SO INCLINED CAMARILLO COACH HAS CHANCE FOR REDEMPTION AS HE LEADS ALMA MATER TO SHOT AT SECTION CHAMPIONSHIP.

Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer

CAMARILLO - Scott Cline fielded a routine grounder in the top of the sixth inning in a game his team was winning. But his throw to first base was wild and allowed the tying run to score. The winning run soon followed.

Seventeen years have passed since Cline made the error that led to a one-run loss in the Camarillo High baseball team's first Southern Section final, but Cline recounts the play as if it had just happened.

``It was a tough loss,'' said Cline, who was on deck when the game ended. ``It's hard to forget.''

In a classic story of redemption, however, Cline has the opportunity to erase that painful memory tonight when the top-seeded Scorpions face No. 2 Lakewood for the Division I championship at Edison Field.

Since returning to his alma matter as a coach, Cline has established the Scorpions as one of the region's premier programs. This year's team is the most successful in Cline's eight- year career, and it is the first to play for a Southern Section title since Cline did so as a senior in 1985.

``The last couple years we've had these expectations,'' Scorpions senior shortstop Brad Boyer said. ``To get here, it's amazing.''

Camarillo did not qualify for the playoffs from the time Cline graduated as a player to the time he returned as a coach, but he's fostered an environment of lofty expectations.

His teams have won four consecutive league titles and at least 20 games seven years in a row. This year, the Scorpions (29-4), who moved into USA Today's national rankings last week at No. 21, established the Ventura County single-season record for victories. Numerous individual records also have been shattered, and star junior Delmon Young is far from the only one doing the damage.

Travis Sutton (13-0), tonight's starting pitcher, has the team record for victories in a season; Arizona-bound Boyer has the county record for runs (59); catcher Justin Frash set the county mark for doubles (18) in a season. Young's numerous records include the county marks for home runs (17) and hits (64) in a season and the school season record for RBI (54).

The Scorpions have been breeding top-notch talent for years. Six players from the 1996 team eventually were drafted. The supply of winners doesn't appear to be ending soon as Camarillo's junior varsity was 20-1 this year.

``The 20 wins, that's nothing now,'' Young said. ``We're almost to 30 this year, we just need one more. Twenty wins is easy. Winning CIF is the hard part. We're pretty confident we can do it.''

Cline is more humble. He is quick to give credit for the program's success to the players and his assistants rather than himself. He points out that solid local youth leagues provide a good foundation and many of his players are baseball addicts who spend hours at the batting cages or having their dads hit them ground balls.

``Good players breed good players,'' Cline said. ``When they're in seventh, eighth grade they come and see these players. They see Delmon Young, Joe Borchard, the (Nathan) Kaups, (Jay) Caligiuries, (Jeff) Bannons, (Joe) Yinglings and those guys. They want to be a part of that. It shows them how hard they have to work. It's pretty amazing how hard these guys work. What they do during the few hours I have them is only a small part of it.''

Getting the players involved early is key. Cline welcomes players to participate in the American Legion program before they start high school. He makes sure the lower-level players associate with the varsity.

``These guys, when they're freshmen, I make them shag for varsity,'' Cline said. ``They'll be in the outfield and see six guys going over the fence. When they see what we do on varsity, it motivates them.

``As a freshman, that's intimidating. You come in thinking you're pretty good, then you see these guys crushing the ball and you realize you've got a long way to go and how hard you need to work.''

The young players often are given a chance to prove themselves on varsity. The confidence exhibited by their coach is appreciated.

``The thing that made it really easy was he just let you play,'' said Young, who has started since he was a freshman surrounded by multiple sophomore starters. ``He kept us in there. Whether you go 0 for 3 or have a big game, you don't have to worry about whether you'll be in there the next game. When he just let's you play, there's no pressure.''

The Scorpions stave off jitters with a fun-loving approach. Even today, they plan to spend the bus ride to Anaheim joking around instead of thinking about the game. Cline is the one person they say has been off limits so far for pranks - he threatened to make them run all practice when he found out they were thinking of toilet-papering his house - but he's joked more with the players this season. He makes sure they stay loose and enjoy their accomplishments.

Cline knows how quickly the glory can end. He batted .313 with 25 home runs and 130 RBI in four years as a starting infielder at UCLA. He was good enough to be selected in the professional draft, but his career was cut short by injury.

``Scotty was an outstanding competitor,'' Bruins coach Gary Adams recalled. ``He was a clutch performer. He was kind of smitten by injuries late in his career, but he was one of our better players.

``If he was healthy, I think he would have gone on and played a high caliber of baseball.''

Those who knew Cline as a player aren't surprised by his success as a coach.

``One thing I'll always remember about him is he hated to lose,'' said Dodgers first baseman Eric Karros, who was a UCLA teammate of Cline's for three years. ``That's why he was so good as a player and one of the reason's he's a successful coach.

``He's very competitive, one of the most competitive guys I've ever been around. The one thing you can't teach is drive and determination and that's something he definitely has.''

Cline's competitiveness is evident even in practice, as he and his assistants sometimes try to show up the players by taking their own turn in the batting cages. Cline, whose teams have been known for their offensive potential, said the players usually just laugh.

The Scorpions don't laugh when it comes to respecting their coach's word, though. They know his background as a player. They also saw him give up his duties as offensive coordinator for the football team to devote more time to baseball this year.

DIVISION I

CAMARILLO vs. LAKEWOOD

7:30 p.m.

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

Scott Cline has helped establish Camarillo High as one the area's best programs. The Camarillo grad now goes for a section title.

Phil McCarten/Staff Photographer