Guzman looking to end GV reign with 2nd championship

Spencer Patterson

Wednesday, May 16, 2001 | 10:31 a.m.

First-Round Matchups

SOFTBALL

Wednesday

At West Flamingo Park

Reed (33-5) vs. Green Valley (15-14), 1 p.m.

Durango (31-2) vs. Eldorado (21-10), 1 p.m.

Silverado (36-2) vs. Reno (26-11), 3 p.m.

Wooster (35-6) vs. Centennial (31-4), 3 p.m.

BASEBALL

Thursday

At Lied Field

Galena (26-9) vs. Foothill (20-15), 9 a.m.

Bishop Gorman (26-9) vs. Basic (26-11), noon

At Burkholder Field

Green Valley (23-6) vs. Wooster (23-11), 9 a.m.

Reno (28-8) vs. Durango (24-10), noon

When Garrett Guzman began his high school baseball career four years ago, it must have seemed like state titles grew on trees for the Green Valley Gators.

The lone freshman on the Gators' 1998 squad, Guzman celebrated the Henderson school's sixth consecutive large-school state championship. And with his team still stocked with talent, the young outfielder looked forward to three more years atop Nevada's baseball hierarchy.

But after painful exits from the playoffs his next two seasons, Guzman came into his senior season with just one final chance to hoist a state trophy over his head.

"I've seen the way the seniors left the past two years, and it was terrible," Guzman said. "The bus ride home was dark, all you could hear were people crying. I don't want to go out that way."

On Thursday, Guzman -- Southern Nevada's 2001 Player of the Year -- will begin his quest for the title that has eluded him the past two years. His Gators open the 4A State Tournament against northern foe Wooster at noon at Burkholder Field.

"Winning it would be so exciting. It would make my whole career feel complete," Guzman said.

Throughout the 2001 regular season, Green Valley coach Nick Garritano has looked to his four-year letterman for help not only on the field, but off, where Guzman's state tournament memories have provided the backdrop for the team's championship quest.

"He's been in the state tournament before, and he knows what to expect," Garritano said. "We've talked about his experience in the state tournament."

With Guzman, a career .530 hitter, leading the way, the Gators (23-6) finished the regular season atop a loaded Southeast Division. Last week, they rolled unbeaten through the Sunrise Region Tournament, a run that has made them a popular choice to win this week's eight-team event.

"Hopefully, our kids will carry some momentum over from the regional tournament," Garritano said. "Hopefully, we'll keep hitting the ball the way we are."

Batting leadoff, Guzman has set the table for a Green Valley lineup that has exceeded expectations after losing several key players from the 2000 squad, including first-round major league draft pick David Krynzel.

Guzman's consistency at the plate has been contagious, with not only feared hitters like Zeke Parraz and Chris McGovern, but also the lower part of the team's order producing throughout the postseason.

"Coach had a saying last year, 'As Garrett goes, we go,' " senior pitcher Jake Dittler said. "Every game he hits, we hit. And not only does he hit, but he finds other ways to get on base."

With Dittler, who returned from an elbow injury to pitch in last week's tournament, at the top, Green Valley's rotation rivals any other in town. The Gators have received solid production from senior Adam Morris, junior Paul Vignola and perhaps most notably, sophomore left-hander Ryan Tabor.

Sunset Region champion Bishop Gorman (26-9) also comes in with plenty of pitching, with four starters -- seniors Derek Rodriguez and Matt Peters, junior lefty Dan Mangiapani and sophomore Russ Warthen -- capable of shutting down the opposition.

The Gaels open against Sunrise runner-up Basic (26-11) at noon at CCSN's Lied Field. The Wolves, ranked No. 1 for much of the season, feature one of the area's top one-two pitching combos in senior Jesse Craig and junior Matt Elliott.

Northern Region runner-up Reno (28-8) will take on Sunset runner-up Durango (24-10) at 9 a.m. at Burkholder in a rematch of last year's state tournament double-forfeit. The Huskies will look to top starters Darrick Cummings and David Woods, while the Blazers will count on a staff that includes senior Paul Kelser and juniors Rob Martinez and Frank Damewood.

In Thursday's other early game, Northern champion Galena (26-9) will match up with second-year Foothill (20-15), the Sunrise Region's third seed, at 9 a.m. at Lied. The Grizzlies, ranked nationally in several preseason publications, hit their stride late in the season behind the big bats of first baseman Billy Paganetti and second baseman Joey Hooft.