The 12th annual Point Loma High School (PLHS) alumni baseball game will take to the field Saturday, Feb. 20 at Dana Middle School. “The alumni game is a great way to kick off the season and helps our players understand that the program is bigger than just this year’s team,” said PLHS head baseball coach Jon Posternack. The first pitch is at 1 p.m. but the alumni and players will be in the batting cages as early as 11:30 a.m. “Last year we had [former PLHS alum and former San Diego Padres pitcher] David Wells from the 1982 CIF championship team play in the alumni game,” Posternack said. “He pitched to our kids for three innings. It was a great opportunity for our players to play with someone who made it to the majors. The atmosphere for the alumni game is very loose and relaxed. We have a great time.” The game was organized 12 years ago by Point Loma alums Steve Vargas and Tommy Evans, both members of the 1973 CIF championship squad. “The alumni game started when a buddy of mine, Tommy Evans, and I were talking after softball one night about bringing back the guys from the 1973 CIF team to play against the current team,” Vargas said. “We called Jeff Hill, who was the baseball coach at that time, and he liked the idea.” About three-quarters of the 1973 team participated in the inaugural alumni game. Some of them came from as far as Texas to play in the game. Vargas recalls that the game ended up in a tie. “We were winning after 7 innings so Coach Hill suggested that we go 9 innings and that’s how it ended up in a tie,” Vargas said. The younger set of Pointers are coming off a mediocre 2008 season in the highly competitive Western League. PLHA ended the season at .500 in the Western League at 6-6 and the same percentage overall at 13-13. “Last year we didn’t have quite enough, but we are going to try and turn the corner this year,” Posternack said. Point Loma finished the 2007 season at 17-15. The alumni game represents Point Loma baseball’s tradition of success, including CIF championships in 1973 and 1982. Past PLHS squads have sent their share of players to the professional ranks, including Wells and Don Larsen. Larsen played in the majors from 1953 to 1967, won two World Series championships in 1956 and 1958 and pitched a perfect game in the 1956 World Series. Wells played from 1987 to 2007, including time with the Padres. He also won two World Series titles in 1992 and 1998 and pitched a perfect game in 1998. Other Pointers who made it to the major leagues were Rigo Beltran and Cecil Espy. Alumni who advanced to the minor leagues are Craig Settles, Rod Lindsey, Randy Clark, Thomas Fuller, Steve Grimes, Rantie Harper and Edwin Hook. Dave Camara of the 1982 CIF championship team has also assisted Vargas in bringing back the alumni. “The guys from the 1973 team are in their early 50s now, so we are hoping the younger guys like Dave in their 30s and 40s will take over the reins from us,” Vargas said. “My son is at Point Loma High and if he makes varsity next year I would like to play in the game for one more year.”