Eastside Catholic In Driver's Seat

Take away the entire pitching staff from the best Eastside Catholic baseball team in school history.

Take away six of the Crusaders' seven all-Metro League first-team selections.

Then take a back seat in the league pennant drive if you're another baseball team in the Metro League.

Somewhere between the built-in advantages of being a private Eastside school in a largely Seattle public-school league and the advantage of having 1993 Metro Coach of the Year Frank Papasedero, Eastside Catholic has a baseball program like it never has before - a program that can lose almost every front-line player and start the next year talking about winning some more championships.

"I would say this will be the closest we've ever had (to a state contender) since I've been there," said Papasedero, who has guided the Crusaders to the state tournament both of his first two years at the school, "assuming everything falls into place - and I think it will."

Papasedero bases this on the knowledge that most of the Crusaders have been in his program for three years now, and that the first two years have brought steady progress from a team that fought for a state berth in 1992 to a team that in 1993 breezed to the Metro title, entered state ranked No. 1 and finished with the best record in school history (20-2).

"The only thing I worry about this year is I know they're going to raise the price of hamburgers 50 cents in the cafeteria," Papasedero said. "That's bad to talk that way, but what can I say? We've got a good ballclub.

"We're very fast, have a good defense and excellent hitting. I've got eight or nine kids that can hit the ball out of any park in the city.

"If the pitching holds up, there's no reason in the world we should have any problems."

Despite graduating two starters - both all-Metro first-team picks - the Crusaders return six players with varsity experience who can pitch. Expect two to emerge as regular starters.

Expect one of them, shortstop Ryan Powell, to pick up some short-relief appearances in clutch situations. Powell, a three-time all-Metro first-teamer and 1992 Metro MVP, is the top returning player in the league and might be the top professional prospect in King County.

And expect Eastside Catholic to get the best of a four- or five-team race with O'Dea, Seattle Prep, West Seattle and maybe Hale or Ballard for three Metro state playoff berths.

"The best part of it all is our JV team and freshman team are just great; they're both 4-0," Papasedero said. "When I first came here, only 30 kids turned out. This is the first year we had to cut - the school made me cut. We had 80 turn out (30 had to be cut).

"And the kids are starting to get the philosophy: I don't care how good we play; it's how bad we make them play."

Team capsule

Eastside Catholic

Nickname - Crusaders

1993 record - 13-1 in Metro League (first), 20-2 overall (lost Class AA state opener, 9-7 to Sehome; finished with best record in school history).

Head coach - Frank Papasedero, third year (38-5).

Top returning players - SS/RHP Ryan Powell, sr.; RHP/1B/OF Kevin Stinson, sr.; RHP Ian Callahan, sr.; RHP Chris Grothkopp, sr.; LHP Kevin Brown, sr.; 2B Ben Powell, jr.; 3B/RHP Nate Marti, jr.; OF Jason Eakes, jr.; C Shane O'Connell, jr.; C Jeff Craig, so.; 1B Scott Binder, jr.; OF Gary Janes, sr.; OF Jason D'Ambrosio, jr.; 2B/3B Tyler Treece, jr.

Key newcomers - C Brian Bosch, jr.; OF Casey Harvey, jr.

Outlook - Crusaders graduated six of their seven all-Metro first-team selections from last year, including two pitchers and their catcher. But they return three-time all-Metro shortstop Ryan Powell ('92 league MVP), and '93 Coach of the Year Papasedero calls this his best EC team yet. With three Metro berths to the 16-team state tournament, he'll get his chance to prove it in the playoffs. Team is a favorite to win second straight Metro title.