Columnist Spencer Patterson: Two more local players ink with Div. I schools

Spencer Patterson

Thursday, April 6, 2000 | 9:31 a.m.

Spencer Patterson's prep notebook appears Thursday. Reach him at spencer@lasvegassun.com or 259-4085.

This year's stellar local football signing class may have come as a surprise to longtime area prep fans. But the baseball class of 2000 certainly shouldn't.

Southern Nevada has long been a hotbed for talented baseball prospects, with dozens of local athletes joining the collegiate and professional ranks in recent years.

Still, if Division I signings are any indication, this year's crop has the potential to go down as one of the best. Already, 12 area seniors have accepted full scholarships to four-year schools, not to mention four others who have signed with two-year CCSN.

This week, two of those local standouts -- Green Valley's Billy Schmitt and Bishop Gorman's Brandon Boesch -- are making their college choices official.

Schmitt, a two-year starter at third base, is hitting .450 with three home runs and 16 RBIs for the No. 2 Gators. He signed Tuesday with Kansas.

Boesch, a fixture on the varsity scene since his sophomore season, has been one of the area's most dominant starting pitchers during the past three seasons as well as a consistent force at the plate. He is expected to sign Friday with Pepperdine.

Boesch will become the third area player to sign with the Waves, joining Silverado catcher Tommy Rojas and Durango first baseman Chris Kelly.

Also signing with Division I schools: Green Valley outfielder David Krynzel (Louisiana State), Las Vegas pitcher Anthony Pluta (Long Beach State), Silverado shortstop Ryan Ruiz (UNLV), Green Valley pitcher Ben Scheinbaum (UNLV), Silverado pitcher Robbie Van (UNLV), Silverado first baseman Jeremy West (Arizona State), Silverado pitcher/outfielder James Wickman (UNLV) and Silverado third baseman Joe Wickman (UNLV).

CCSN has signed four local players: Chaparral catcher John Caruso, Cimarron-Memorial pitcher Jino Gonzalez, Eldorado pitcher Chris Hansen and Gorman pitcher Pat McBride.

Several other area players expected to make college choices soon include Green Valley outfielder Ben Schiess, Las Vegas pitcher John Dischiavo and Silverado second baseman Mike Eshragh.

* CLEAN LIFTING: Las Vegas High athletes set four event records as the host school dominated the recent Las Vegas Power Clean Championships. The Wildcats finished with 45 team points, 24 ahead of second-place Cimarron-Memorial and 26 better than third-place Valley.

Wildcats Jeff Sillman (205 pound lift at 132.5 pound weight class), Robert Chin (240 at 148.5), Aaron Weber (260 at 165.5) and Anthony Park (270 at 181.5) set new marks, with Chin earning the event's outstanding lifer award for the lighter weights.

Silverado's Dallas Webb, who lifted an event-record 300 pounds in the 198.5 pound weight class, was named outstanding lifter in the heavy weights.

Other individual weight class winners: Valley's Jason Cehnin (114.5 pound weight class), Cimarron's Chase Spencer (220.5), Las Vegas' Jon Pollard (242.5) and Valley's Ruben Alvarez (heavyweight).

More than 150 lifters from nine area high schools participated in the annual event.

* REGIONAL WRESTLING: Twenty-one area prep stars will be among the field in the upcoming Western Junior Regionals April 19-22 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Wrestlers who placed in the top three in their weight classes at March's 4A State Tournament were offered spots in the prestigious tournament, part of this year's U.S. Olympic qualifying circuit.

Among the local competitors will be Cimarron-Memorial's Chris Harris, a three-time state champion, Green Valley's Brett Baumgardner, a two-time champ, Rancho's Hared Medine and Billy Rosado and Bonanza's Adam Seward.

* BASEBALL LEADERS: His team sits in last place in its division, but Foothill's Grant Stanley is in first place when it comes to batting average. Sailing along at a .636 clip through Tuesday's games, Stanley ranks just ahead of Basic's Ryan Harris (.564) and Green Valley's Garret Guzman (.561).

Durango's Chris Kelly leads the way in the power department with five home runs and is tied with Silverado's Ryan Ruiz with 25 RBIs.

Three area pitchers -- Chaparral's Soren Nickels and Daniel Scott and Silverado's James Wickman -- each have four wins, while Cimarron-Memorial closer Brad Thompson has yet to give up an earned run. Silverado ace Robbie Van has struck out an area-high 31 batters.