Speed kills. Team speed that is. The 2013 De Anza College Dons baseball team will rely heavily on their team speed on the base paths and in the field.
Two all-league position players are returning to a promising lineup, anchoring the Dons lineup at the outset of this season.
Cory Kingston, a stalwart in centerfield, sets the tone at the top of the lineup with his blazing speed and ability to get on base.
Chris Gallegos returns to first base, hitting clean up. He’s expected to provide major thump in the middle of a lineup that overall lacks power.
Head coach Scott Hertler said he believes his team’s two greatest strengths are its overall speed along with the lineup’s ability to generate runs.
The Dons will embrace the art of small ball, emulating an old school National League baseball team. Key aspects of the team are solid pitching, great defense, and the ability to get on base and aggressively run the bases.
At the plate, expect to see the Dons drag bunt for hits, hit and run throughout the lineup and steal bases every opportunity they get.
The starting rotation boasts three solid pitchers: Justin Lomker, Jack Rader, and Lucas Yovanovich. All three have the potential to anchor the rotation and claim the title of staff ace.
Hertler said he sees the starting pitching as one of the team’s main strengths. The expectations are high for his trio.
The squad’s glaring weakness is its bullpen. Closer Gilbert Guerra doubles as the club’s starting left fielder and No. 3 hitter.
Hertler said he believes he will find his middle relievers from a crop of position players. “Guys need to step up; the bullpen needs to step up,” he said.
Considering the Dons will play small ball and expect to routinely find themselves in close, low scoring games, an effective bullpen will be vital to their success.
Using starting position players as late relievers may pose a few problems. It will most likely compromise one of the Dons’ strengths – the team’s overall defense – especially in late innings.
Freshmen Roberto Cuneo (starting catcher) and Nico Estevez (starting second basemen) have caught Hertler’s eye. Both players have tremendous upsides and are expected to play key roles in the Dons’ success, offensively and defensively.
Cuneo has earned the trust of his pitching staff and has shown the aptitude to call his own game, a rarity for a catcher at this level. Estevez is a solid defender at second base and provides a burst of speed at the bottom of the lineup.
De Anza will face a tough schedule. Three playoff spots are up for grabs and with powerhouses Chabot and the College of San Mateo in the division, Hertler said he expects a competitive league.
The Dons’ ultimate goal this season is to win a title. But they know making the playoffs will present a different set of challenges on its own.
Hertler said he believes the team has the tools and the positive attitude necessary to succeed. If the Dons can stay healthy, and start the season strong, they have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs.
The camaraderie on this team is noticeable. Every day one hour before practice starts, the entire team gathers and conditions together. Everyone on the roster is pulling for one another. Hertler said he admires their effort,
“As a coaching staff we really like the team, there is a good gel factor.”
PREPARATION- Players perform warm-up stretches before practice on Jan. 31. (RAJVIR KAUR / LA VOZ WEEKLY)
