They comprised one of the finest collection of team players in
Live Oak High baseball history, according to those who knew them
then and remember them now. None of them were considered
superstars
– standouts like Brandon Villafuerte and Neal Andrade had
already graduated – but that was the key to their success. Their
fans remember that they truly played for the team as a team. And,
19th-year Acorn baseball coach Mark Cummins calls them one of the
best teams in the history of the program.
They were the players on the 1995 Live Oak baseball team, which
won a Monterey Bay League title and advanced to the Central Coast
Section quarterfinals before finishing their season. On Saturday,
many of those players will be on hand at Live Oak’s eighth annual
Alumni Baseball Game to mark a dec
ade since that celebrated season.
They comprised one of the finest collection of team players in Live Oak High baseball history, according to those who knew them then and remember them now. None of them were considered superstars – standouts like Brandon Villafuerte and Neal Andrade had already graduated – but that was the key to their success. Their fans remember that they truly played for the team as a team. And, 19th-year Acorn baseball coach Mark Cummins calls them one of the best teams in the history of the program.
They were the players on the 1995 Live Oak baseball team, which won a Monterey Bay League title and advanced to the Central Coast Section quarterfinals before finishing their season.
On Saturday, many of those players will be on hand at Live Oak’s eighth annual Alumni Baseball Game to mark a decade since that celebrated season.
Saturday’s Alumni Game is set for 1pm, following the intramural contest between the Acorn JV and freshman teams. Admission is free but t-shirts will be on sale and the concession stand will be open.
The annual event is part of a two-day event that begins with the Live Oak baseball program’s Golf Tournament fundraiser on Friday at the Gilroy Golf Course. The golf tourney will serve as the Acorn baseball program’s most important fundraiser of the year. The cost is $80 per person, and includes greens fees, cart, barbecue dinner and more. Registration begins at 11:30am and shotgun start is set for 1pm.
According to Alumni coach Jim Crossen, the 1995 players have been some of the most reliable attendees for the annual alumni game, and not just because Crossen’s son Daniel was a key contributor on the squad.
Truth be told, Crossen said, most of the players on that team were pretty close friends and many still are. They still hang out and make regular trips to Arizona for Spring Training.
Among the score or so alumni expected to show up this weekend for the game include the 1995 team’s top three hurlers, Mike Alciati, Kevin Henley and Joel Sanders. Alciati (San Jose State) and Henley (Santa Clara) went on to play college ball.
Other players from that year’s squad include Daniel Crossen, Benji Sanchez, Mike Christman, Ryan Smith, Jeff Schirle, Michael Sarich, Kris Ferguson, and Jeff Becknall.
Some of those players are part of one of the hallmarks of the annual Alumni Game – the family connection.
Alciati’s dad, Al (1967 grad), and brother Jon (’93) are regular players. Christman’s younger brother Shane is the current Acorn varsity’s starting third baseman. Sarich’s brothers Jason (’94) and Steven (’00) also show up regularly. Kris and brother Adam (’98) have been known to go so far as to practice their double-play combination. Sousa’s uncle, MBL referee Manny (’76), looks less like a ballplayer than most but shows up every year and does nothing but hit line drives.
And, there’s Henley’s brother Christopher (’92), who won’t be there in person but surely will in spirit. (Chris died unexpectedly of an illness a year after graduating from Live Oak.)
Crossen said he’s hoping for about 30 players, about the same number as last year’s bumper crop.
Fashioning a 30-man batting lineup to allow everyone to bat in the nine-inning contest, Crossen and the alumni won their third straight over the varsity last year.
An eighth inning rally sparked by the Thaw brothers – Bill (’94), and twins Eric and Mark (’98) – led the alumni to an 8-6 victory.
But Crossen said this year’s varsity, with its speedy lineup, will present extraordinary problems for the rusty alums.
“Older players don’t so well against speed,” Crossen said. “My meltdown scenario has (the varsity) bunting like 15 times and we throw the ball down the rightfield line half of those times. I’m expecting it to be a bit of a circus out there.”
Apparently, Crossen expects even more of a circus-like atmosphere than usual alumni contests, which ordinarily feature slipshod alum fielding, makeshift uniforms and out-of-breath baserunners trying unsuccessfully to stretch a double into a triple. Or trying to score from third base on a double off the fence.
Nevertheless, Crossen’s poor-mouthing rings a little hollow considering the alumni’s three-game win streak.
Alumni sandbagging aside, Cummins said the LO varsity wants to end the streak right now.
“We haven’t beaten them in a few years and I know the players would like to finally win,” he said. “It’s a fun game but it’s pretty competitive, too. For the alumni, this is their one shot a year to show what they can still do.”
n On the heels of the annual Alumni Game, Live Oak will serve as a host site for West Coast Classic tournament games next Tuesday. Along with the Acorns and other top Bay Area teams, several elite programs will compete in the highly regarded, week-long tourney. At Live Oak on Tuesday, Bishop O’Dowd of Oakland will play Westlake from Southern California at 10am, followed by Live Oak vs. Reno, Nv. at 1pm. The winners advance to play each other at 4pm.
The tourney, which is sponsored by Archbishop Mitty, will also be held at several sites in San Jose, including PAL Stadium and Mitty.
n Tuesday’s varsity baseball game against Harker has been postponed. No make-up date has been announced.
Jim Johnson is the Morgan Hill Times Sports Editor. He can be reached by calling (408) 779-4106 (ext. 203) or by email at jj******@*************es.com
