Columnist Spencer Patterson: Contenders should emerge after spring break

Spencer Patterson

Thursday, March 25, 1999 | 12:01 p.m.

Spencer Patterson covers prep sports for the Sun. Reach him at 259-4085 or spencer@lasvegassun.com

If the early season is any indication, this year's Class 4A baseball and softball races appear to be more wide open than ever.

With six-time defending state baseball champion Green Valley and traditional area softball power Silverado both down a bit by their lofty standards, a host of other schools sense the opportunity to make their move.

And while we won't know who'll come out on top until late May, the upcoming plethora of spring break tournaments should give locals a chance to separate the contenders from the pretenders.

Chief among the events is the annual Fred Davison softball tournament, a 36-team extravaganza slated to be held at Flamingo West Park next Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday.

Fourteen of Las Vegas' 4A softball teams are entered, including Bonanza, Cimarron, Green Valley, Durango and Basic -- the schools expected to challenge the defending zone champion Skyhawks.

"For us, we'll use it to solidify our lineup," said Silverado coach Chuck Pope, whose team won its bracket in the event the past two years. "We're getting back some injured people, we're getting people back from eligibility issues, so it's time to solidify for the division run."

While most of the top softball squads will square off in the Davison Tournament, the area's baseball powers will split up to play in three separate events.

Local powers Cimarron-Memorial, Green Valley and Silverado will travel to San Diego for the annual Lion's Club Easter Tournament -- a prestigious event that helped the Gators grab national attention last year. Tournament action begins Monday.

Spartans coach Calvin Valvo, whose club has participated in the event four times in the last five years, said his team will use the experience to come together as a unit.

"It's a bonding time," Valvo said. "Those kids are going to be living together for four or five days, and I want our kids to get a sense of becoming closer."

Last year, the Lion's Club event was just what the doctor ordered for Valvo's bunch, as the Spartans lost only one regular season contest after returning from California.

"It was a kickstart for us, and hopefully it happens again," Valvo said.

Meanwhile, Durango will host the sixth annual Adidas Invitational beginning Monday. Along with the Trailblazers, Cheyenne, Las Vegas and Mojave will be among the 16-team field.

Finally, Bishop Gorman will host its ninth annual Gael Easter Classic, a 32-team event featuring the remainder of the area's baseball clubs, along with several top-notch out-of-state programs.

TIDBITS: Chaparral's Kevin Gamett and Green Valley's Cosette Joffs have been selected as the Gatorade Nevada boys and girls soccer players of the year. Gamett, a senior defender, and Joffs, a senior striker, both helped their teams into the playoffs this year. ... Basic senior Jen Redding hurled her first career no-hitter on Tuesday, striking out eight batters in a 6-0 win over Eldorado. Redding joined Mojave freshman Amy Sauer and Silverado senior Tiffany Finateri as the third area player to complete a no-hitter already this softball season. Gorman's senior Ben Fox, Eldorado senior Gary Hee and the Basic duo of freshman Matt Elliott and sophomore Jesse Craig have fired the area's three baseball no-hitters thus far.