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.

View Larger Map

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.