Baseball Top 10: Teams 6-10

O.C. Top 10

Teams 6-10 

6. Esperanza: The Aztecs tied Los Alamitos for the championship of the always-tough Sunset League last year, and they should be in the thick of the league race this year. Returning for the Aztecs, who went 23-8 overall and beat Capistrano Valley and Orange Lutheran in the playoffs on the way to the CIF-SS Division I semifinals, are senior first baseman Derek Collins who hit .322 with five home runs and 24 RBIs in '07, and Dennis Holt, a junior outfielder who batted .338 last year and has committed to UCLA. Senior pitcher Jonathan Pettibone, 6-4 and 200, signed with USC.

7. Dana Hills: Fourteen seniors, many of them returning starters, are back for the Dolphins, who were 12-14 last year. Senior pitcher/outfielder Austin Kingsolver, who batted .380 in '07, signed with Cal State Fullerton. Senior infielder Alex Gonzalez, a three-year letterman, hit .362 with 17 RBIs and 11 stolen bases last season, and Chapman signee batted .333. The Dolphins' pitching should be much better this season. Senior pitcher Cody Lewis struck out 48 batters in '07.

8. Canyon: The Comanches have some top players to replace from last year's team that went 20-11 and reached the CIF-SS Division I championship game. They have good ones coming back, including 2007 All-County first team first baseman Bobby Moulas, who hit .415 with seven home runs and 41 RBIs, and was 4-1 with a 3.13 ERA. Outfielder Cody Lewis batted .343 last year as a freshman, and senior pitcher/outfielder Gabe Garcia was 8-2 with a 2.29 ERA and batted .320 with 20 RBIs. Senior outfielder Tommy Mobley batted ‘341 with 15 RBIs in '07.

9. El Toro: Given the number of top juniors on the roster, the Chargers might be better next year than this year, but they still should have a fine 2008 season. Junior infielder Nolan Arenado batted .430 last season with 34 RBIs for the Chargers, who won the Sea View League championship by four games, advanced to the CIF-SS Division II quarterfinals and finished 25-5 overall. Junior lefty Aaron Wirsoh, 10-2 with a 2.47 ERA in '07, had surgery to remove a bone chip in his throwing elbow so he might be out for the year, leaving the No. 1 pitching role to 6-7 junior right-hander Chad Thompson.

10. El Dorado: Veteran coach Steve Gullotti, who came into the season with 485 career victories with the Golden Hawks, brings back a strong group of returnees led by 2007 All-Century League first team outfielder Brandon Ertle, who batted .360 in '07, and all-league first team infielder Josh Canales, who hit .338 last season. Another top senior is infielder Ryan Remlinger, who drove in 22 runs and batted .398 in '07. Senior pitcher Mat Thomas was 7-2 with a 2.90 ERA last season. If the Hawks develop another pitcher or two, they should contend for the championship of the challenging Century League.

Click here to see Teams 1-5

Contact the writer: preps@ocregister.com