The Chargers were to open the league season at home against Prospect on March 23 and will visit the Panthers on March 25 for a 3:30 p.m. game. After hosting Independence for a non-league game on March 27, noon, Leland will get back to the business of league play on March 30 at Mt. Pleasant, 3:30 p.m.

"We have a clean slate starting today," said Leland coach Scott Gillis prior to the league opener against Prospect. "Now we're ready for the team to come together."

Leland finished 4-6-2 in the preseason, but lost twice to Central Coast Section powerhouse Valley Christian and once to 2003 CCS semifinalist Santa Cruz. The Chargers tied last year's CCS Division I champ Mitty.

"We always play a really tough schedule," said Gillis. "We certainly don't run away from competition at all."

Leland had a somewhat rocky showing in the Mt. Hamilton Tournament. The Chargers beat Leigh 7-3 and pounded Prospect 24-2, but they lost 6-3 to Westmont, 4-3 to Oak Grove and 5-3 to tourney champ Willow Glen. Only a forfeit win over Oak Grove left the Chargers even at 3-3 in the tourney.

Kyle Jones, Danny Dyer and Adam Lara are swinging the hottest bats for the Chargers as they enter the league race. Jones tops the club with a .538 batting average, though he had only 13 at-bats in the pre-season. Dyer is hitting .467 after getting just 15 trips to the plate.

Lara is the best of the Leland regulars. He's been up 27 times and played in all 11 games for the Chargers and enters the league season hitting a solid .444 with a homer, a triple and 11 runs-batted-in.

Sean Connors, who had 31 at-bats in 11 games, is hitting .323 with eight RBI, and he's swiped seven bases. Mike Day leads the club with eight steals.

Jones, Lara and Dyer led the bat attack for the Chargers in the 24-2 drubbing of Prospect in the tournament. Jones had a triple among his four hits, Lara tripled and singled twice and Dyer doubled and tripled to lead the 23-hit attack for Leland.

Starting pitcher Anthony Trovato was the recipient of all that offensive support, and he made the most of it by tossing a 4-hitter for the five-inning win, running his season record to 2-1. He takes a 3.73 earned run average into the league season.

Things didn't go as well for the Chargers through the rest of the tourney.

Leland outhit Oak Grove 8-6, but dropped a 4-3 decision to the Eagles despite getting solo home runs from Darren Gemoll and Jason Gustavson. Gemoll also singled in the game.

The Chargers also outhit Willow Glen 7-6 but lost a 5-3 nod to the Rams when a pop fly barely eluded two Leland fielders to key Willow Glen's winning rally.

"The ball just hasn't bounced our way this year like it did last year," added Gillis.

Lara had three hits for Leland in the loss to the Rams.

Hurlers Jeff Bowler (1-2, 4.05 ERA), Matt Slaton (0.72 ERA) and Ryan Smith (1.23 ERA) join Trovato as leaders of the mound corps heading into the league season. Senior Kyle Woodruff joins the staff this week and is expected to be a key starter for the Chargers.

"From where we were in the beginning, we've made a dramatic improvement," added Gillis. "We've have more opportunities for kids to play than in all of the years I've coached here."

"Certainly we've had a few kids going real well, but we've made 33 errors in nine games, and that's uncharacteristic of us," said the coach.