33rd times a charm

Jerry Bartow, Southwestern College's harbinger of the spring, is a quote machine worthy of Yogi Berra. He has a new one,

"Thirty-third time is a charm."

He may be right.

After losing in the state championship game last year, the planets may be aligning up for Bartow in his 33rd year at SWC. Most of his key players are returning after their 22-win Pacific Coast Conference season.

SWC's most notable returnee may be Bartow himself. An ageless legend on California baseball diamonds, Bartow has had flickering thoughts of retirement, but has successfully banished them for at least one more spring and one more quest for a state championship.

"I've been here a long time," he said. "It would be hard to give it up."

With a great nucleus of players returning including all-state infielder Adrian Bringas and leading hitter, infielder Edgar Molina, coach Bartow has many reasons to stay.

Bringas hit .333 last season and was the leading run producer with 61 RBI. He has signed a letter of intent for SDSU.

Molina led the team with a .352 average and was spectacular in the field. He owned the highest fielding percentage on the team at .992, committing only four errors out of 478 chances.

Bartow and Coach Jay Martel expressed confidence in the team, but are aware how difficult it is to repeat that kind of success at the community college level where players are here for two seasons. The team has 14 freshmen on a roster of 35.

Baseball is as American as Gettysburg and as unpredictable as a pair of dice. Martel said a successful season depends on talent, practice and a degree of luck.

"Will you get the right bounce?" Martel asked. "Will the freshmen react the way you want in a certain situation? Is your team going to stay healthy? So you never know."

Bartow is SWC's Mr. Baseball, but seems to know it takes a village to raise a baseball team. He gives praise to his coaching and training staff, who he said is the best in the state. SWC's gardening crew gives the players a pristine field. The trainers, coaches and grounds crew give the players all the benefits and opportunities to stay in great condition.

After finishing second in the state the team knows they have targets on their backs. Being at the top of the standings has its perks as well as pitfalls.

"When everyone is telling you that you are good it gives you the confidence to play well," said Bringas.

That means facing their opponent's ace pitcher early in the season, when pitchers are usually dominant as batters get their timing down. It also means a great window for recruiting. Two players are from out of state, catcher Taylor Comford (Tennessee) and infielder Jimmy Gilliland (Indiana). Incoming freshmen such as pitcher Cody Petersen, also a quarterback at SWC, will be a valuable asset on the mound along with sophomore Lucas Sanford, a returning starter with a record of 7-1 and a 3.73 ERA. Returning sophomores, infielder Casey Cartier, infielder Robert Lang and outfielder Jared Jordan provide a leadership and mentoring role for incoming freshmen, in addition to covering key spots in the Jaguar lineup.

Bartow said he could not ask for a better location.

"We are hidden out of the way. Not everyone knows where we are," he said. "I'd like it to stay that way."

Oops, too late. After a trip to the finals, SWC is on the map.