All one needs to know about the Sunset League race for the 2015 baseball title is a quick look at the league’s past history.
In 2014, Huntington Beach won the regular season title. In 2013, it was Fountain Valley. The 2012 title went to Los Alamitos, and the 2011 crown to Edison.
All of which means that predicting a winner in 2015 is a dicey proposition. All six teams began the second of three rounds of play this week with winning records; all six teams have had their moments in nonleague and tournament play to date; all six have notable stars capable of making a difference; and all six could, at season’s end, make the CIF postseason.
A look at the six contenders to date:
Edison Chargers (14-2, 4-1)
The Chargers went from unranked and unnoticed in the preseason to their current status as No. 4 in the CIF-SS Division I rankings with a 14-2 record (4-1 in league).
Cameron Chinn’s team has gone 4-0 in its own tournament with one game left to play and won the consolation bracket title in the prestigious Loara Tournament, with its only loss coming to the San Clemente team that, two weeks ago, won the major national tournament of the season, the National High School Invitational in North Carolina.
The Chargers are the most balanced team in the league with a strong senior class and depth in the lineup and on the mound. Nick Mailman, Jake Scott, Kevin Ando and Michael Mahoney have steady bats, and Wyatt Adams, Noah Kronfly and Vince Inman have all stepped up with big wins on the mound.
But to underscore the depth of the league, the Chargers dropped their first Sunset League game to an underrated Los Alamitos team that is coming on strong.
Huntington Beach Oilers (10-7, 2-1)
Huntington Beach was the preseason No. 1 team in the CIF poll, but the absence of ace starter Noah Davis to start the season led to a slow start. They have made up for lost time, having won six of their last seven.
Davis is back, and Logan Pouelsen and sophomore Hagen Danner give coach Benji Medure ample pitching depth. Daniel Amaral, Tyler Murray and Landon Silver, who had a grand slam home run to win a game, are the prime bats on a team that has eight players committed to Division I schools.
Danner had a 13 strikeout performance in a game at the National High School Invitational, and the Oilers’ only loss came to the same San Clemente team that handed Edison a loss.
Fountain Valley Barons (10-7, 1-3)
The Barons, league champs in 2013, are 1-3 in league play to date but have a dangerous lineup featuring D.J. Eckenwiler, J.T. Navarro, Willie Aguilar, Stephen Fedele and Marc Tucker. Aguilar and Tucker have helped Hunter Margain on the mound; Margain pitched very well in a tough 1-0 league loss to Marina.
Marina Vikings (11-8, 2-3)
The Vikings, who reached the CIF Division II title game in 2013, are 2-3 in league play, 11-8 overall and coming off a big tournament title win, sweeping all five games in the Ryan Lemmon Invitational and allowing just five runs total.
They won the title game against a ranked Millikan team, 3-2 in 11 innings. Steven Gingery had a 1-0 win over Fountain Valley, and the Barons are getting steady hitting from K.J. Spiratos, Chase Sebby and Griffen Hennessey.
Los Alamitos Griffins (9-7, 3-1)
Coming off an unexpected 8-17 2014 season, Matt Nuez has his team (9-7, 3-1)playing back to its 2013 season when they went from an at-large team in the brackets to the CIF Division I semifinals.
Scott Anderson had the win in the upset of Edison.
Five of their losses have been one-run decisions.
Newport Harbor Sailors (10-7, 0-3)
The Sailors are still looking for their first league win but they are 19-7 overall thanks to the efforts of twins Jake and Luke Genova, Jeremiah Sheldon and Liam Ogburn.
Contact the writer: bkeisser@ocregister.com
