BACK IN THE SWING OF THINGS\Baseball coach to bring years of know-how to T.O. High.

Byline: Bryan Winchell Special to the Daily News

It's been a long time since Bill Sizemore was head coach of a high school baseball team.

Sizemore, who was hired to be interim baseball coach at Thousand Oaks High this season, last coached the Burroughs (Ridgecrest) High team in 1984.

That's not to say Sizemore has been out of the baseball loop over the past 11 years. During that time he has scouted for the Seattle Mariners and taken turns as pitching coach at Canyon, Saugus and Hart highs. He continues to be a pitching coach for the Utica, N.Y., single-A minor league team in the summers.

With all that experience has come a broader understanding of how the game is played and how to work with players. Sizemore feels those experiences prepare him well for taking over the traditionally powerful Lancers.

"I thought I knew a lot when I took the job at Burroughs (in 1979)," Sizemore said. "What I found out was that I knew very little. But having lots of contact with coaches plus the professional people I've met, I've picked up quite a few things. The most important thing is learning how to build rapport with the players."

Thousand Oaks athletic director Jim Martin said that Sizemore's broad baseball background was one of the main reasons he was given the job.

Sizemore doesn't feel that there will be much difference between coaching high school and minor league players.

"Obviously the talent pool is different," Sizemore said. "But as far as working with them, there really is no difference. High school is a good opportunity to teach things that will hopefully carry over into their lives and careers."

For Sizemore, the job of replacing longtime coach Jim Hansen won't be an easy one. Last season, Hansen directed his team to the Marmonte League championship and was named league coach of the year. Over his 22-year career, Hansen has sent a number of players to the collegiate and professional ranks.

"He's done a great job," Sizemore said of Hansen. "His teams have always been competitive, so I feel real fortunate to be the guy following him."

Sizemore said he is aware of the pressures of replacing Hansen.

"Obviously, there are going to comparisons," Sizemore said. "But I think I have some things that will be a positive addition to the program."

Sizemore says he will emphasize pitching and defense.

"The most important pitch in baseball is strike one," Sizemore said. "The pitchers have to throw strikes and the defense just has to play catch. To me, pitching and defense win games."

Sizemore is also a strong proponent of playing smart, aggressive baseball.

"It's OK for kids to make mistakes, as long as they are aggressive mistakes," Sizemore said. "They can try to take the extra base, and if they get thrown out that's OK as long as they used their baseball savvy."

Perhaps the most difficult task Sizemore faces is developing a relationship with his players in a short period of time. The Lancers lost only three players from last year's team, which means Sizemore won't have a difficult time getting the team to trust each other.

Sizemore has already met with returning pitchers Santos Mummey and Ryan Lane and was impressed with their skills and their enthusiasm for the upcoming year.

"A lot of these kids have played together so I need to assimilate into their group," Sizemore said. "I'm not going to make wholesale changes."

One thing players shouldn't expect is Sizemore trying to motivate them to get into a game.

"I'm not a rah-rah kind of guy," Sizemore said. "I don't stand around and cheerleader. That's the players' responsibility. If you're only playing two days a week, you should be chomping at the bit to play those games."

Sizemore has been hired to coach only this season. He will be a substitute teacher in the Conejo Valley Unified School District during that time. After the season finishes, the process to find a full-time coach will begin.

Besides the fact that he'll have a season coaching the Lancers under his belt, Sizemore also has a teaching credential, which makes him a leading candidate for the full-time job.

"I would like to think that when I made the decision it was something I made for the long term," Sizemore said.

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Photo (1--CONEJO only) Coach Bill Sizemore shows off his affinity with baseballs. Sizemore will focus on defense and pitching. (2) Bill Sizemore Stresses defense, pitching David Sprague/Daily News