TIMES ALL STARS : Marmonte League Again Dominates All-Star Selections

By most measures, the 1992 baseball season in Ventura County was distinctive only in its similarity to the recent past.

Simi Valley High won the Marmonte League title, its sixth in seven seasons.

Rio Mesa won the Channel League title, its 11th in 14 seasons.

Neither team made much noise in the Southern Section playoffs, which also follows the pattern of recent years.

In fact, the only county team that enjoyed extended success in the playoffs was Oak Park, which advanced to the 1-A Division final. In doing so, the Eagles followed in a county tradition of a smaller school (usually Fillmore) challenging for a division title.

For the second year in a row, the all-county team is dominated by Marmonte League players: Eleven of 16 to be exact, including player of the year Dave Landaker of Royal and pitcher of the year Angel Aragon of Channel Islands. Six of the seven Marmonte schools in the county are represented.

Four players are repeat selections, including Landaker and Aragon. The other two are the county’s leading sluggers. Kevin Nykoluk, Simi Valley’s junior center fielder, made the team as a sophomore. Jon McMullen, Rio Mesa’s brawny senior infielder, also made the team as a sophomore but was a second-team choice last year.

More county players than usual were selected in the June amateur draft this year, primarily because of a new rule that enables major league teams to maintain the rights to a drafted player for five years.

Landaker (39th pick overall by the Astros) was the highest draft choice, followed by McMullen (eighth round, Phillies) and Westlake’s John Snyder (13th round, Angels). Also drafted by the Phillies was Aragon, who was taken in an undisclosed round.

Besides impressing scouts enough to be drafted, Landaker (Nevada) and Aragon (Cal State Long Beach) have signed letters of intent to attend NCAA Division I colleges.

Perhaps most noteworthy, Landaker and Aragon came through under pressure, although the pressure came from different sources.

Touted as one of the top high school shortstops in the nation and with scouts watching his every move, Landaker, a 6-foot, 180-pound senior, batted .526. He set school records with 41 hits and 45 runs, and also had 18 stolen bases, 14 extra-base hits and 17 runs batted in. Landaker walked 26 times and struck out only nine times.

“Considering the microscope he was under, Dave put together a tremendous season in terms of performance and leadership,” Royal Coach Dan Maye said.

Aragon felt a need to make Channel Islands Coach Don Cardinal’s last season memorable. And the senior right-hander responded admirably. He pitched a one-hit shutout in the final of the Thousand Oaks tournament and earned the victory in the first round of the 5-A playoffs--the final win of Cardinal’s career. He also hit a game-winning home run in the Raiders’ victory over Simi Valley.

“I can’t imagine a player who gave more to his program than Angel Aragon did for Channel Islands,” Cardinal said.

Will the teams crossing the finish line first next season be as predictable? Don’t look for Simi Valley or Rio Mesa to falter. All three all-county players from Simi Valley are juniors, as are Victor Moreno (first-team pick) and John Mitchell (second team) of Rio Mesa.

TIMES ALL STARS

Name: Don Cardinal (Coach of the Year) School: Channel Islands Year: 26th season 21-7 record

Name: Angel Aragon (Pitcher of the Year) School: Channel Islands Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: 10-3; 1.23 ERA

Name: Dave Landaker (Player of the Year) School: Royal Year: Senior W-L/Avg.: .526

Name: Jeff Howatt School: Rio Mesa Year: Senior Position: Pitcher W-L/Avg.: 9-1; 1.48 ERA

Name: Trevor Leppard School: Simi Valley Year: Junior Position: Pitcher W-L/Avg.: 7-3; 3.68 ERA

Name: Jose Gastelum School: Channel Islands Year: Senior Position: Catcher W-L/Avg.: .422

Name: Shane Slayton School: Royal Year: Senior Position: Catcher W-L/Avg.: .529

Name: Jon McMullen School: Rio Mesa Year: Senior Position: Infield W-L/Avg.: .500

Name: Keith Wilson School: Westlake Year: Senior Position: Infield W-L/Avg.: .455

Name: Jim Chergey School: Thousand Oaks Year: Senior Position: Outfield W-L/Avg.: .394

Name: John Snyder School: Westlake Year: Senior Position: Pitcher W-L/Avg.: 6-4; 1.28 ERA

Name: Jeff Gibbons School: Oak Park Year: Senior Position: Pitcher W-L/Avg.: 11-1; 1.43 ERA

Name: Andy Hall School: Camarillo Year: Senior Position: Infield W-L/Avg.: .446

Name: Brandon Knight School: Buena Year: Junior Position: Infield W-L/Avg.: .391

Name: Kevin Nykoluk School: Simi Valley Year: Junior Position: Outfield W-L/Avg.: .423

Name: Victor Moreno School: Rio Mesa Year: Junior Position: Outifield W-L/Avg.: .370

Name: Aaron Whitley School: Simi Valley Year: Junior Position: Outfield W-L/Avg.: .412