2011 OV Baseball Preview Part 5: CIF-SS Division 3 Preview

 

Travis Sparks Jackson and OV look to be back on top this season

 

 

Another season, and five-part preview is in the wings as we look ahead to the 2011 OV baseball season, which will get underway on March 3rd when the Seahawks take on Irvine High School. As we look to 2011, we started with Part 1, a general 2010 review and 2011 preview with a look at the schedule and key notes. And Part 2, which covered Pitchers. Part 3 covered the position players will and Part 4 previewed the Golden West League.

I’m going to get right to it, there is no reason why OV shouldn’t be in the chase for another CIF Title. The competition in league is at a low, the challenges out of league are attainable, but challenges none-the-less, and this roster is the most talented since 2005.

Let’s be cautious though, the last time an Ocean View team had monstrous expectations this happened.

I am saying that expectations are a terrible burden for any team to carry. Considering everything else in High School Sports; family, grades, friends, practices, fatigue, injury, etc., the expectation that you have to win a [CIF] championship is something that is [extremely lofty].

Let’s go over pre-league tournaments first. OV’s first tournament is in a matter of days; the Newport Elk’s tournament boasts a talented “Foothill” Bracket, with the #1 ranked team (Ocean View) and #3 ranked team (Beckman). Here are the remaining brackets.

OV then participates in their annual double-header with El Dorado; I would be very happy to see OV be competitive in that matchup, winning aside.

OV then goes into league play for a little, followed by their early April break where they’ll participate in the OC Nissan Tournament. OV is slated to play Beckman again in the second round of play (if both teams win their first round matchups) and (again win permitting) can play #4 ranked Woodbridge in the Semi-Finals of the tournament. Pretty good field if you ask me.

The real question is how can OV keep the #1 seed. It really has three parts:

1. Preseason
2. League
3. OC Nissan Tournament

I’d be surprised if OV can win their first tournament as Borowski coached teams usually take true shape during League play. But, should they be in a “marquee” matchup (against Beckman or Woodbridge) they need to win it, pretty simple. Another rule of preseason tournaments is no early exits. This shouldn’t be a problem in both tournaments, but not qualifying for the playoff portion of the Newport Elks round-robin, and leaving before the 3rd round of the OC Nissan Tournament would be considered disappointing.

Winning league is also a “must-achieve” task. Not much explanation needed there.

Postseason outlook is a little too blurry as of now, but Bonita should be storming back to the finals with a vengeance this year.

The Untold Story of Ocean View Girls’ Soccer

The story of an underdog is one that always excites a sports fan. If the juggernaut at the top takes a tumbling fall, even some of the fans on “Goliath’s” shoulders can’t help but applaud the “David.” Ocean View, the unseeded underdog that advanced all the way into the CIF Semi-Finals has endured some of the most trying obstacles that any High School team needs to endure. Their story is one that needs to be told.

OV’s season began very well. In Summer League, there were high expectations for the bunch, and just as the offseason flipped to the preseason, one bad thing after another happened to the team.

5 major contributors, including the GWL’s top goalie, left the team, or nearly left the team. These obstacles could seem impossible to overcome, but OV, while feeling the impact of the situation, still pressed on.

OV had nagging injuries, and sickness impact the team as well, but through it all, OV placed 2nd in the GWL behind Segerstrom, although the final game had some seriously questionable refereeing.

The postseason started off with a bang, as OV won the first round matchup 11-0. Then a 1-0 victory, then a Penalty Victory launched OV into the semi-finals.

This team went above and beyond expectations, and achieved more than any other Ocean View team before them. Great job girls, and great season.

2011 OV Baseball Preview Part 4: Golden West League Preview

Another season, and five-part preview is in the wings as we look ahead to the 2011 OV baseball season, which will get underway on February 26th when the Seahawks take on Valencia High School. As we look to 2011, we started with Part 1, a general 2010 review and 2011 preview with a look at the schedule and key notes. And Part 2, which covered Pitchers. Part 3 covered the position players will and Part 5 will be a look at the county and where OV fits in the regional/postseason scene.

League play has always been interesting for Ocean View, they usually have no problem handling teams, and even if OV plays “poorly,” they usually come out with a win. However, teams can upset Ocean View, but more on that later.

The most interesting story line for the GWL this year is the addition of Loara in exchange for Saddleback, and as teams have seen in every other sport, the Saxons usually have some talent. Last year, Loara went 11-16 (6-9) while still in the Empire League. Loara won a mere 3 games at home as well. From the looks of it, Loara should fit at the upper third of the division, but we’ll have to see how they pan out come league play.

OV’s most consistent competitor at the top of the conference is Orange though. Orange was a Senior heavy team last year, and will only return 1 key starter from last year in Keith Hernandez. The loss of the Stoecker brothers, and Steven Gerber will be huge for the Panthers this year, expect them to be in the top third as well.

Next on our list are the Westminster Lions. Westminster will have one star in Greg Mahle, their lefty ace, who boasted a 1.66 ERA last season. He’ll be an elite pitcher in the GWL this year. There isn’t much around him though, and Westminster will need to look for offense if they want a shot at dethroning Ocean View this season.

Segerstrom and Santa Ana are the last two teams in the conference. The Jaguars are the better of the two, but will struggle despite some Varsity experience to go around. Santa Ana should become the new “Saddleback,” but will actually knock off some teams this year with their home field advantage.

A note on home field advantage- Orange and Santa Ana have a very unique home field advantage, maybe because of field quality, but strange things tend to happen at both fields, perhaps the flock of rabbits at Orange, or the dirt-patched outfield of Santa Ana have something to do with the advantages.

After looking around at the league, if OV’s bullpen can be effective, OV should have a shot at an undefeated season in league play, frankly put. No team seems to have enough offense to keep up with Ocean View, but should the offense and defense get out of sync, and OV is on the road, there is less room for error.