Pirates moving up on diamond

Good coaching produces good results.

Just look at Del Marine and Steve Cox, the Porterville College baseball’s dual coaching operation.

In 2007, the Pirates notched a grim 5-23 record in Central Valley Conference action, which netted them a last-place finish.

This year? Marine and Cox helped Porterville climb the ladder to third place at 13-11 in CVC tests.

The Pirates finished behind Fresno City (21-3) and Merced (19-5).

And now, Porterville has pushed out a good crop of all-conference finishers.

Center fielder Nicolas Figueroa, shortstop Raul Cepeda and designated hitter Mike Bakula were all selected to the first team all-CVC.

Cepeda finished with a conference-high .411 batting average (62-for-151), Figueroa knocked in 33 RBIs and Bakula led the CVC by far with 13 home runs.

Relief pitcher Truett Hardin was named to the second team while Raul Febus and Lance Escalera made the honorable-mention list.

prep baseball
Strathmore 10, Laton 5
The Spartans doubled up the Mustangs at home.

Sophomore pitcher Gary Vail (2-1 East Sierra League) tossed a complete game and collected 14 strikeouts. He allowed just five hits, one walk and five unearned runs.

Alex Lara was 1-for-2 with two runs scored and Mario Lemus went 1-for-2 with an RBI for Strathmore High (8-11, 3-6 ESL).

Vail finished 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run, Jaime Lemus went 1-for-3 with two runs and David Avina was 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Fernando Lemus went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run while Robert Hanger finished 1-for-4 with a two-run double.