Spring break tournament puts Wolves back in pack

Spencer Patterson

Monday, April 16, 2001 | 10 a.m.

One week ago, the Basic Wolves were a baseball team in need of a vacation.

Once the consensus pick to win it all in 2001, the Wolves had opened their Southeast Division schedule with stunning back-to-back losses to Green Valley and Foothill. Just making the playoffs seemed an uphill battle for the Henderson school.

Then Basic got the break it needed, in the form of spring break. The Wolves spent last week regaining their bark, going 5-0 at San Diego's Mike Morrow Lion's Invitational to capture the elite tournament's "classic division" championship.

"It was a great four-and-a-half days," Wolves coach Mike Kazek said. "The team really came together and regrouped, and they're looking forward to playing the remaining three weeks of the conference season."

Despite its 0-2 division mark, Basic must still be considered a major threat to win this year's 4A state title, thanks mainly to the presence of top pitchers Matt Elliott and Jesse Craig. Elliott earned MVP honors at the San Diego event, while Craig continued his steady recovery from offseason surgery.

"Now that we've got Jesse and Mark at 100 percent two games a week, it's a whole new ballgame for us," Kazek said. "Being at full strength now, it's either put up or sit down. If we're going to make a run at this thing, we're going to have to do it now."

Also taking momentum from spring break is Bishop Gorman, which went 4-0 to win the Division I trophy at its own Gorman/Valley Easter Classic. The Gaels opened league play with an 11-0 victory at Durango last Saturday, and coach Ken White said the chance to play out-of-town competition couldn't have come at a better time.

"It was probably the best thing that could have happened to us, having some days off after the Durango game," White said. "This (tournament) should help get us ready for when we get back to league play."

The Trailblazers rebounded from their loss to the Gaels with a strong showing in their own adidas Invitational, going 3-1 against four California opponents. Durango's fortunes took another turn over the weekend, however, with the team dropping a pair of games to Carlsbad (Calif.).

"We have yet to really play with any consistency," Blazers coach Mike Gomez said. "We went 3-3 over the break, but lost the last three. We're hoping to hit a peak before the playoffs, but we're running out of time."

Green Valley, ranked No. 1 in last week's Sun statewide poll, finished 1-3 in San Diego, losing three contests by a combined six runs in the classic division. Nevertheless, the Gators remain the team to beat in the Southeast Division, thanks to a 2-0 start that included wins over Basic and defending state champion Silverado.

Second-year Foothill, which has already surprised many this season with victories over Durango and Basic, did nothing to embarrass itself in San Diego, posting wins over a pair of California schools to finish 2-2.

Still, the Falcons can't take a playoff berth for granted in a loaded division that includes the Gators, Wolves and Skyhawks, as well as a solid Chaparral squad that went 3-1 in the Desert Classic.

Conference play resumes on Tuesday and continues through the first week of May. Sunset and Sunrise Region tournaments run from May 9-12, with the 4A State Tournament slated for May 17-19 at Lied Field and Burkholder Field.