The Live Oak Acorns are 0-3 in their first year in the Santa Teresa Division, a step down from the A league level they played at for more than a decade, and first-year manager C.J. Goularte couldn’t be more relaxed.
Aside from dealing with off-the-field errands – who’s working the snack shack today? – and the occasional stress from being the next guy in line after Mark Cummins, Goularte has been in a comfort zone as the new manager of a young team in a new league.
“We’re starting all over,” said the former LOHS assistant coach, whom Cummins handed the program to in May when he stepped down after 25 years as Live Oak’s manager. “Like I told our guys when the season started, this is the 2012 Live Oak Acorns. Nobody can predict anything. Just because we have this great tradition doesn’t mean we’re just going to show up and win games. You still have to work hard, and the guys are doing that. We’re just trying to get better.”
Should Goularte’s group do that, its season could be considered a success. Expectations are low for the Acorns, who are as young as ever with trios of freshmen and sophomores and 12 varsity newcomers. A lack of experience playing together has led to plenty of “young mistakes,” Goularte said, which the old guard has kept in perspective.
“To be honest, I think we’re just getting used to each other,” said pitcher/outfielder Jakob Conlan, one of three seniors on the team. “We’ve got a lot of young guys. I think once we get our nerves down, we’ll lower the errors and start getting some Ws.”
The Acorns (2-5 overall) succeeded at that in the Feb. 21-25 Ted Tamone Memorial Tournament, finishing 2-1 behind solid efforts by sophomore talents Mitch Hickey and John Forestieri, who is recovering well from a broken elbow in his throwing arm. League foes have adjusted well to them, though, in series play.
“We’re exposed a little bit,” Goularte said. “But our guys understand that. They’re a great group of kids. They work hard; they compete; they do their best.”
Hickey, who is set to start today at Oak Grove, is one reason for Goularte and his staff to be excited about the future. The righty (1-1) has an ERA of .44 with 24 strikeouts and has given up four hits and two walks in 16 innings. He has also drive in four runs, second most on the team, and has doubled twice.
“Mitch is really good,” Conlan said. “He’s gonna have a great season. He had a great one last year.”
Forestieri, a second-team all-leaguer, has been the team’s most dependable hitter. He is batting .444 with three RBIs.
“He does a good job swinging the bat,” Goularte said.
Junior utility player Matt Bergantz has been another bright spot, batting .412 with an on-base percentage of .565 – not bad for a rookie. Freshman shortstop Zach Riveron, who moves to second base when Hickey isn’t pitching, has been error-free. His bat is coming around.
“He’s impressed me the most all around,” Conlan said.
Junior infielder Jalen Salazar is expected to play a prominent role after batting .271 with four RBIs as a sophomore.
Defense is Goularte’s chief concern. The Acorns boast a strong, albeit top-heavy rotation, led by the lefty Conlan, a third-year starter, and Hickey. But when Conlan is on the mound, the outfield is entirely new with juniors Ben Nuno and Aaron Armijo, and sophomore Kyle Quadros, who is also developing as a pitcher.
“All that youth’s going to come back and bite you every now and the,” Goularte said, “but I feel comfortable with that. Mark did such a good job of giving me situations to make decisions the past few years. I don’t feel like there’s anything that’s too much.”
