HEAVY HITTERS : JR. OLYMPICS TEAM PLACES 5TH.

Byline: Kirby Dean Lee Daily News Staff Writer

The Antelope Valley Mariners made the most of their short time together this summer.

Joining forces exclusively for the Junior Olympics, the Amateur Athletic Union age-9-and-under traveling team finished fifth in the 28-team tournament in Sherwood, Ark.

The squad was able to practice only twice before the tournament because of conflicting schedules of the players who competed in different Little Leagues, some as far away as Rancho Cucamonga.

But the Mariners came together quickly in Arkansas, outscoring their opponents 90-14 and winning their first seven games before suffering a 2-1 defeat to the Memphis Tigers in the quarterfinals.

``I was kind of nervous because we only had two practices,'' said pitcher Moses Garcia. ``We did not really get used to playing together as a team until the second game. It was like playing with strangers.''

By the conclusion of the tournament, held July 26-Aug. 3, Garcia and teammate Ryan Babineau had made a name for themselves, earning a place on the all-tournament team for the Mariners, who finished with the tournament's best win-loss record at 8-1.

Garcia, who batted .560, was one of only two players to hit a home run out of the ballpark in the tournament. He also had four doubles, two triples, 15 runs batted in and 16 runs scored, as well as combining with Kyle Eveland on a no-hitter.

Babineau was also a force on the mound and at the plate. He hit .476, compiling an on-base percentage of .783, and teamed with Eddie Reyes on a one-hitter.

Behind the plate, the Mariners received steady play from catcher Cody Dee, who did not allow a runner to steal a base in the tournament. Other team members included Nathaniel Forte, Selwyn Young, Milt Davis Jr., Kyle Hogan, Corey Neave, Tim Sabadin, Jarrod Sammet and Chuck Blechen.

``I knew we had a pretty good team and I thought we were going to finish in the top five,'' Babineau said. ``If we practiced a little more to get used to playing together, we would have been a little more ready.''

Practice was the least of manager Jim Blechen's concerns. Only weeks before the tournament, Blechen was scrambling to raise money to help offset the $20,000 to send players, coaches and parents to Arkansas.

The Mariners, the only team in the tournament west of Utah, collected aluminum cans and held a carwash and bowl-a-thon to help finance the trip. Lancaster orthodontist Michael Theurer and attorney Rebecca Ortiz of Palmdale helped with $250 donations. Johnson Ford of Antelope Valley, Belles' Day Care of Lancaster and Ralphs supermarket also made contributions.

``We had some quality kids coming together,'' Blechen said. ``We did not have time for practice. I felt that our talent would carry us through. The timing on defense was what would make or break us.''

The Mariners posted shutouts in four games after squeaking by the Lake View Vikings (Louisiana) 2-1 to begin pool play. They beat the Sylvan Hills Rangers (Arkansas) 10-0 in a game called after four innings by the mercy rule, followed by victories over the Red Raiders (Florida) and Quad City Hitmen (Illinois) by scores of 7-0 and 17-2 to advance to the championship bracket as the top team from their pool.

The team shut out the Littlerock Junior Deputies 10-0 and then scored 43 runs in their next two games, posting a 20-9 victory against the Central Arkansas Stars and blanking the Arkansas Diamonds 23-0, to reach the quarterfinals.

The Mariners' showing has prompted Blechen to start making plans for next year. In September, he wants to begin recruiting players by scouting area Little Leagues as well as tryouts and passing out fliers at shopping centers. ``I really thought we had the best team out there this year,'' Blechen said. ``We want to make sure we get an early start.''

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Photo: Members of the Antelope Valley Mariners age-9-and-un der team include, from left, Corey Neave, Kyle Eveland, Eddie Reyes, Cody Dee, Moses Garcia, coach Nathan Forte, Tim Sabadin, Nathaniel Forte, Chuck Blechen and Kyle Hogan.

Jeff Goldwater/Daily News