by Chris Peterson
Staff Writer
Call it a good omen. Call it a fluke. Whatever its title, new La Verne baseball head coach Bobby Lee’s dugout speech before a pre-season practice this January was an inspiration to his team.
“I was telling my players about the way geese fly in a ‘V’ formation. There’s always one in the front, doing the dirty work, while the rest are in rank, honking and hollering at the lead goose. When the lead goose gets tired, he peels off and another one takes over,” said Lee.
“Just then, a flock of geese comes flying overhead, making a big racket. The team looked up in disbelief. I think they thought I planned it.”
This analogy for teamwork is what coach Lee is sticking with. In his first season as La Verne’s head coach, he is hoping to make a huge impact.
Lee, an Eastern Washington University alumnus, finished a successful five-year coaching tenure at Azusa Pacific University before signing with ULV.
Lee, aside from coaching, teaches Motor Development, Fitness For Life, and Curriculum and Organization in the spring.
While the Leopards are looking to improve on a losing record last year, all eyes seem to be on coach Lee and his squad. Some might expect that a great deal of pressure would be felt by a new coach; Lee sees otherwise.
“No pressure they put on me can be greater than the pressure I can put on myself,” he said.
This competitive attitude could definitely serve as fuel for this year’s group of sluggers.
Although Lee tries to instill a competitive attitude in his players, he still realizes the complexity of a coach/player relationship. “I would never ask my players to do something that I wouldn’t do myself.”
Along with a new coach this season, ULV’s sluggers are joined by a flood of new players, freshmen and transfers alike. Of the 23 players listed on the ’99 roster, 18 are new to ULV.
Returning players for ULV include: senior pitcher Matt Johnson, senior infielder David Riffle, senior designated hitter/first baseman Kris Jensen, junior outfielder Garren Injijian and junior outfielder Andrew Woolsey.
Needless to say, the Leopards will look to these players, along with strong newcomers such as junior outfielder Trek Davis, junior shortstop Corey Rooper, senior first baseman Russel Riehl, and an almost entirely new pitching staff for leadership throughout the season.
Coach Lee stresses the importance of performing well in doubleheaders this season.
“Saturdays are really important for us,” said Lee.
The Leopards will compete in a total of 11 double headers this season, all of which are played on Saturdays.
The first of these double headers came last Saturday at La Verne’s own Ben Hines Field against Redlands. ULV came back from an 8-8 tie the previous night in Redlands and finished the contest before the doubleheader with a 9-8, 10 inning win. They then beat the Bulldogs 19-10 in the Saturday opener.
La Verne boasted a .432 team batting average on 16 hits and a blowout fourth inning in which La Verne scored nine runs to Redlands’ zero.
For La Verne, Riehl busted out with a grand slam and a double for two runs and six RBI; Rooper went three for four with one run and four RBI; Davis batted three for three with one run and three RBI; and Injijian contributed with a home run and a double for a 1.000 batting average and one run with two RBI. Getting his first win of the season was Ruben Del Castillo on five innings pitched.
All in all, La Verne controlled every aspect of the game and rolled into game two of the doubleheader with a 2-1 record.
La Verne then dropped game two 7-6, despite strong performances by Rooper and Davis and a rally in the bottom of the ninth that fell just short.
The Leopards faced off against Chapman University on Tuesday at Chapman. La Verne lost the game 6-3. Russel Riehl went 3-for-4 with one run.
Chris Peterson
