JANE LEE
Sports Editor
The theme of the 2007 Pepperdine baseball season is probably one fans have heard once or twice in the sports world.
It’s that highly overused but all-important cliché — the one that makes you think coaches and athletes should go back to school to learn new, insightful phrases.
You hear it over and over again, but you’re going to hear it once more.
We just have to take one game at a time.
Yes, that one. Excuse Head Coach Steve Rodriguez and five of his players for saying it, but as formulaic as it sounds, it’s really the truth.
It’s just what is said with a group of 12 freshmen, a few transfers and 16 returning letterwinners, a mix of old and new that creates a transition year for the Waves.
It’s just what is said with a team that has a history of streaky highs and lows.
It’s just what is said when 55 games must be played before you even start to think about another West Coast Conference title or even the NCAA Regional championship game — where the Waves have come up short in each of the past three seasons.
It’s just what is said when those 55 games make up a schedule that is ranked 19th out of 300 teams in the nation in regards to strength of schedule.
In baseball, it’s just what is said.
“I’m cautiously optimistic as a coach,” said Rodriguez, who recently signed a five-year contract extension. “We look pretty good, and we have a lot of our returning guys, so as long as everybody plays and does what they are supposed to do then I think we should be OK.”
The fourth-year head coach and his Waves, coming off a 42-21 season in which they made their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, enter the 2007 season ranked No. 19 by Baseball America and have been tabbed by the conference coaches to capture their fifth consecutive WCC title.
“I think the biggest thing for our team is that they just do what they’re supposed to do individually and not try to match up to what the country’s standards are,” Rodriguez said. “If they just go about their business and play the game the way it should be played, the results will take care of themselves.
“I think a lot of people can get caught up in rankings and where they are, and if we do that it’s going to be a very difficult season. As long as we take care of one game at a time, we’ll be fine.”
There it is. One game at a time. But even junior pitcher Barry Enright agrees.
“We’ve got some big guys on the schedule like Oklahoma State, and then there’s San Francisco in our conference, but every game has to be taken seriously,” Enright said. “We just have to approach one game at a time and hopefully get hot at the right times.”
The Waves’ roster is highlighted by the return of WCC “Co-Pitcher of the Year” Enright, junior shortstop Danny Worth, junior center fielder Adrian Ortiz, sophomore third baseman Chase D’Arnaud and sophomore reliever Brett Hunter, all of whom earned WCC recognition in 2006.
Enright, who will lead the pitching staff as the Friday starter, enters his junior season as a 2007 preseason All-American with a 23-3 career record, ranking 12th on Pepperdine’s all-time career list.
“It’s been great because I’ve been brought up in this system, first by Kea Kometani two years ago and then Paul Coleman last year,” Enright said. “People look up to you, so it’s a great feeling, and I know there’s a good core base out on the field behind me.”
Expected to join Enright in the Waves’ weekend starting rotation are junior Jason Dominguez and sophomore Robert Dickmann, a transfer from UCLA. Rodriguez will also have senior Robert Della Grotta, junior Adam Olbrychowski and freshman Jonathan Harmston in the mix for starting roles.
Hunter, who was tabbed a preseason All-American, played a pivotal role as closer during his rookie season for the Waves last year, posting a 5-3 mark with a 2.83 ERA and 11 saves.
The sophomore sensation tied for 22nd in the nation in saves and was named a Freshman All-American, as well as first team All-WCC.
The bullpen also presents several options for Rodriguez and Pitching Coach Sean Kenny. Juniors Nick Gaudi, Doug Konoske and Dylan Gonzalez will battle newcomers Joe Steinwedell, Jordan Durrance and Daniel Ferris for innings.
“A big key for us this year is going to be pitching,” senior left fielder Luke Salas said. “Our bats are able to supply the offense, so if we can get both going at the same time I believe we’ll be a very good team.”
Familiar faces will staff the left side of the infield, with preseason All-American Worth and 2006 Freshman All-American and first team all-conference pick D’Arnaud at shortstop and third base, respectively.
Second base, first base and the catching position will see action from a few different guys this season.
Sophomore Denny Duron took over the starting second base job late in the 2006 season when graduate David Uribes went down with an injury, but he could receive competition from senior Joe Evans, a transfer from Bellevue University in Omaha, Neb.
Just a few feet away on first base, freshman Mark Tracy, sophomore Ryan Heroy and junior Matt Aidem will battle for playing time.
“With the first base position, it’s going to depend on who’s hitting the ball well at the time and has the best feel for first base,” Rodriguez said.
Freshman Travis Tartamella will start the season behind the plate, with freshman Trent Diedrich serving as another catching option.
“We have a real good freshman class, so hopefully a couple of the guys can step up,” Worth said. “Every year we seem to have a few surprises.”
Enright echoed the words of his teammate, saying the freshmen have progressed tremendously since the fall.
“Most of the team is junior and sophomore based, but the freshmen had a great fall and they add great depth to the team,” he said. “Hopefully they can all mature as players as the season continues.”
The outfield is a solid veteran unit made up of Salas in left, Ortiz in center and junior Don Brown in right field.
Salas, along with Tracy, also may see time as a designated hitter.
“We’ve got a great group of guys, and we’re really looking good,” Salas said. “We have an awesome lineup full of guys that just know the drill — guys with experience.”
And rest assured those without the experience are learning quickly.
“Our team does a real good job — and our coaching staff helps out in this regard too — of making the younger guys feel welcome and part of the team right away,” Rodriguez said. “You’ll see on some other teams the younger guys are kind of on their own program, but here our guys make sure the younger guys fit right in and do what they’re supposed to do — whether it’s with practice and classes, they do a great job of that.”
Enright has been one such mentor, saying the freshmen “have been put into tough roles, and even though they’re leaders in themselves, it’s definitely been a mentoring process and learning process with them.”
Gaining good chemistry on a team during a transition year is sometimes tricky, but the Waves feel they’ve already got that down.
“The chemistry on this team is awesome,” Salas said. “A lot of the guys hang out off the field together and, in the end, we all have one common goal, and that’s Omaha (home of the College World Series).”
Worth agreed, saying the leadership on the team makes it that much easier to gel.
“I feel the chemistry is great because a lot of the starters are veterans, so it makes it that much easier to communicate and know what to expect from each other when you’re out there on the field,” he said.
The Waves open the 2007 season Friday when they travel to Las Vegas to begin a three-game series at UNLV. Their home debut will be Tuesday, as they host Long Beach State at Eddy D. Field Stadium beginning at 2 p.m.
“I’m just excited to see what the team looks like after about 15 games because it usually takes us awhile to adjust,” Worth said. “But after that, we seem to all come together and gel pretty well.”
Rodriguez believes a successful season will depend on a few factors.
“The main keys are going to be keeping everybody healthy and trying not to hit too many highs and too many lows,” he said. “We want to stay even along the way. We have certain guys that can get hot at certain times, so if they can alternate we’ll be fine.”
And even though getting past that regional championship game is on the mind of the entire team, Rodriguez has a message for his players.
“We need to worry about playing Friday first,” he said. “It will be nice to worry about those things when they come, but it’s hard to look past it if you never get there.”
According to Worth, getting there will “take a little bit of luck and lot of hitting.”
…And by taking one game at a time, of course.
02-01-2007