Hollister’s Haybaler nine hope to have a new vigor going into
the new season when they added not only a new coach, but one with
20 years of experience.
Hollister – Hollister’s Haybaler nine hope to have a new vigor going into the new season when they added not only a new coach, but one with 20 years of experience.
Michael Luna, former Gilroy coach, has now assumed the helm as skipper for the San Benito squad. He is confident his team will be contenders in the coming season and says he has the talent to back it up.
“There is a passion about them, that I think comes from an only one high school in town,” Luna said. “Chemistry so under rated, I think advantage goes to the one high school town. Teams like that have a chemistry you don’t see in others.”
Luna said his boys are working extremely hard each time they come out to practice.
“These guys don’t want to leave the field, which is something every coach wants to see,” Luna said. “If there were lights on the field, they would be out there couple more hours working on making themselves better.”
Based on intersquad play, Luna said his team is really strong defensively and in pitching.
“If got those two things working, we’ll be in every ball game,” Luna said.
Right now, Luna said he has two really good pitchers: Senior Jason Simms, a 6-7 left-handed pitcher, and junior Breyon Canez, a 6-4 right handed pitcher.
Simms, according to Luna, signed with Sonoma State University in November.
Luna has one other left-handed prospect, senior Brian Rossi, but he went on the disabled list in November following elbow surgery to have cartilage removed. He expected to have Rossi by mid-March.
“He has been doing some light throwing now,” Luna said. “We hope by the end of February he will do some bull pen work and by mid-March he’ll get in some games. Haven’t seen pitch, but I’ve heard good things about him.”
Rounding out the pitching rotation are seniors Kris Bittner and Chris Etheridge with juniors Doug Conte, Ryan McFall and Scott Mead. All five played on the junior varsity squad last year.
Luna said they all have pitched extremely well in their scrimmage games, but the real test will come when they take the mound against varsity squads.
Offensively, the Balers are still looking to get their bats going, but Luna said that is to be expected.
The starting line up is still being worked out, with a few slots still being decided.
For the most part, Luna said he has decided where people will play, but several players have done exceptionally well at the same position which has made his decision hard.
At second base, Drew Quitana is battling pitcher Mead for the spot.
Senior Karson Klauer will more than likely be moved over to third from short stop where he played last year. Filling the position is slated to be Geno Fata who, according to Luna, is exceptional at the position.
Luna will have his first chance to see what his team can do when they face Monte Vista Saturday in their first scrimmage.
It will immediately be followed Monday and Tuesday against Monterey in the Pacific Grove tournament. The Balers will face Monterey both at home and away under the tournament structure.
Monterey, said Luna, is a very good team. They have two ace pitchers including Joey Parigi who he said is one of the top three pitchers in the area, if not the best.
The Balers could also potentially face teams that played in the CCS championships, including Burlingame that won the division II title last year.
Looking forward at the season, Luna expects Gilroy and Live Oak to pose the biggest challenges.
“Live Oak and Gilroy will be awfully good,” Luna admitted. “I know Mark Cummins (the Acorn head coach) and Clint Wheeler (‘Stang head coach) and they both are great coaches.”
Luna said he knows less about Palma (who took the TCAL title last year), but he said if they play like they do in football and basketball, they will be tough.
But for all the tough clubs Hollister will face, Luna said his team will come out fighting and expecting to win.
“Other teams will know that we will be well coached, we will not beat ourselves, we are going to play catch and we are going to run bases extremely well,” Luna said. “My players believe they will always have an edge because what myself and the assistant coaches are teaching them.”
Along with being the former Mustang head coach (which was his first high school coaching assignment), Luna also boasts a career that took him to Overfelt High School, West Valley College and Leigh High School.
During his five-year tenure at Leigh, Luna took his boys to the playoffs every year and in 2000, won the Central Coast Conference title.
