., Feb. 14, also Valentine's Day. The day off for the students is part of a four-day weekend, combined with President's Day Monday.

Cole Duffy, one of only two sophomores on the baseball team, came over, as well, from basketball the night before. He played on the JV squad in the winter sport.

A fourth team member, Calvin Hyytinen, was his usual chipper and verbal self in the dugout, having come over from his winter sport, the Vikings' soccer team. Noah Brown, a center midfielder. was right there in the starting lineup at shortstop, batting leadoff.

The soccer team's last game was scheduled for Wed., Feb. 12, three days before.

Not counting Brown, none of the other four were in Frank's starting lineup. On his lineup sheet taped inside the home dugout, the left-handed manager had titled the second group of players--those not in the "Starting Lineup" at the top left of the page--as "Lineup #2".

Hyytinen was at the top of that latter list, Brunette, getting a new jersey number, 13, second. Lancaster was eighth.

The alumni, led by Jimmy Meyerott, the JV team's co-coach, started off well in the unofficial game, scoring runs early. Meyerott walked, stole second, and came around on a hit.

Jimmy's younger brother, Johnny, started in right field for the varsity Saturday, batting seventh.

Frank listed, in total, 21 players on his lineup sheet. All indications are that he won't carry that many into the season, which begins Sat., Feb. 22, at home against Oceanside in the Pirate Baseball Classic.