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Top returners bolster Saratoga hopes By Dick Sparrer
Tying? Tying?
There's no tying in baseball!
Well, apparently no one got the word to the Saratoga Falcons.
Because the Falcons have gotten stuck with not just one, but two ties in the early stages of the 1999 high school baseball season.
The first of the two ties came in the second round of the Carmel-Pacific Grove Invitational tournament when darkness forced the Falcons to settle for a 7-7 draw with co-host Carmel.
And the second came last week in the first game of the year in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.
Once again the Falcons fell victim to the early onset of darkness when Saratoga and Gunn had to quit with an 8-8 tie after six innings. That contest, however, will be completed later in the year when the two clubs meet up in another league game.
And it will be an important decision, indeed, since Saratoga head coach Rick Raich rates Gunn as one of the division title favorites this season, along with Palo Alto, Santa Clara and his own Falcons.
Raich admits that he enters the season with cautious optimism, but he expects Saratoga to be a contender in the El Camino Division.
"Last year the team and program was adjusting to a new coach and new style of play," said Raich, who took over the coaching reins last spring and led the Falcons to a 14-13 record and fourth place in the league standings. "There are no excuses this year."
There are, however, many all-league returners who could make Raich's prediction for success come true.
Shortstop Nick Blue, second baseman Mike Drew and catcher Brady Moran are top senior returners who each earned all-league first-team honors last season.
Senior third baseman Ryan Bernard won an all-league second-team spot in '98, and senior Robin Gill, junior Erick Raich and senior Brett Miller were picked to the honorable mention list.
"We have all the makings to be an outstanding ballclub this year if we can stay healthy and maintain academic eligibility," added the coach. "I feel we have an excellent chance of competing for the El Camino League championship and an automatic bid to the CCS playoffs in May."
Blue and Drew are solid performers at the middle infield positions for the Falcons.
Blue, who played for the Texas Rangers scout team in Australia last summer, returns after hitting .442 in league play for the Falcons a year ago.
Drew is back at second after hitting .350 for Saratoga a year ago. The senior righthander doubles as the pitching ace for the Falcons, posting a low 1.40 earned run average last season.
Junior Jim Heuther takes over at second when Drew is on the mound and is a top varsity prospect after winning all-league honors at the frosh-soph level last year. John Vartanian, another frosh-soph all-leaguer, is also a top candidate for playing time at second base.
E. Raich is back as a starter at first base for the Falcons. The junior hit a solid .385 as a sophomore. Junior Jason Worden will also see some action at first, and both he and Raich could see some time on the mound for the Falcons.
Bernard will start at third after hitting .400 last year, but could also see some duty behind the plate and as a closer on the mound staff. Robin Gill, who hit .404 last year, and Adam Varteressian are other candidates at third.
Junior speedsters Matt Joyce and Dan Morse are top prospects in the Saratoga outfield along with senior Dan Goñi and sophomore Mike Cable and senior Chad Christiansen.
Moran is back behind the plate for the Falcons after hitting .426 and doing a solid defensive job. Sophomore Caleb Mosley will play the back-up role at catcher.
Drew will be joined by talented returners Brett Miller and Brian Cavanaugh as the leaders of the Saratoga pitching staff.
Saratoga opened the league season last week with the 8-8 tie against Gunn. Heuther and Raich each doubled and homered to lead the offensive attack for the Falcons. Moran and Worden also doubled in the game.
The Falcons beat Harbor 4-3, tied Carmel 7-7 and dropped a 12-7 nod to San Lorenzo Valley in the Carmel-Pacific Grove tournament.
Miller picked up the mound win and Raich doubled in the 4-3 victory over Harbor.
A game later, Heuther doubled twice and singled, and Gill had two hits in the tie against Carmel. Blue, Joyce and Varteressian also doubled for the Falcons.
Saratoga, now 3-2-2 in the young season, visits Palo Alto on March 9 and hosts Los Altos on March 11 in a couple of 3:30 p.m. league games.
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Saratoga, California Since 1975
