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CITY BASEBALL PREVIEW: A MATCHUP IN THE MAKING KENNEDY, CHATSWORTH TUNING UP.


Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer

When Chatsworth and Kennedy of Granada Hills met in the second round of last year's City baseball playoffs, it was supposed to be a mismatch mismatch

1. in blood transfusions and transplantation immunology, an incompatibility between potential donor and recipient.

2. one or more nucleotides in one of the double strands in a nucleic acid molecule without complementary nucleotides in the same position on the other
. Kennedy proved otherwise as the ninth-seeded Cougars upset the No. 1 Chancellors en route to winning a City championship.

No one is overlooking Kennedy this time, especially Chatsworth, which wouldn't be surprised to face the Cougars again in this year's playoffs. Kennedy and Chatsworth enter the season as the area's top contenders in a City field that is full of improved teams.

``Kennedy's good,'' Chatsworth coach Tom Meusborn said. ``With the experience they have coming back, the players knowing what they need to do to win, I don't think they'll have another slow start. They'll be very tough.''

The Cougars won just two of their first nine games and played so inconsistently during the regular season that they failed to win the Valley Mission League title. Chatsworth was busy dominating the West Valley League and stringing together a region-best 20 consecutive victories.

``We should get out of the gate pretty good this time,'' said Kennedy coach Manny Manny may refer to:

In nobility:
  • Baron Manny, a title in the Peerage of England
  • Walter de Manny, 1st Baron Manny (died 1372), soldier of fortune and founder of the Charterhouse
People with the given name Manny:
  • Manny (given name)
 Alvarado. ``Any time you have a team with this many seniors . . . they've learned from the seniors before. It's over, there's no more high school baseball after this, so they want to have a good season. They've got high goals. They want to be recognized beyond just the Valley.''

Among the Cougars' most dangerous seniors are catcher Phil Avlas, center fielder Danny Mata and shortstop Chad Shaw. Mata is a speedy leadoff hitter In baseball, a leadoff hitter is a batter who bats first in the lineup. Strategy
Leadoff hitters must possess certain traits to be successful: they must reach base at a proficient rate and be able to steal bases.
, who can also be one of the team's top pitchers. Shaw also provides speed for the scrappy scrap·py 1  
adj. scrap·pi·er, scrap·pi·est
Composed of scraps; fragmentary: scrappy evidence.



scrap
 lineup and has been one of the most consistent hitters since the fall.

The Cougars also have senior right-hander Tim St. Pierre to anchor a pitching rotation that includes juniors Eric Moore Eric Moore is a former Australian rules football player who played in the VFL between 1966 and 1972 for the Richmond Football Club and then from mid-1972 until mid-1973 for the South Melbourne Football Club.  and Adam Geery.

``We've got great pitching and good defense,'' Alvarado said. ``I think this team's gonna be better than last year.''

The same can be said for Chatsworth, which beat Kennedy during the winter.

The Chancellors return their top three pitchers, including junior left-hander Joe Guntz, who emerged as one of the region's best last season when he went 11-0 with a 2.94 ERA. Senior left-hander Sean Richards Sean Richards was a fictional character in the US soap opera Sunset Beach, portrayed by American actor Randy Spelling during the show's entire run. Character History
The Beginning
 is the most experienced member of the staff. Justin Cassel was used primarily as a reliever after being called up from the junior varsity junior varsity
n. Abbr. JV
A high-school or college team that competes in interschool sports on the level below varsity.

Noun 1.
 in midseason last year, but the hard-throwing sophomore is expected to challenge for a spot in the starting rotation, as could freshman Jason Dominguez, brother of senior catcher Danny Dominguez.

``We should be very experienced on the hill,'' Meusborn said.

The Chancellors graduated All-City shortstop Matt Fisher, but have junior Ryan Barba moving over from third base to fill the void in a defense that should remain strong with Gregg Wallis back at second base and returning starters Brian Lee For other uses, see Brian Lee (disambiguation)

Brian Harris (born November 26, 1966) is an American professional wrestler who wrestled the majority of his career under the ring name Brian Lee.
 and Jared Halpert in the outfield.

To defend its West Valley title, Chatsworth must overcome some of the area's toughest teams.

Birmingham of Van Nuys starts four sophomores and a freshman but is capable of competing with the City's elite. Senior left-hander Neil Morrow and sophomore Rosalio Garcia return as the Patriots' top pitchers. All-City junior catcher Jose Carrillo, who has 82 hits in the past two seasons, leads a productive offense.

El Camino Real El Camino Real (Spanish for The Royal Road or The King's Highway) was the name of a series of pre-automobile highways linking the various New World colonies of Spain:
  • There is an El Camino Real in California; see: El Camino Real (California).
 of Woodland Hills can never be counted out and has its ace junior Greg Acheatel leading the returnees from last year's City finalists.

Granada Hills has one of the area's best fielders and consistent hitters in junior shortstop Ryan Braun
This article is about the Brewers' third baseman. For the Royals' pitcher, see Ryan Braun (baseball pitcher).


Ryan Joseph Braun, nicknamed The Hebrew Hammer
. If the rest of the Highlanders' lineup has improved as much as expected, Granada Hills could also be a contender.

``I think the other teams are all gonna be tough,'' Meusborn said. ``Our league has improved. You've gotta show up to play. If you just show up expecting to win, you're going to be embarrassed.''

Other local City teams to watch include Poly of Sun Valley, Grant of Van Nuys, North Hollywood, Sylmar and San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina
San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area.
.

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo: Greg Wallis of Chatsworth figures to be one of the area's leading second basemen second baseman
n. Baseball
The infielder who is positioned near and to the first-base side of second base.

Noun 1. second baseman - (baseball) the person who plays second base
second sacker
 this season.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer
COPYRIGHT 2001 Daily News
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2001, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Article Details
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Title Annotation:Sports
Publication:Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)
Date:Feb 21, 2001
Words:697
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