CHATTER: C.V.'S TORRES RELYING ON HIS OWN.

Byline: ERIK BOAL Special to the Daily News

Phil Torres has developed a knack for bringing area baseball talent together with the goal of achieving success at the Babe Ruth World Series.

This year, the Crescenta Valley High of La Crescenta coach is relying on five of his own players plus recent graduate Bryan Longpre to help the San Gabriel Valley All-Stars make another run at a Babe Ruth title in the 16- to 18-year-old division.

San Gabriel Valley, featuring C.V.'s Micah Dunham, Dustin Emmons, Chris Johnson, Kam Krise and Kris Kauppila, secured its second series berth in three years Sunday with a 9-2 victory over Watsonville in the championship game of the Pacific Southwest Regional Tournament in Alameda.

Emmons drove in three runs and pitched five innings and Longpre tossed the final inning in Sunday's victory.

It was San Gabriel's second win over Watsonville, including a 10-1 triumph to advance to the final.

Torres guided a group of eight area players -- most notably Angels' minor-league prospect Trevor Bell -- to a World Series title in 2004.

Watsonville won the regional tournament last year to secure the trip to Newark, Ohio.

The 38th annual World Series begins Aug. 10.

Jeffrey Schwimer will be competing on the U.S. men's water polo national youth team along with Harvard-Westlake of Studio City teammate Brian Pingree and La Canada's Devon Borisoff in two upcoming international tournaments.

The team will play in one event beginning Friday in Zagreb, Croatia, and another scheduled for Aug. 11-13 in Stuttgart, Germany.

Schwimer, a 2005 All-Area selection and high school All-American, was one of 14 California athletes selected on the 15-player team, which will also compete in a tournament in Canada in December.

Louisville of Woodland Hills sophomore Emily Henriksson has been selected to compete in the U.S. Field Hockey Junior Olympic Games, beginning today in Virginia Beach, Va.

Henriksson was selected for the second year in a row following her performance at the National Futures Tournament, June 30-July 4 in Virginia Beach.

Henriksson helped SanJose to a third-place finish in the 16-team tournament.

As one of 128 athletes competing in the eight-team Junior Olympics, which conclude Saturday, Henriksson will be vying for a spot on the U.S. Under-16 roster.

Harvard-Westlake graduate Josh Satin played in the Cape Cod Baseball League all-star game on Saturday and was named MVP of the East team. Satin hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning to give the East a 3-2 lead en route to a 7-2 victory.

USC's Matt Cusik and Paul Koss also played for the East all-stars, with Koss striking out two in a hitless inning of relief. Loyola Marymount's Eric Farris was 2 for 4 as the starting second baseman for the West.

Canyons Aquatics is hosting the Southern California Swimming Junior Olympics, scheduled for Wednesday through Sunday at Santa Clarita Aquatic Center. Prelims begin at 9 a.m. each day, with finals starting at 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Sunday is devoted to relay competition.

The S&R Sport Girls' Water Polo Junior Olympics, featuring 148 teams competing in four age groups, run Thursday through Sunday at several area facilities.

Rancho Simi Pool, along with Newbury Park, Rio Mesa of Oxnard, Westlake and Thousand Oaks high schools, will be used, along with a number of pools in Ventura.

Kara Denby, a Simi Valley resident and Auburn University swimmer, was selected as a first team Academic All-American by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America.

Harvard-Westlake junior Ryan Thacher recorded a straight-set victory in singles and teamed with Tesoro of Las Flores' Nicolas Meister to win in doubles to lead top-seeded Southern California to a 6-1 victory Monday over Northern California in the semifinals of the USTA 18-under National Team Championships in Urbana, Ill.

Southern California will face second-seeded Southern in today's final.

Heather Gripp contributed

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