Post-Season Honors

Congratulations to Stephen Williams who was a second-team all-CIF selection in Divison IV.

For the complete list, go to the California Baseball Coaches Association web site here.

Where Are They Now?

Ryan Tucker, who pitched Temple City to a 5-2 win over Malibu in the first round of the CIF playoffs in 2005, made his Major League debut with the Florida Marlins today. Tucker gave up one run on two hits in five innings of work and earned a win as the Marlins rolled over the Cincinnati Reds, 9-2. (For the complete story, go here.)

Stephen Williams, the only member of this year's Malibu team to face Tucker back in 2005, popped out to first as a pinch-hitter batting in the bottom of the fifth. (The game summary is posted here.)

Mama and Papa Buss

Congratulations to Missy and Dave Buss on the birth of their twin daughters, Courtney Eleanor and Kendall Madalyn, yesterday morning. Coach Buss reports that Missy and the girls are doing well.

2008 American Legion Schedule

Date	Day	Time	Visitor	Home	Location
June 9	Monday	5:00pm	Loyola	Malibu	Malibu
June 14	Saturday	10:00am	Malibu	SaMo	SaMo
June 20	Friday	5:00pm	St. Bernard	Malibu	UCLA
June 21	Saturday	10:00am	Malibu	Loyola	UCLA
June 17	Saturday	2:00pm	Beverly Hills	Malibu	UCLA
June 26	Thursday	5:00pm	Malibu	Palisades	Palisades
June 28	Saturday	11:00am	St. Bernard	Malibu	St. Bernard
July 2	Wednesday	5:00pm	Fairfax	Malibu	UCLA
July 5	Saturday	2:00pm	Malibu	Palisades	UCLA
July 8	Tuesday	5:00pm	Malibu	SaMo	UCLA
July 12	Saturday	10:00am	Malibu	Fairfax	UCLA
July 18	Friday	5:00pm	Malibu	Palisades	UCLA

Additional inter-area games will be added to the schedule at a later date.

The Baseball Banquet

As a reminder, the baseball banquet will be tomorrow evening at Camp Hess Kramer beginning at 6:00 p.m.

To get to Camp Hess Kramer, go north on PCH to Yerba Buena Road. Turn right on Yerba Buena at Neptune's Net. Go up the hill and turn left into Gate #2. Follow the signs or balloons to the banquet location.

The Post-Season Baseball Banquet

The Malibu High Baseball Banquet will be held on June 5th at 6 p.m. at Camp Hess Kramer in Malibu. The cost will be approximatelyl $25 per person.

Please let Coach Gallo know as soon as possible the number of people attending from your family.

CIF Playoff Update

Paul Rodriguez, a junior catcher with a .246 average and only two previous extra-base hits, had a walk-off home run to give St. Joseph (15-11) a 1-0 win over St. Bonaventure (25-5) in the second round of the CIF Division IV playoffs yesterday. Martin Medina, who gave up only two hits including the homer, suffered the loss.

Elsewhere, Bonita High (19-7) defeated Torrance (22-7), 5-2, to advance to the third round against Northview (23-4). Northview has spent much of the season at or near the top of the Division IV coaches' poll.

Oaks Christian (8-23) bowed out of the playoffs last week in a wildcard game with a 4-1 loss to Santa Ynez (16-11) while Oak Park (9-15) lost by a score of 14-0 in the first round to Sonora (22-6).

Sharks in the News

The Malibu Times this week notes the Sharks' early exit from the playoffs at Bonita High last Thursday while also naming the seven varsity players who were named to the All-Tri-Valley League teams. The story is available online here.

Elsewhere, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune last Friday published a story on Thursday's game from a different perspective. That story can be found here.

Where's Bonita?

Here's your Google Map for Bonita High School:

View Larger Map

Quick and easy directions: Go the 101 to the 134 to the 210. Take exit 47 onto Foothill Boulevard (Historic Route 66). Go southeast (toward La Verne) a little over a mile and turn right on D Street. Bonita high will be on the left. (The baseball field is southeast of the large parking lot on D Street, just past the tennis courts.)

Playoff Schedule Change

The first-round playoff game between Malibu and Bonita has been moved from Friday to Thursday. Game time is 3:15 p.m. at Bonita High in La Verne TOMORROW.

Scouting Report: Bonita Bearcats

The Bonita Bearcats and the Malibu Sharks enter Friday’s first-round playoff game with identical 17-7 records. Both teams finished second in their respective leagues, Bonita with an 8-4 league record and Malibu with a 7-5 league record.

Both the Sharks and the Bearcats excelled at home this season. Malibu was 12-2 at home and 5-5 on the road during the regular season while Bonita was 9-2 at home, 5-4 on the road, and 3-1 playing at neutral sites.

The Bearcats feature a well-rounded offensive attack. Five players had 25 or more base hits during the regular season. Three different Bonita players led the Miramonte League in batting average (Jiovanni Mier, .494), home runs (Jason Plowman, 5), and RBIs (Brett Bennett, 31). In the pitching categories, Plowman also led the league in wins (6) and was second in ERA (1.55).

Mier, a junior infielder, led the Bearcats in plate appearances (90), hits (42), doubles (11), runs scored (26), batting average (.494), and on-base percentage (.522).

Senior outfielder Bennett was second on the Bearcats in both hits (35) and batting average (.455).

Jeff Gelalich, a junior outfielder, batted .439 with 9 doubles and 2 triples. Ryan Henley posted a .380 average and E. J. Reyes batted .313.

Jason Plowman led the Bearcats' pitchers with a 6-1 record. He had 28 strikeouts and 8 walks in 40.2 innings of work. Nico Calderaro posted a 4-2 record with a 2.31 ERA. Calderaro struck out 37 in 36.1 innings on the mound.

Sophomore Matt Cathcart, who posted a 7-2 record with 63 strikeouts in 56.1 innings, will start for the Sharks.

To Bonita

Malibu (17-7) will travel to Bonita High (17-7) in La Verne for the first round of the CIF playoffs on Friday, May 16. The Bearcats finished second in the Miramonte League behind Charter Oak.

Oaks Christian will play Santa Ynez tomorrow in a wild-card game. The winner will face top-ranked Patriot in the first round.

Oak Park travels to Sonora High for a first-round game on Friday. Sonora High finished first in the Freeway League.

St. Bonaventure hosts the winner of the Magnolia-La Quinta wild-card game.

Complete playoff pairings are available here (click on "Playoffs" under "Baseball" for the Excel file). A scouting report for Bonita High will be available here tomorrow.

Clinching a Playoff Berth

This week's Malibu Times includes a story by Sam Rubinroit on the Sharks' 3-2 victory over Fillmore last week. In spite of two subsequent losses, that victory clinched a spot for Malibu in the postseason.

See the story and photo here.

Senior Day, 2008

The Sharks will honor three graduating seniors before tomorrow’s game against St. Bonaventure. Jacob Perrin, Nate Schoenbrun, and Stephen Williams have a combined 688 plate appearances in Malibu High School varsity baseball games. Collectively, they have scored 152 runs and driven in another 117 runs.

Schoenbrun will be remembered as a fleet-footed and sure-handed center fielder in the mold of two players who wore #11 before him–Jace Dispenza and Daniel Williams. He also provided solid starting pitching as a junior and senior. His 3.50 ERA in 2007 was the best on the Sharks’ pitching staff. On March 3, 2007, Schoenbrun pitched a complete game at Marshall High, picking up a 6-2 win.

Perrin has been the mainstay of the Malibu High pitching staff for the past three years, starting 18 of the team’s 70 games since the beginning of the 2006 season. He has a career record to this point of 11 wins and 7 losses with 3 saves. Two weeks ago, Perrin pitched the Sharks’ first complete-game shutout in over three years, a 5-0 victory over Oaks Christian. Offensively, Perrin has a .314 career batting average. He has scored 53 runs over the past three season.

Williams has played in 83 varsity games since 2005. He has a career .408 batting average with 13 home runs and 75 RBIs. His career slugging percentage is .718 and his career on-base percentage is .540. He has been hit by pitch 20 times–or once in every 14 plate appearances.

Behind all of the numbers that Schoenbrun, Perrin, and Williams have put up in Malibu High varsity baseball games have been countless pitches and at bats in American Legion games, fall ball games, scout league games, and off-season tournament games over the past four years. Thank you, gentlemen, for all of your hard work and for all of your contributions to the success of the Sharks. It’s been a pleasure to watch you play.

Getting to the Game

St. Bonaventure plays home games at Saticoy Field on Wells Road just off the Santa Paula Freeway (126) in Saticoy. Here's the map:

View Larger Map

Scouting Report: St. Bonaventure Seraphs

The Sharks (17-5) take on the St. Bonaventure Seraphs (22-4) today and Thursday in the final two games of the regular season. The Seraphs, who boast a perfect 10-0 record in league play to this point, clinched the Tri-Valley League championship on Friday with their 7-1 win over Oaks Christian.

The Seraphs are led by senior pitcher/shortstop Casey Serna. Serna, who has signed a letter of intent to play at Oregon next year, leads the Tri-Valley League in hitting (.500), slugging percentage (.921), on-base percentage (.574), and stolen bases (14). He trails only teammate Martin Medina in RBIs (29).

Sophomore outfielder Michael Abeloe is fourth in the league in hitting with a .446 average. Medina (6) and Serna (5) trail Stephen Williams (7) for the league lead in homeruns.

Two St. Bonaventure pitchers, Serna and senior Jeremy Dann, have posted seven wins on the season. Dann is ordinarily the Tuesday/Wednesday starter while Serna generally starts the Thursday/Friday games. Senior Martin Medina (6-1, 4 saves, 0.44 ERA) has become the Seraphs' closer.

Senior Nate Schoenbrun (1-0, 1.24 ERA) is expected to start for Malibu on Tuesday.

Scoreboard-Watching

Oak Park defeated Nordhoff, 3-2, yesterday. Nordhoff's loss, coupled with Malibu's win over Fillmore, puts the Sharks in sole possession of second place with three games left to play. Nordhoff plays Oak Park again tomorrow before closing out the regular season next week with two games against Oaks Christian.

Sharks 3, Fillmore 2 (Photos)

Justin Hale scores the go-ahead run in the bottom of the first.

Sean Conrad singles in the third inning.

Matt Cathcart pitches with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.

Tony Gwyn squeezes a popup for the final out of the game.

Sharks 3, Fillmore 2

Malibu surrendered two unearned runs in the top of the first but scored three times in the bottom of the inning to give Matt Cathcart a lead that he never relinquished as the Sharks downed Fillmore, 3-2.

After the first inning, Cathcart and Fillmore pitcher Nick Hernandez engaged in a classic pitchers’ duel. Cathcart, who pitched a complete game for the fourth time in as many starts, gave up no runs on just two hits over the last six innings while Hernandez scattered four singles in shutting down the Sharks from the second inning on.

Leading off the game for the Flashes, Raul Ramirez hit a flare down the right field line that turned into a double when right fielder Matt Bordier failed in an attempt to make a sliding catch. After Sal Ibarra struck out, Nick Hernandez grounded to second. Tony Gwyn’s fielding error allowed Ramirez to score all the way from second as Hernandez reached first safely. When Nathan Ibarra struck out for the second out of the inning and Michael Watson grounded to short, it appeared Cathcart would be able to limit the damage to one run, but Jacob Perrin misplayed Watson’s grounder and the inning was extended. With runners on first and second, Jason Hurtado singled to center to drive in Hernandez before Nick Paz grounded back to Cathcart for the final out of the inning.

Trailing 2-0 and facing a pitcher who had allowed only one of his last four opponents to score as many as three runs, the Sharks immediately mounted a comeback. Leading off the bottom of the first, Jacob Perrin reached on an infield hit. Tony Gwyn struck out and, with Stephen Williams at the plate, Perrin advanced to second on a passed ball. Williams walked and, on the first pitch to Sean Conrad, advanced another ninety feet along with Perrin on the second passed ball of the inning. After Conrad flied to shallow left, Justin Hale tied the game with a two-out single to right field.

Jesse Conrad advanced Hale to second with a base hit to set the stage for what would prove to be the final run of the game. With a 1-2 count, Matt Bordier singled through the left side of the infield to drive in Hale with the go-ahead run. Conrad was hung up between second and third for the final out of the inning, but, as it turned out, the Sharks had given Cathcart all the run support he would need.

Having escaped the first inning with a 3-2 lead, Cathcart did not allow another hit until the fifth inning. David Watson led off the fifth with an infield single on a weak popup that landed behind the mound, but was thrown out stealing by Williams on the first pitch to Raul Ramirez as Ramirez missed on a bunt attempt.

The Flashes threatened to tie the game in the top of the seventh. After Hurtado struck out to lead off the inning, pinch hitter David Esquivel singled to left. One out later, David Watson reached on an error. With the potential tying run at second, Cathcart induced Ramirez to pop out to second baseman Tony Gwyn for the final out of the game.

Hernandez meanwhile kept the Sharks’ bats in check. Jesse Conrad picked up his second hit in the bottom of the fourth but was unable to advance beyond second. Perrin singled with one out in the fifth but never got off first. In the bottom of the sixth, Sean Conrad led off with a single and stole second base. Nate Schoenbrun had a two-out infield hit that moved Conrad to third, but the inning ended when Cathcart flied out to right.

Cathcart struck out six in the game to run his league-leading total for the season to 59. By running his won-loss record to 7-1, he also moved into a tie for the lead in wins.

The win runs Malibu’s record to 17-4 with three regular-season games left to play. The Sharks face the Flashes at Fillmore on Friday before closing out the season against St. Bonaventure on Tuesday and Thursday of next week.

Scouting Report: Fillmore Flashes

Malibu (16-4) takes on Fillmore (10-12) in a pair of crucial Tri-Valley League games this week. The Flashes travel to Malibu High for a 3:30 game this afternoon with the rematch set for 3:30 Friday afternoon at Fillmore High.

The Sharks, 6-2 in league games, are tied with Nordhoff for second in the Tri-Valley League with four games remaining, including two next week against first-place St. Bonaventure (20-4, 8-0).

Although the Flashes are 1-7 in league games this season, Fillmore's Wednesday afternoon games against Tri-Valley League opponents have all been close thanks to strong pitching from senior Nick Hernandez. On consecutive Wednesdays in April, the Flashes lost to Nordhoff (3-1) and St. Bonaventure (2-1), then defeated Oaks Christian (3-1). Last Wednesday Fillmore shut out Channel Islands, 7-0, in a non-league game.

The Sharks enter today's game with an 11-1 record at home. The only home loss came against Nordhoff on April 18. Fillmore is 2-5 on the road.

Since Malibu's offensive slump against Nordhoff and Faith Baptist, Stephen Williams is hitting .625 will 4 RBIs, Justin Hale is hitting .571 with 6 RBIs, and Sean Conrad is hitting .417 with 3 RBIs.

Matt Cathcart, expected to make his eighth start of the season today, is 6-1 with a 2.32 ERA. He has pitched a complete game in each of his last three outings.

Baseball Rankings

Although not yet in the top ten, the Sharks are listed in the latest CIF-Southern Section Coaches' Baseball Rankings for Division IV. The poll, released yesterday, lists the followng teams:

1. Patriot
2. Northview
3. St. Bonaventure
4. Sonora
5. Savanna
6. Torrance
7. San Dimas
8. Bonita
9. Cathedral City
10. Charter Oak

Others: El Segunda, Anaheim, Covina, Malibu

The April 28 poll is available here [Word document].

Rubinroit Special

Sam Rubinroit's story about the Sharks' series against Oak Park appears in this week's Malibu Times here. The print edition includes a photo of Jacob Perrin.

Scouting Report: Montclair Prep Mounties

The Sharks take on Montclair Prep today in a non-league game at Malibu High. Game time is 3:30 p.m.

Malibu (9-2) will be looking to extend a seven-game winning streak while the Mounties (10-4-1) will be going for their fourth win in a row.

Montclair Prep, a perennial power in the Olympic League, features a roster with twelve seniors including infielder Enrique Zenon, pitcher Kelvin Tolbert, and outfielder Andrew Cohen. Zenon is hitting .405 so far this season. Tolbert has a 4-1 record with a 2.19 ERA in five starts in 2008. Cohen is hitting .350 with 9 RBIs.

Malibu and Montclair Prep have had one common opponent this season. On April 1, Montclair Prep defeated LA Baptist, 2-0. Malibu defeated the Knights, 6-5, back on March 5.

Last season, Montclair Prep defeated Malibu, 11-3, in a game played at the Mounties' new field in the Mid-Valley baseball complex. Two years ago, the Mounties defeated Malibu, 3-0. Malibu's last win in the series was in 2005. With Malibu down, 3-2, Daniel Williams hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning to provide the margin of victory in a 5-4 win--the eighth win in a row for the 2005 Sharks.

Sharks 7, Oak Park 1 (Photos)

Jacob Perrin delivers in the first inning en route to his third win of the season.

Coach Gallo greets Stephen Williams as he rounds third following a two-run homer in the first inning.

Stephen Williams connects on his second homerun of the game.

Jesse Conrad pitches in relief in the sixth inning.

Sharks 7, Oak Park 1

Stephen Williams homered in his first two trips to the plate and Jacob Perrin allowed only one run in 5.1 innings as Malibu rolled to a 7-1 victory over Oak Park on Friday.

Oak Park scored first, but was unable to hold the lead or to get to Perrin or reliever Jesse Conrad after the first inning. Eagles' shortstop Ryan Jensen led off the game with a double to the left-center field gap. Noah Markel followed with a bunt single. After centerfielder Mitch Halpert fouled out, pitcher Jake Hagen singled to right to drive in Jensen. Perrin and the Sharks escaped with no further damage as Eric Columbia grounded back to the mound and Cameron Dechene flied to center.

In the home half of the first, Perrin reached on a one-out walk to set the stage for Williams' first home run of the afternoon. After fouling off three pitches from Hagen, Williams parked a 3-2 pitch beyond the left field fence to give the Sharks a 2-1 lead.

Sean Conrad followed the homer with a single to right. After stealing second and moving to third on Jesse Conrad's ground out to second, he was stranded when Justin Hale walked and Matt Cathcart flied to center to end the inning.

Although Oak Park put runners in scoring position against Perrin in three of the next four innings, solid defense and clutch pitching kept the Eagles off the board.

Meanwhile, Malibu added two more runs in the third and three in the fourth. Leading off the third, Williams took Hagen deep for the second time on a 2-0 pitch. Sean Conrad followed with a bunt single and his second of three stolen bases on the day. After moving to third on Jesse Conrad's ground out, Conrad scored on a double to left center by Justin Hale.

In the bottom of the fourth, Gwyn started a one-out rally with a base hit. Perrin grounded out, advancing Gwyn to second, and Williams was intentionally walked. Gwyn scored and Williams moved to second when Jensen mishandled Sean Conrad's ground ball. After Williams took third on a wild pitch, he scored on the front end of a successful double steal. Jesse Conrad's base hit then drove in Sean Conrad with the third run of the inning.

With a pitch count at 88, Perrin left the mound with one out in the top of the sixth. Jesse Conrad retired two of the three batters he faced in the sixth before sealing the victory by retiring the heart of the Oak Park lineup in order in the seventh.

On the day, Williams was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs scored. His home runs were his fourth and fifth of the season. Sean Conrad was 2-for-4 with three stolen bases and two runs scored. Monty Biglow, Jesse Conrad, Tony Gwynn, and Justin Hale picked up the remaining hits in the Sharks' eight-hit attack.

With the win, Jacob Perrin ran his record on the season to 3-0. Two days after picking up a save at Oak Park, Perrin scattered seven hits over 5.1 innings while walking three, striking out three, and hitting one batter.

The win runs Malibu's record to 9-2 and 2-0 in Tri-Valley League games. The Sharks host Montclair Prep on Monday before resuming league play with games against Santa Paula on Wednesday and Friday.

Sharks 6, Oak Park 5

Matt Cathcart earned his fourth win in four starts and Tony Gwyn and Jesse Conrad drove in two runs apiece as Malibu extended its winning streak to six games with a 6-5 victory over Tri-Valley League rival Oak Park.

Cathcart struck out five and allowed three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. Jacob Perrin pitched the final inning and a third to pick up his second save of the season.

After a scoreless first inning, the Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Senior third baseman Eric Columbia doubled off the wall in right field to lead off the inning. With Cameron Dechene at the plate, Cathcart balked, moving Columbia to third. Dechene grounded out to Perrin at short on the next pitch to drive in Columbia with the first run of the game.

Malibu answered with four runs in the top of the third. Designated hitter D. J. Wolford walked to open the frame. Two pitches later, an errant pickoff attempt by Eagles pitcher David Whitaker moved Wolford to third base. After Matt Bordier struck out, Gwyn notched the first of his RBIs on a single up the middle. Gwyn stole second with Sean Conrad at bat and moved to third one pitch later as Conrad reached first on a dropped third strike. Gwyn scored as Conrad was put out at second for the second out of the inning on a ground ball off the bat of Perrin. Stephen Williams followed with a base on balls. With Jesse Conrad up at bat, Perrin and Williams worked a double steal. Two pitches later, Conrad singled to left to drive in both runners. Justin Hale grounded out to end the inning with the Sharks on top, 4-1.

Helping himself by picking off Noah Markel following Markel’s one-out single, Cathcart retired the top of the Eagles’ lineup in order in the bottom of the third inning.

Oak Park narrowed the Sharks’ lead in the bottom of the fourth. First baseman Jake Hagen doubled to left. With Alex Malin running for Hagen, Columbia grounded sharply back to Catchcart. Cathcart threw to Gwyn who appeared to apply the tag to Malin as he scrambled to return to the bag, but a "safe" call left the Eagles with two runners on and nobody out. With Dechene at the plate, Oak Park worked the double steal. Trying to get Columbia at second, Williams’ throw sailed into center field allowing Malin to score and Columbia to advance to third. Cathcart responded by striking out Dechene, but Trent Hoerman followed with a double to right center that scored Columbia, bringing the Eagles to within a run of Malibu. The Sharks escaped further damage, however, as Whitaker grounded out and Jason Shender struck out to end the inning.

Malibu picked up a run in the top of the fifth. After Eagles center fielder Mitch Halpert robbed Sean Conrad of a base hit on a nice catch, Perrin flied to Halpert for the second out of the inning. Williams reached first as Whitaker’s 2-1 curve ball hit him in the back. Jesse Conrad’s second base hit of the day moved Williams to second. Justin Hale followed with a towering double to the fence in left. Williams scored easily but Conrad was thrown out at home for the final out of the inning.

As they would in the sixth inning as well, Oak Park answered in the bottom of the fifth. Shortstop Ryan Jensen led off with a single to left. Markel sacrificed Jensen to second. With Halpert at the plate, Jensen moved to third on a wild pitch. Halpert tripled high off the wall in right to bring the Eagles to within one run of the Sharks. With the potential tie run ninety feet away and only one out, Cathcart struck out Hagen, walked Columbia, and got Dechene to ground out to Hale at third for the final out of the inning.

In the top of the sixth facing Oak Park reliever Jeff Pfeiffer, Wolford drew a walk (his third of the game) with one out. Nate Schoenbrun sacrificed Wolford to second. Gwyn followed with his second hit and second RBI of the game, a single through the right side of the infield.

Pitching in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run lead, Cathcart struck out Hoerman before Pfeiffer, hitting in Whitaker’s spot, reached second on a throwing error by Hale. Pfeiffer moved to third on a ground out. With the top of the Oak Park lineup coming up, Coach Paul Gallo brought in Perrin to relieve Cathcart. Jensen lined a 1-1 pitch into left field to drive in Pfeiffer and bring the Eagles to within one run before Perrin snagged a comebacker off the bat of Markel for the final out of the inning.

Clinging to a 6-5 lead going into the seventh inning, the Sharks failed to score in the top half of the inning. In the bottom of the seventh, Perrin appeared to have total mastery of his pitches. He struck out Halpert on three pitches--swinging strikes on an inside fastball and a changeup in the dirt followed by a fastball (looking) on the outside corner--and had Hagen 0-2 before getting him to ground out to Monty Biglow at second. On the next two pitches, however, Perrin hit Columbia and Dechene to put the tying run in scoring position. The drama ended quickly, though, when Hoerman grounded the first pitch he saw from Perrin to Gwyn at short for the final out of the game.

Malibu’s win, which runs the team’s record on the season to 8-2, came in spite of the fact that Sean Conrad, Jacob Perrin, and Stephen Williams--the first three hitters in the Sharks’ lineup--were a combined 0-for-10 on the day. On the other hand, Perrin, who reached once on a fielder’s choice, and Williams, who reached three times on a walk, a hit by pitch, and an error, scored three of Malibu’s six runs.

Malibu and Oak Park will meet again at Malibu High on Friday afternoon where the Sharks will be looking to extend their winning streak to seven games. The 2005 Sharks reeled off ten consecutive wins after losing their first two games of the season.

Scouting Report: Oak Park Eagles

The Sharks travel to Oak Park high this afternoon for the season's first meeting between the two Tri-Valley Conference rivals. Malibu, 7-2 on the season, is riding a five-game winning streak. Oak Park is 4-8 and coming off an 11-3 loss to El Rancho of Pico Rivera last Wednesday in the St. Paul Easter Tournament.

Oak Park is led offensively by senior centerfielder Mitch Halpert. Halpert, who missed the first five games of the season, is hitting .471 with 3 doubles and a homerun. Senior third baseman Eric Columbia is hitting .382 with 3 doubles and a triple through Oak Park's first twelve games.

Sophomore Matt Cathcart will be making his fourth start on the mound today. Cathcart is 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA and 25 strikeouts in just over 18 innings of work.

The Sharks are averaging over seven runs per game during the current five-game winning streak. Stephen Williams is hitting .571 (with 3 homeruns, a double and a triple) and Sean Conrad is hitting .600 in that span.

Scouting Report: Channel Islands Raiders

Malibu ends a twelve-day break today with a trip to Oxnard to play the Channel Islands High Raiders. The Sharks (6-2) will be trying to win for the first time on the road against a Raiders team that will be going for its first home win.

Channel Islands is 1-8 on the season. The lone win came on the road against the Nordhoff Rangers in the first game of the year. Playing against league opponents in the tough Pacific View League, the Raiders have been outscored 63-8 in their last four games.

Offensively, Channel Islands is led by Raul Ornelas (.429 batting average, 4 stolen bases) and Jonjon Enriquez (.333 BA, 3 SB). Willy Gonzalez (3.86 ERA) and Danny Saldivar (3.50 ERA) have shouldered most of the burden on the mound for the Raiders so far in 2008.

The Sharks will be playing today without the services of senior centerfielder Nate Schoenbrun and junior pitcher/outfielder Matt Bordier.

To Channel Islands High

Channel Islands High School, the site of tomorrow's game between the Sharks and the Channel Islands Raiders, is located near the intersection of Rose Avenue and Channel Islands Boulevard in Oxnard. Click on "View Larger Map" below for directions.

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Sharks 7, Antelope Valley 4 (Photos)

Stephen Williams triples and scores on a throwing error in the third inning.

Keith Lamasney scores the Sharks' fifth run of the game in the sixth inning.

Jacob Perrin works on a complete game.

Sean Conrad records the second out of the seventh inning.

Stephen Williams shakes hands with the home plate umpire after Perrin ends the game with a strikeout.

Sharks 3, Antelope Valley 1 (Photos)

Jacob Perrin singles to left in the second inning.

Matt Cathcart delivers in the top of the fourth inning.

D.J. Wolford doubles to left center in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Tony Gwyn strikes out Luis Escoto to preserve the 3-1 victory.

Gwyn is congratulated by Wolford and Perrin.

Scouting Report: Antelope Valley Antelopes

The Sharks (4-2) take on the Antelope Valley Antelopes (2-4) today at Malibu High in the first doubleheader of the 2008 season. The Antelopes are coming off a 3-1 loss to Beverly Hills on Tuesday while the Sharks are hoping to build on their best offensive output of the season, a seventeen-hit, 12-4 win over the New Roads Jaguars on Thursday.

Antelope Valley, 5-19 last season, returns six seniors and six juniors to the 2008 squad.

The leading hitter for the Antelopes so far this season is junior catcher Mike Smith. Smith is 11-for-22 with 5 doubles, a homerun, and 5 stolen bases. Senior pitcher-first baseman Matt Simons (.389) and senior centerfielder Luis Escoto (.316) also figure prominently in the Antelope Valley offense.

As a team, the Antelopes have struck out an average of eight times per game through the first six games of the season.

Matt Simons (3.71 ERA), Nathanial Hamilton (5.25), and Alex Broskoff (7.00) have started five of Antelope Valley's six games on the mound. The pitching staff as a whole has posted a 4.67 ERA and has allowed just over one hit per inning.

Game one of the doubleheader begins at 11:00 a.m.

Sharks in the Times

This week's Malibu Times includes a story about the Sharks' performance in the season-opening Southern California Invitational/Royal Tournament. For the online version, go here.

Solo Shot

Senior catcher Stephen Williams connects with an 0-1 curveball off New Roads pitcher Alex Vibiano in the third inning of Thursday's 12-4 Malibu win.

Sharks 12, New Roads 4

The Sharks rode a six-run third inning and a strong pitching performance by Justin Hale to a 12-4 win over the New Roads Jaguars. Malibu racked up seventeen hits, including Stephen Williams’ second home run in as many games, in moving to 4-2 on the season.

Nate Schoenbrun was 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Sean Conrad, Andor Kesselman, Matt Bordier, and Monty Biglow each had two-hit games for the Sharks.

Hale, making his first start of the season, gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits with two strikeouts in five innings of work. He pitched out of jams in the first and second innings, retired the Jaguars in order in the third, and gave up single runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Travis Franz, making his first appearance of the season, pitched the fifth and sixth innings. He gave up two earned runs on four walks, two hit batters, and two strikeouts.

After failing to score in spite of base hits by Jacob Perrin and Sean Conrad in the bottom of the first inning, Malibu got on the board in the second. After Jesse Conrad struck out looking to lead off the inning, Matt Bordier, the Sharks' leading hitter, singled to right. Bordier advanced to second after third baseman Tony Gwyn was hit by a pitch. Monty Biglow followed with double to the fence in left that scored Bordier and moved Gwyn to third. Nate Schoenbrun then singled to center to drive in Gwyn. After Jacob Perrin popped out to second, Biglow was picked off third to end the inning.

The Sharks touched New Roads starter Alex Vibiano for six runs on seven hits in the third inning. Stephen Williams hit Vibiano's second pitch of the inning over the left centerfield fence to increase the Malibu lead to 3-0. Sean Conrad followed with his second hit of the game and was driven in one batter later as Justin Hale doubled to left centerfield. Hale, who had advanced to third on a New Roads throwing error, scored on Jesse Conrad's base hit down the third base line.

Bordier singled, moving Conrad to second. Conrad scored when Gwyn reached on an error. Biglow followed with a single that drove in Bordier. Schoenbrun's second hit of the game, a single to center, drove in Gwyn with the sixth run of the inning for Malibu, all without an out having been recorded.

Vibiano, still on the mound, settled down and got three of the next four hitters to end the scoring. Perrin flied to center, Williams walked to load the bases, Sean Conrad struck out swinging, and Hale flied to center to end the inning.

Down 8-0, New Roads got on the board in the top of the fourth. Vibiano tripled to center to lead off the inning and scored one batter later on an infield groundout.

With Quinn Barbini taking over on the mound for the Jaguars, the Sharks picked up four more runs in the bottom half of the fourth. Jesse Conrad drew a leadoff walk. With Keith Lamasney running for Conrad, Bordier grounded into a fielder’s choice. Gwyn singled and Biglow walked to load the bases. Schoenbrun’s double to right center drove in two runs. Kesselman, batting for Perrin, singled to drive in Biglow and D. J. Wolford, batting for Williams, drove in Schoenbrun with a base hit to left center. Matt Cathcart flied to center and Justin Hale struck out to end the inning with the Sharks up 12-1.

In the top of the fifth, the Jaguars turned two errors and a base hit by Vibiano into their second run of the game.

Travis Franz pitched the sixth and seventh innings for the Sharks. Struggling with his control, Franz got out of a jam with the help of a nicely turned 5-4-3 double play in the sixth. Three walks, a hit batter, and two singles in the top of the seventh turned into two runs for the Jaguars, but Franz induced Luis Ramirez to ground out to end the game.

Next up for the Sharks is a doubleheader at home against the Antelope Valley Antelopes on Saturday. The first game begins at 11:00 a.m.

The Scholarship Divide

The New York Times is running an excellent series of articles this week on athletic scholarships under the series title "The Scholarship Divide." The installment published yesterday ("Expectations Lose to Reality of Sports Scholarships") describes the dramatic gap between what athletes and their parents hope to get in the way of athletic scholarships to Division I schools and what is actually available. Here's one of the article's many interesting points: Among men's sports, ice hockey is the best-paying scholarship sport (at, on average, $21,755 per scholarship) and riflery is the worst (at $3,608 per average scholarship). Baseball, however, is second worst ($5,806).

Today's installment in the series ("Recruits Clamor for More from Coaches with Less") examines the competition for athletic scholarships from the standpoint of those who dispense them--the coaches. One of them who is interviewed for the article is Villanova baseball coach Joe Godri. Godri says,

There have been days when you feel like a used-car salesman. I've always been completely honest, but you can't get away from the fact that the process can be crazy. You pump up a kid so much to come to your place, and when he agrees, you say, "O.K., and what I've got for you is 25 percent of your cost to attend here."

And no one believes you, but that's a good Division I baseball scholarship. You have to convince his parents that you're being really fair.

There are a lot of points to be taken away from the series, but one of them is this: When it comes to college scholarships, solid academic skills pay much better than outstanding athletic skills.

Scouting Report: South East Jaguars

The South East Jaguars enter today’s game at Malibu High with wins against Morningside and North Hollywood and losses to Lawndale and Mary Star. Last season the Jaguars were 7-20 (3-15 in the Eastern League).

The Jaguars return only two seniors this season: third baseman Eduardo Aguilar and first baseman Jose Cavillo. The squad includes four juniors, seven sophomores, and one freshman.

Junior shortstop Jesus Ramirez leads the team in hitting thus far this season with a .571 average. Ramirez also has five stolen bases in as many attempts. Sophomore infielder David Garcia is hitting .417 with three stolen bases.

Jacob Perrin is expected to take the mound for the Sharks today.

Royal Tournament Update

After losing at La Canada yesterday in the semi-finals of the Southern California Invitational/Royal Tournament by a score of 14-2, Malibu returns home today to face the South East High Jaguars in the game for third place. Game time--originally scheduled for 11:00 a.m.--has been changed to 2:30 p.m.

La Canada and Mary Star, the only two teams still undefeated, will square off in the championship game today at Royal High School in Simi Valley.

Finding La Canada

La Canada High School is just off the 210 near Oak Grove Park. The address is 4463 Oak Grove Drive.

Here's your map:

View Larger Map

[Note: The map has been corrected from earlier today.]

Scouting Report: La Canada Spartans

The La Canada Spartans (3-0) enter Friday's game against Malibu with wins over LA Baptist, North Hollywood, and Verdugo Hills. Last season the Spartans were 10-11 overall and 8-7 in the Rio Hondo League.

On the mound, the Spartans are led by junior Eric Smith and senior Wyatt Murphy. Smith has given up two earned runs in ten innings in his two starts this season. Murphy, who earned a win against North Hollywood on Saturday and a save against Verdugo Hills on Wednesday, has given up four earned runs in five innings of pitching.

Offensively, Smith has recorded two three-hit games so far this season and is hitting .750. Last season he hit .540 with 9 doubles and a homerun. Junior Brian Collins is 5-for-10 with a home run and four RBIs in three games in 2008. Senior outfielder John Ondrejcka hit .413 with 3 homeruns and 22 RBIs last year but has started the 2008 campaign with just two hits in ten at-bats. Senior catcher Max Shaetzle, who hit .333 last season, is also expected to contribute to the Spartans' lineup. Shaetzle has one of the Spartans' three homeruns through the first three games of the season.

The Sharks enter tomorrow's game with two one-run wins and a one-run loss. Ten of Malibu's fourteen runs scored in the first three games have come in the sixth and seventh innings.

Semi-Final Matchup

Malibu (2-1) will play top-seeded La Canada (3-0) tomorrow in the Southern California Invitational/Royal Tournament Blue Division semi-finals. Mary Star (3-0) will host South East (2-1) in the other semi-final with the winners to play for the championship on Saturday. Game time at La Canada is 3:00 p.m.

Please check back for directions to the field and a scouting report.

Sharks 6, LA Baptist 5 (Photos)

Sharks 6, LA Baptist 5

Malibu scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and gave up just one run after the first three LA Baptist hitters in the top of the seventh reached base to come away with a 6-5 win this afternoon.

Sharks pitchers gave up 13 hits but tightened up when necessary. The Knights stranded 11 runners overall (including nine stranded at second and third bases) and left a runner on third base in every inning but the sixth. Four of the seven strikeouts recorded by Malibu's pitchers came with a runner at third.

Senior Nate Schoenbrun started for the Sharks and pitched into the fifth inning before turning a 2-0 lead over to Matt Cathcart. In keeping with the theme of high drama, Schoenbrun allowed LA Baptist's leadoff hitter to reach base every inning he pitched. Each leadoff hitter reached third base, but none scored until the fifth inning.

Malibu had a threat of its own turned back in the second inning. With two outs, Matt Bordier singled to left. Tony Gwyn followed with a double over the head of the left fielder, but Bordier was held at third and Monty Biglow struck out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the third, the Sharks broke through for two runs. With one out, Jacob Perrin doubled to left center. Stephen Williams reached second and Perrin moved to third on a throwing error by the Knights third baseman. Sean Conrad was hit on a 2-2 pitch to load the bases for Justin Hale. Hale grounded into the hole past third to drive in Perrin and Williams alertly scored when LA Baptist's shortstop booted the ball into short left field. The inning ended when Sean Conrad was doubled off second on Jesse Conrad’s pop out to short.

The Knights put together five hits in the fifth inning and took a 4-2 lead. Ryan Cathers led off with a double to left off of Schoenbrun. With a 2-1 count on cleanup hitter Jim Augur, Coach Paul Gallo replaced Schoenbrun on the mound with Matt Cathcart. Augur doubled to left to drive in Cathers. John Marshall reached first and Augur moved to third when Monty Biglow was unable to handle a tough hop at third off of Marshall’s bat. Anthony Scarcello drove in Augur and traded places with Marshall on a grounder to short. Nick Scarcello then singled to center. Pinch hitter Curtis Anderson then doubled to left center to drive in Anthony Scarcello with the go-ahead run. Evan DeYoung's base hit drove in Nick Scarcello and moved Anderson to third with just one out.

With leadoff hitter Aaron Engel at bat, Cathcart bore down and the Sharks made a game-changing play. On the first pitch from Cathcart, Engel missed a bunt attempt. A pitchout revealed no bunt or steal attempt. After throwing over to first twice, Cathcart fired a strike past Engel. Then, on a 1-2 pitch, Cathcart got Engel to strike out swinging and Williams completed a much-needed double play by throwing out Anderson attempting to steal second.

Knights starter Ethan Koskela seemed to tire in the top of the sixth inning and the Sharks were able to take advantage. Jesse Conrad led off with a four-pitch walk. Matt Bordier grounded to short to force Conrad at second. Gwyn then moved Bordier to second with his second hit of the afternoon, a single to left. Keith Lamasney, pinch hitting for Monty Biglow, got an infield hit to load the bases. With Schoenbrun at the plate, Bordier scored on a passed ball. Schoenbrun then walked to load the bases again.

Against a drawn-in infield and with the tying run ninety feet away, Jacob Perrin grounded to third. The throw home was in the dirt and bounced away allowing both Gwyn and Monty Biglow (running for Lamasney) to score. Stephen Williams lined out to third, but Schoenbrun dived back to the bag to avoid being doubled up. Sean Conrad then lined a ball off of the pitcher. As he went to field the ball near the third base line, Knights catcher Anthony Scarcello ran into Schoenbrun who was trying to score from third. The home plate umpire immediately called obstruction, which allowed Schoenbrun to score the Sharks' fourth run of the inning.

After Cathers replaced Koskela on the mound, Justin Hale was hit by a pitch to continue the inning. Jesse Conrad, up for the second time in the sixth inning, popped out to end the inning.

In the top of the seventh, John Marshall drove Cathcart's first pitch into the gap in left for a double. With a one-ball count on Anthony Scarcello, Gallo brought in Gwyn to pitch. Gwyn walked Anthony Scarcello and then gave up a run-scoring single to Nick Scarcello. Steve Wood followed with a well-executed sacrifice bunt that moved the runners to second and third with only one out. Second baseman Monty Biglow made a nice play as Gwyn got DeYoung to pop out behind first base. On a 1-2 pitch, Aaron Engel flied to Matt Cathcart in shallow left to end the game.

The Sharks, now 2-1 on the season, wrap up the Southern California Invitational/Royal Tournament with games on Friday and Saturday. Locations and opponents will be announced on Thursday.

Scouting Report: L.A. Baptist Knights

Malibu hosts LA Baptist today in the third game of the Southern California Invitational/Royal Tournament. The first pitched is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.

Both teams enter the game with 1-1 records on the season. The Knights lost their season opener last Friday to La Canada, 5-4, and rebounded on Saturday to defeat St. Monica's, 2-0. The Sharks opened with a win over Marshall before losing to Mary Star on Saturday.

Since 2006, the Sharks are 1-2 against the Knights. Malibu rode a strong pitching performance by Colbie Bell (one hit and eight strikeouts in five innings pitched) to a 4-2 win over LA Baptist in a rain-soaked game on March 2, 2006. Last season, on March 17, the Knights won both games of a doubleheader at Malibu by scores of 6-5 and 3-0.

The Knights were 10-13 last season (4-4 in league games), good for second place (in a three-way tie) in the Olympic League.

The Knights have eight seniors on the roster this season, including Ryan Cathers (3B-P), who led the team in hitting last season with a .431 average. Jim Auger and Ethan Koskela, who both will figure prominently in the Knights' pitching rotation this year, are also among the seniors on the LA Baptist squad. Koskela started against La Canada in the season opener and gave up four runs (two of them earned) in 4.0 innings. Auger pitched 6.1 shutout innings against St. Monica's on Saturday en route to his first win of the season.

Making his first start of the 2008 season today will be senior Nate Schoenbrun.

Finding the JV Game

Tomorrow's JV game against LA Baptist will be played at the Mission Hills Little League field on the corner of Haskell and Lassen (next to the Mission Hills Golf Course). Click on the map below for details.

View Larger Map

Mary Star 5, Malibu 4 (Photos)

Mary Star 5, Sharks 4

Less than twenty-four hours after experiencing the thrill of a walk-off victory, the Sharks felt the agony of a walk-off loss. Mary Star of the Sea scored a run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to come away with a 5-4 win over Malibu at Fromhold Field in San Pedro.

After Malibu went down in order in the top of the first, the Stars got on the board quickly in their half of the inning. Sharks starting pitcher Jacob Perrin retired the first two hitters on two pitches, but then ran the count to 3-0 to Stars catcher Johnny Cigliano. Cigliano drilled the next pitch over the left field fence to stake Mary Star to an early 1-0 lead.

Perrin made a bid to tied the game leading off the top of the second, but his drive to the warning track in center field was hauled in by Robert Torres. After Justin Hale grounded to first for the second out of the inning, Jesse Conrad singled to left. Nate Schoenbrun followed with another base hit and the Sharks took a 2-1 lead when Matt Bordier doubled into the right field corner.

Malibu surrendered the lead in the bottom of the third. With two outs in the inning, Stars shortstop Peter Ciaramitaro hit a slow roller to third and wound up on second as Hale’s throw sailed over Conrad’s head at first. After Cigliano walked, third baseman Danny Martinez doubled down the left field line to drive in Ciaramitaro and move Cigliano to third. Cigliano and Martinez both scored one batter later when Tony Gwyn bobbled a ball off the bat of pinch hitter Nick Rukavina.

Down 4-2, the Sharks’ bats went quiet until the sixth inning. After Perrin flied to right for the first out of the inning, Hale singled to left and advanced to second on an errant pickoff attempt. Jesse Conrad drove in Hale with his second hit of the day. Schoenbrun flied to center and, with Bordier at the plate, Conrad advanced to second on a passed ball. Bordier then collected his second hit and third RBI of the day to knot the score at 4-4.

With two down in the bottom of the sixth and a runner on second, Jesse Conrad relieved Perrin on the mound and got Quentin Powell to ground out to end a small scoring threat.

With the top of the order up in the top of the seventh, Malibu was looking for a repeat of Friday’s last-inning heroics. However, the inning went quickly as Monty Biglow struck out, Tony Gwyn grounded out to short, and, after a very long and loud foul ball, Stephen Williams popped out to short.

In the bottom of the seventh, Conrad recorded two quick outs before running into trouble. James Fauscette hit a weak liner to third for the first out and Torres quickly grounded to second. With a 1-2 count on him, Conrad came too far inside and hit Ciaramitaro to give the Stars the opening they needed.

Ciaramitaro stole second on a 1-0 pitch to Cigliano. With first base vacant, Malibu elected to put Cigliano on first via an intentional walk. Danny Martinez followed with a long fly-ball that dropped near the warning track allowing Ciaramitaro to score the winning run.

In his first outing of the season, Jacob Perrin gave up just one earned run in five and two-thirds innings of work. He struck out six and walked four.

Matt Bordier led the Sharks at the plate with a double, a single, and three RBIs. Jesse Conrad was on base three times, twice with base hits and once with a walk.

Next up for the Sharks is a home game on Wednesday against the LA Baptist Knights.

Scouting Report: Mary Star of the Sea

Malibu takes on the Mary Star of the Sea High School Stars in the second game of the Royal Tournament. Like the Sharks, the Stars scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning of their season-opening game to record a come-from-behind win. Mary Star defeated Garfield, 4-1, on Friday behind solid pitching performances by starter Peter Ciaramitaro and reliever Nick Gioiello and a walk-off grand slam by Robert Abordo.

The Stars were 13-11 overall last season with a 7-8 record in the Camino Real League. At home, Mary Star compiled a 10-3 record.

Ciaramitaro and fellow senior Johnny Cigliano are expected to carry much of the offensive load for the Stars this season. Juniors Danny Martinez, Nick Gioiello and Nick Rukavina are also expected to contribute offensively.

Sharks 4, Marshall 3 (Photos)

Sharks 4, Marshall 3

Justin Hale’s two-run single capped a four-run bottom of the seventh and lifted the Sharks to a 4-3 win over the Marshall Barristers in the season opener at Malibu High this afternoon. After failing to get a runner as far as second base in the first six innings against Marshall pitcher Alex Sapin, Malibu took advantage of three Barrister errors, a double by Jacob Perrin, and a single by Jesse Conrad to set the stage for Hale’s game-winning hit.

Strong pitching performances by starter Matt Cathcart and reliever Tony Gwyn kept the Sharks in the game until the offense could get in gear. Cathcart gave up three runs–but only one earned run–while striking out eight in five-and-a-third innings. With the help of an outfield assist by Sean Conrad to cut down what would have been the Barristers’ fourth run, Gwyn shut down a Marshall rally in the sixth inning and pitched a perfect seventh inning to pick up the win in relief.

After striking out five of the first nine batters he faced, Cathcart got into trouble in the third inning when Arthur Guzman reached first on an infield hit and Oscar Robles tripled over the head of Nate Schoenbrun in center. Robles followed Guzman to the plate when Jacob Perrin’s relay throw got past third baseman Monty Biglow.

Down 2-0 in the bottom of the third, the Sharks got a one-out single from Matt Bordier. Biglow followed with a hard grounder down the third base line that Marshall third baseman Peter Betancourt snared and turned into an around-the-horn double play.

The Barristers got two hits in the fourth inning, but their attempt to work a double steal with two outs and runners on first and third was thwarted by a good defensive play that nailed Mark Andrade at the plate.

Marshall broke through for run in the top of the sixth inning to make the score 3-0. After Cathcart struck out Simi Machado, Christian Hernandez singled to center. Antonio Hernandez then reached first when Perrin bobbled a ground ball at short. With his starter at 83 pitches and beginning to tire, Coach Paul Gallo brought Tony Gwyn in to pitch.

Gwyn got Andrade to fly to right, but Bordier was unable to make the catch on the ball tailing toward the right field line. Christian Hernandez scored on the play and Antonio Hernandez moved to second. Gwyn then struck out Robles for the second out of the inning. The third out was recorded when the next hitter, Betancourt, singled to left. Sean Conrad fielded the ball cleanly and fired a strike to Williams at the plate to get Hernandez trying to score.

After the Sharks went quietly in the bottom of the sixth, Gwyn capped his strong relief appearance by getting three quick groundball outs in the top of the seventh. Leading off the bottom of the seventh, Gwyn started the game-winning rally by reaching first on a throwing error by the Barristers’ third baseman. Perrin followed a double down the left field line. With runners on second and third and no outs, Williams grounded to third but beat the throw to first after the ball was bobbled. Gwyn scored the Sharks’ first run of the day on the play, but Perrin remained at second. Following Marshall’s failed pickoff attempt at second, Sean Conrad popped out for the first out of the inning.

Jesse Conrad followed with a Texas Leaguer that just eluded the grasp of Marshall shortstop Arthur Guzman. Guzman picked up the ball and attempted to force Williams at second, but the throw sailed over the bag allowing Perrin to score the Sharks’ second run. With Conrad and Williams at second and third, the Barristers intentionally walked Schoenbrun to load the bases. Hale, who entered the game as a defensive replacement at the time of the pitching change in the sixth inning, drove an 0-1 pitch from Sapin into center. Williams scored the tying run and Conrad, following close behind, scored the game winner as the throw to the plate was wide.

The Sharks, 1-0 on the new season, travel to San Pedro on Saturday to take on Mary Star of the Sea High School in the second game of the Royal Tournament. Game time is 2:00 p.m.

Scouting Report: Marshall Barristers

The Sharks begin the 2008 season this afternoon with a home game against the Marshall Barristers. Malibu defeated the Barristers, 6-2, when the two teams met at Marshall High in the second game of the 2007 season. Nate Schoenbrun pitched a complete game and Jared Weinstock hit a three-run homerun in the top of the seventh to ice the game for Sharks.

After losing their first three games last season, including the Malibu game, the Barristers went on to record a 19-12 record for the season. Marshall tied for first in the Northern League with a 12-3 league record.

This season the Marshall roster is loaded with seniors--thirteen to be exact. Five players who started for the Barristers against Malibu last year are expected to be in the starting lineup today. (Malibu, with only three seniors on the roster, also will likely have five starters from last year's matchup starting today.)

Senior pitcher and first baseman Simi Machado is expected to lead the Barristers offensively in 2008. Last year Machado hit .419 with 4 homeruns and 29 RBIs. Machado also racked up more innings on the mound than any other Marshall player while compiling a 7-5 won-loss record with a 2.39 ERA.

Junior infielder Mark Andrade was second on the team in hitting in 2007 with a .356 batting average.

For the Sharks, seniors Stephen Williams, Jacob Perrin, and Nate Schoenbrun, together with junior Sean Conrad, are expected to provide most of the offensive firepower. Williams hit .411 with 5 homeruns and 18 RBIs last season. Perrin, who found his power stroke with 3 homeruns in the fall season, hit .286 with 5 doubles and a triple last year. Conrad hit .304 with a team-high 7 doubles while Schoenbrun hit .268.

Among the other juniors expected to make a major contribution to the Sharks' success this year will be infielders Tony Gwyn, Justin Hale, Monty Biglow, and Travis Vititoe. Malibu also hopes to get both quality innings on the mound and some offensive punch from junior Matt Bordier and sophomore Jesse Conrad.

The Sharks are expected to start sophomore Matt Cathcart on the mound in today's game. Cathcart started three varsity games as a freshman last year. He got no decision against Campbell Hall, defeated Santa Paula, and took the loss against Oaks Christian.

Today's game is the first game for both teams in the Royal Tournament, which will continue through next weekend. Game time is 3:00 p.m.

Baseball on the Beach

Saturday's varsity game against Mary Star of the Sea will be played at Fromhold Field (1600 W. Paseo del Mar in San Pedro)--about five miles south of Mary Star of the Sea High School. Here's a map:

View Larger Map

For those who prefer verbal directions, here they are (starting from the southbound Harbor Freeway):

The Harbor Freeway (110) ends at Gaffey Street. Turn LEFT on Gaffey.
Turn RIGHT on W. 25th Street.
Turn LEFT on S. Western Avenue.
Go down the hill and curve to the LEFT onto W. Paseo del Mar.
Fromhold Field will be on the right after one block.

(Note that the verbal directions here are not exactly what the map above shows. You pays your money and takes your choice.)

Saturday's Game Time

Saturday's varsity game at Mary Star of the Sea in San Pedro will start at 2:00 p.m., not at 11:00 a.m. as previously announced. The bus will leave Malibu High at 11:30 a.m.

Please check back before Saturday for directions to the Stars' home field.

Washed Out

The Sharks' practice games at SaMo High today have been washed out. In lieu of the games, there will be a practice today at noon.

2008 Malibu High Varsity Schedule

Date	Day	Time	Visitor	Home	Result
Feb. 29	Friday	3:00pm	Marshall	Malibu	W, 4-3
Mar. 1	Saturday	2:00pm	Malibu	Mary Star	L, 4-5
Mar. 5	Wednesday	3:00pm	LA Baptist	Malibu	W, 6-5
Mar. 7	Friday	3:00pm	Malibu	La Canada	L, 2-14
Mar. 8	Saturday	2:30pm	South East	Malibu	W, 6-1
Mar. 13	Thursday	3:15pm	New Roads	Malibu	W, 12-4
Mar. 15	Saturday	11:00am	Antelope Vly	Malibu	W, 3-1
Mar. 15	Saturday	2:00pm	Antelope Vly	Malibu	W, 7-3
Mar. 27	Thursday	11:00am	Malibu	Channel Isl.	W, 9-7
Apr. 2	Wednesday	3:30pm	Malibu	Oak Park	W, 6-5
Apr. 4	Friday	3:30pm	Oak Park	Malibu	W, 7-1
Apr. 7	Monday	3:15pm	Montclair Prep	Malibu	W, 5-2
Apr. 9	Wednesday	3:30pm	Santa Paula	Malibu	W, 9-1
Apr. 11	Friday	3:30pm	Malibu	Santa Paula	W, 12-4
Apr. 16	Wednesday	3:30pm	Nordhoff	Malibu	L, 1-4
Apr. 18	Friday	3:30pm	Malibu	Nordhoff	L, 0-3
Apr. 19	Saturday	11:00am	Malibu	Faith Baptist	W, 3-2
Apr. 23	Wednesday	3:30pm	Malibu	Oaks Christian	W, 8-2
Apr. 25	Friday	3:30pm	Oaks Christian	Malibu	W, 5-0
Apr. 26	Saturday	11:00am	Windward	Malibu	W, 6-4
Apr. 30	Wednesday	3:30pm	Fillmore	Malibu	W, 3-2
May 2	Friday	2:00pm	Malibu	Fillmore	L, 3-15
May 6	Tuesday	3:30pm	Malibu	St.Bonaventure	L, 0-13
May 8	Thursday	3:30pm	St.Bonaventure	Malibu	L, 1-8
May 15	Thursday	3:15pm	Malibu	Bonita	L, 0-7