Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Showerman is Gatos most valuable player

By Dick Sparrer

It wasn't what Los Gatos baseball coaches Joe Winstead and Wayne Senini would consider a banner year.

The Wildcats lost seven of their first nine games, and lost their last six straight.

But it wasn't exactly a normal year for the Cats, either.

Gatos opened the season with star pitcher Court Showerman still on the basketball floor for Los Gatos. And the team finished the year without a couple of key players because of injuries and grades.

Still, despite a 7-17-1 season record, a 5-13 league mark and a sixth-place finish in the tough De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, the Gatos coaches have reason to be optimistic about the future of the LG baseball program.

One reason is that all-leaguers Nic Van Biene and Branon Fennema will both return to the diamond next spring. And the other reason is that five Wildcats earned all-league honors on a third-place frosh-soph team at Los Gatos.

Of course, it was Showerman getting showered with post-season honors after his sensational senior season for the Wildcats.

Showerman finished the year hitting .332 for the Cats, and he posted a 4-4 pitching record and a low 1.14 earned run average in league play.

Showerman was named the club's most valuable player and was also selected to the all-league second team in the De Anza Division.

He was joined on the special honors list by teammates Luke Alvarado, Fennema and Van Biene.

Alvarado was named the team captain and was also picked as the club's most improved player. The senior outfielder was also named to the all-league second team. Alvarado hit .332 for the Wildcats.

Fennema earned a place on the all-league third team for the Cats. The sophomore catcher was also named the team's best defensive player.

Van Biene, a junior, joined Fennema on the all-league third team, and he was selected the team's most inspirational player. Van Biene recorded a 2-3 mound record for the Cats with a solid 2.10 earned run average.

The Cats were led offensively by senior Ryan Baldinger, who hit .364 with three homers and a team-high 28 RBIs. But Baldinger missed the final four games for academic reasons.

"We did not have a good year," admitted Winstead. "We hope to do better next year, but we'll have to play good ball if we expect to compete with the schools in our division."

Helping Gatos compete next year will be talented players moving up from a frosh-soph team that posted a 17-9 season record and finished third in the De Anza Division with a 12-6 mark.

Sophomores Jeff Ouellet, Mike Drew, Mike Geddie and Matt Grover were each named to the all-league first team in the division, and soph Andy Housley earned a place on the all-league second team.

Drew was named the team's most valuable player, and Housley was chosen as the most improved. Sophomore David Pearl was selected as the team captain, with freshman Alex Burda the most inspirational player and freshman John Vartanian the best defensive player.

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