Viking players go through their paces before
a 13-1 win over Bishop's at home May 2.
(Photo by Ed Piper)
By Ed Piper
"It's been a fun year," said La Jolla head coach Gary Frank Thurs., May 12. "We have gotten substantial contributions from every member of our team."
After an 0-4 start, the Vikings have been on a tear of late, winning 10 of their last 11 games prior to Friday's (May 13) final regular season game against Mission Bay. If La Jolla takes home a victory, they will gain the City League outright, without sharing it with anybody else. Right now, they are co-champions.
Frank was waxing eloquent in his comments on his 2022 team. "The things the team had against them--COVID, the first full year coming back from that, less time for home, less time for friends... It's very inspiring to a coach."
In the blaze of this latest streak, the Vikings have completely transformed their won-lost record from a mediocre 7-9 to 17-10 atop the league standings. It also is the third league title in the Gary Frank era, book-ending championships in 2007 and 2014.
"There was a time when the team was trying to decide what kind of team it wanted to be," recalled Frank, who starred at La Jolla as a high-batting-average second baseman in the late 80's before going on to the pros. The team's record wasn't spectacular, and players could have just folded then and played out the year.
But no, that wasn't going to be enough. Team members, led by starting pitchers Kevin Steel and left-hander Beau Brown, put things in gear and commenced to terrorize City League opponents.
"Our pitchers have been lights out," noted the long-time coach. "Kevin and Beau have carried the team through much of it."
But other players have made substantial contributions, which Frank took pains to point out.
Early in the year, starting catcher Cole Duffy went down with a left-hand injury that required doctors to remove a bone from the hand. "I still have the scar," said the senior Thursday.
With him out, backup John Hartford did a yeoman's job in filling in at the backstop position.
But also, during his time off the playing field, Duffy was encouraging teammates and planting seeds. "That senior leadership injected our team with confidence," said the head coach.
Hartford got hurt, putting both catchers out. Big Jett Thomas broke a bone in his hip the second game of the season.
Senior centerfielder Connor Hobbs tore his ACL a couple of weeks ago, not his idea of a great senior season.
Another contributor, senior Spence Carswell, "being a three-sport athlete, has been in CIF football and soccer. He's unflappable."
But with a nice mix of seniors and younger players, the Vikings set up very well for next year as well. The cupboard won't be bare. "We've got youth up the middle in Corey Druse (a sophomore) at shortstop and Hank Hansen (a freshman) at second base," pointed out Frank.
To illustrate the contribution of underclassmen, the coach cited a game April 22. "We had a game against Canyon Hills. You want games like that. You're going to need them later. (Junior) Max Hurley had the game-tying hit. (Junior) Nicky Jamieson-Cacalano got the game-winning hit (in the bottom of the sixth inning)," Frank related.
"If we win (Friday, May 13), we should go to number two in Division 3, setting us up for a game Wednesday, May 18, in the CIF playoffs," Frank said. That would launch the Vikings further and give them a break on starting pitching.
No comments:
Post a Comment