California coach hopes Trojans can find way out of rut
CALIFORNIA – Most people don’t like to be caught in the middle of any place or situation, but Don Hartman wouldn’t mind using that spot as a jumping off point this year. Hartman, starting his 13th season at California High – sixth as head coach – especially wants to get away from one “jinx” that bothered his Trojans a year ago.
He said, “In 2001, we won our section and the WPIAL title. Last year we finished 4-9 overall, including 3-5 in our section, and of our nine losses, six of them were in extra innings.
“Everything that was good the year before went bad for us last year. I just hope this time around we can meet somewhere in the middle of all that and go from there.”
Assistants working with Hartman to help the Trojans “go from there” include Gary Riley, Dave Safin and Shaun Rice, the latter a pitcher on the WPIAL championship team two years ago who is now enrolled at California University of Pa.
As a start, they have to replace four seniors lost from last year’s team, three of whom are attending college – first baseman Mike Hollowood and left fielder Don Higinbotham are at California University of Pa., and pitcher-infielder Matt Morich is at Penn State-Beaver.
Hartman said, “Second baseman Mike Miske joined the Marine Corps and is now in Kuwait. I just pray he comes back healthy.”
The Trojans have 10 lettermen returning – seniors Mark Shallenberger (IF), Shane Tonkavich (LF-P) and Dan Yurkovich (1B-OF), juniors Dan DeMoss (1B), Rob Galis (C), Jason Dayner (2B), Parker Bongiorno (CF) and Bryan Dunn (P-SS) and sophomores Andy Galis (P-OF), and Chris Cox (P-1B).
Completing the roster are:
Sophomores – Terry Luko (2B), Steve Dixon (OF), Alex Dean (C), Tom Anielewski (2B), Sean King (3B) and Dustin Taylor (P-IF).
Freshmen – Jason Britton (P-utility man), Marshall Fife (OF), Matt Porter (2B) and Andrew Dunlevy (C-IF).
A bright spot for California is “the experience we have with 10 returning lettermen, many of whom are three-sport players. Shallenberger, Yurkovich and Tonkavich will earn their fourth baseball letter this year.
“Most of our returnees have also been in 20 playoff games during their careers, involving WPIAL and state games, so they know what playoff action is all about. They have experience in big games. Also, eight or nine of our players were on the basketball team that advanced to the state quarterfinals, so they also know what big games are in that respect.
“Pitching could be a strong point for us. We have six who can throw, who can be effective, and now that we have a new section alignment and will be playing only eight games, if you have one or two pitchers you can get by.
“We are in Section 7-A with Geibel, Frazier, Bentworth and Beth-Center. The WPIAL moved Monessen out and Beth-Center in to replace them, but we are still left with only eight games and that is not enough of a section schedule.”
Right at the moment, the Trojans are a few days behind in their workout schedule because “we just got some players back last weekend after they were finished in the basketball playoffs. But we would have been happy to wait another week for them for that would have meant they got to Hershey. These players know what it takes to get to the playoffs for they have been there and they want to go back, and they are working hard to get there,”
As for the section race, Hartman said, “We have one of the better Class A sections. Almost every year, one of our teams gets to the final four of the playoffs. Bentworth has a great program and should be strong, and Geibel has some good players returning. Frazier always has scrappy kids who always give us a battle, and while they are young this year, they can also be good. And Frank Prior always has a good program at Beth-Center.
“I feel that any one of our five teams can win, and the first two games are going to be pivotal, since there are only eight to play. There are no weak teams in this section.”
For the Trojans to come out on top, they “have to make the routine, fundamental plays, the pitchers have to throw strikes and the hitters have to get the clutch hits. And around all that, we have to play good defense. There will be no room on the field for teams to make mistakes in this section.”
The exhibition schedule (4 p.m. unless noted):
March 21, Avella (4:15); March 25, Charleroi (4:15); April 17, at Jefferson-Morgan; May 5, at Chartiers-Houston; May 7, Jefferson-Morgan (4 p.m. at Falconi Field, Washington); and May 8, at Avella.
Section games (4 p.m. unless noted):
April 5, Bentworth (1 p.m.); April 8, at Frazier; April 10, Geibel (4:15); April 15, at Beth-Center (6 p.m.); April 22, at Bentworth; April 24, Frazier (4:15); April 19, at Geibel; May 1, Beth-Center (4:15).