Teammates to honor player who died in crash

Spencer Patterson

Thursday, June 17, 1999 | 9:53 a.m.

For Chaparral's American Legion baseball, the remainder of the 1999 summer season will be about something far more important than wins and losses.

The Cowboys will dedicate the rest of their games this year to fallen teammate and friend Matt Hansen, a 16-year-old junior-to-be who was killed in a car accident early Monday morning near Needles.

"It's been devastating," said Chaparral Legion coach Zenon Brooks, who held a team meeting on Monday. "Death is not an easy thing to talk about, but the kids have been giving each other support."

The Cowboys have cancelled all three of their games scheduled for this week and are expected to wear patches on their uniforms in Hansen's honor when they return to the field next Monday at Cheyenne.

Hansen, who played his first season of varsity baseball as a Chaparral sophomore last spring, was a pitcher and infielder for the Cowboys.

His brother, Chris, is a senior-to-be who also pitches and plays infield for the team.

Both Brooks and team president Jerry Okuda said Chris Hansen has indicated he plans to continue playing for the team this summer.

"I think he'll dedicate the rest of the season to his brother," Okuda said.

Added Brooks: "I told Chris it will be a hard week for him, but he needs to pick up the pieces slowly. He said he definitely wants to get back to playing baseball."

Chaparral has a 6-6 record (4-6 division). Its postponed games with Las Vegas, Western and Valley have yet to be rescheduled.

* WILDCAT INJURED: On Monday, Las Vegas High's Legion club lost a player to injury, also in a car accident.

Junior-to-be Aleix Sanjujo, a pitcher/outfielder, fractured a bone in his back when his car veered into the median on I-15. Sanjujo was on his way back from California, where he was visiting his girlfriend.

Las Vegas coach Izzy DiMaria said Sanjujo is in stable condition and could return to the team this summer.

"The kids were upset when I told them, but then they heard about (Matt Hansen) and that made our situation look like nothing," DiMaria said. "I just feel so bad for the Hansen family. It really hit me hard."

* SKYHAWKS STAY PERFECT: Silverado continued its torrid start this summer, extending its record to 17-0 through Wednesday's games.

The Skyhawk bats have been primarily responsible for the success, producing at least eight runs in each of the last six games. Most of those recent wins have come against top area foes, including Green Valley (8-4), Chaparral (8-6) and Cheyenne (8-5).

* FIRST-YEAR STRUGGLES: The transition to varsity American Legion play hasn't been kind to this summer's five new clubs, as Clark, Foothill, Mojave, Moapa Valley and Centennial have combined for a 7-50 overall record (.122 winning percentage). Aside from Clark, which returned to the Legion scene after a one-year absence, 1999 marks the varsity Legion debut of the other four new clubs.

* LOOKING AHEAD: League leaders Durango and Silverado will spend the weekend in out-of-state tournaments (the Trailblazers are in Pueblo, Colo., and the Skyhawks are in Prescott, Ariz.), but there are several intriguing matchups in town. Highlighting the schedule: a Saturday game between Las Vegas and Green Valley at Eldorado at 8 p.m. and a Wednesday tilt between Cheyenne and host Palo Verde at 5 p.m.