Point Loma’s Pointers won a Western League baseball championship last year with timely hitting, strong pitching, and power. But can they repeat? Head coach Jeff Solis knows it is possible if his new position players execute both in the field and at the plate.
Gone are such mainstays as shortstop Duce Gourson (to UCLA) who hit 8 home runs, 13 doubles, and 3 triples while batting .426 and driving in 29 runs, and pitcher Hunter Hargett (to SDSU) who compiled a 2.84 ERA as he struck out 65 batters over 49.1 innings.
But Solis has found ways to win during his three seasons at the helm of Pointer baseball where he has posted a record of 50-21-2, a winning percentage of .704.
This year’s pitching staff has impressed Solis with its work ethic during off-season workouts and winter league games.
“We have a really good group of pitchers this year and they’ve worked hard to make themselves better and get where they are,” Solis said as his team played an intra-squad game at David Wells Field last week. “They’re really talented and our new pitching coach, Mark Seyler (SDSU alum), is really the foundation of that staff. He’s got them pitching and playing really well right now.”
Leading that group is righthander Duke Ekstrom, a junior who has committed to Vanderbilt University but is also drawing attention from professional scouts. Ekstrom posted a 2.08 ERA last year and held opponents to a .185 batting average over 33.2 innings. When not on the mound, Ekstrom plays first base.
Returning hurlers who will see action this year are Dominic Nunes (1.81 ERA over 27 innings), Bubba Nunes (no relation, 20 strikeouts in 21.2 innings), and perhaps multi-talented senior Kien Vu, a second-team all-CIF outfielder as a junior. Vu made 11 appearances last year, striking out 28 in 25 innings while walking only nine.
Last year’s Pointers hit 22 home runs and Solis is hoping his newest team can approach that total. So far, that would seem a definite possibility. Through six preseason games, his lineup has produced
6 homers, a pace that would produce 24 plus playoff games. Junior Jordan Otjen and Vu each have hit a pair while Ekstrom and senior Jet Taylor have each slugged one.
But more than power, Solis is hoping for improvement from his hitters.
“We’re going to work on getting better, consistent, and taking a good approach, he said, “but overall they’re swinging pretty well. We’ve really worked hard to get the players to think ‘opposite-field,’ but if you’re trying to hit line drives the home runs will come.”
Leading those hitters is Vu, an ASU commit and an outgoing and spirited player whose .284 batting average last year included 6 doubles, a triple, and 6 home runs.
“He’s one of our team captains and has a natural ability to lead. But he’s a really good player and person. All the players respect him and look up to him,” Solis noted.
As defending Western League champs, Solis knows other teams in the county’s toughest league will be gunning for his Pointers.
“We’ve got targets on our backs and we’re aware of it,” Solis said. “Every other team is solid and very well-coached so we’ll have to play top-notch baseball to win this league again.”
Solis has a group of assistants that “each brings value to our team,” he said. They allow for smaller groups in practice “with nobody standing around.” In addition to Seyler, they include Jo Jo Storniolo II, Mike Delgado, Kyle Harvey, Darrel Klueber, Tom Vaughn, and Tim Ekstrom.
Barrett Frost, another former SDSU player, is JV head coach while local Little League veteran coach Scott Sheridan takes the reins of the freshman team.
