Alumni Report: Locals Getting Their Kicks on Professional Pitch

Success on the soccer pitch never alluded Kasey Moore at any level: prep, club, or college.

When her third campaign in the Women's Professional Soccer league kicks off April 9 in Atlanta, Moore said she will come in with an unprecedented comfort level.

Her track record might make her comfort on the pro pitch seem inevitable. After all, she joined the league’s Boston Breakers in their inaugural 2009 season with a loaded resume.

She was an All-CIF Southern Section honoree at Capistrano Valley High. Her Laguna Hills Eclipse club team was among the nation’s best, which helped her garner All-America recognition. At Texas, she twice won the Big 12 Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award, and in 2008 played for the U.S. Under-23 National team. Her talents made Moore the 15^th overall selection in the 2009 WPS Draft.

But Moore said in her first season, she came to the same realization that many college graduates face upon entering the work force -- perform, or find another occupation.

“The biggest transition for me was realizing that if I didn’t perform, my contract wouldn’t be renewed,” she said. “Soccer’s still a game and still fun, but there’s that business side to it when you’re at the professional level.”

Playing with and against some of the world’s top competition in the WPS, Moore said proving herself was the most difficult athletic challenge she had ever faced.

“Going from Texas to the pros was definitely tougher than from high school to college,” she said. “Going to college was a challenge, but my club team was great. We were all Division I-type players.”

Among Moore’s Laguna Hills Eclipse teammates was current Philadelphia Independence forward Amy Rodriguez (Lake Forest/Santa Margarita High).

“[In WPS] you’re playing against the best players in the world,” she said.

The highest hurdle needed to be cleared to compete at that level, Moore said, was building up her endurance.

“When I came in I wasn’t as fit as I needed to be. That off-season I went back to Austin, Texas, and trained harder than I ever have in my life.”

Results followed. Moore saw her playing time increase by nearly 400 minutes from her rookie to sophomore campaigns. She also scored her first professional goal in 2010, and the Breakers made the WPS playoffs.

One of the few things Moore still needs to adjust to is the New England weather.

“It’s 30 degrees and that’s warm,” she laughed.

Moore and her Breakers teammates are braving the bone-chilling temperatures in preparation for the opener against Kylie Wright (Rancho Santa Margarita/Tesoro) and her Atlanta Beat teammates.

The Breakers will also have to adjust for roster shifts through the campaign. The World Cup runs June 26-July 17, right in the thick of the WPS season.

Playing in the World Cup is another accolade Moore said she would love to add to her resume.

“Every player at this level wants to represent her country in the World Cup,” she said.

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The aforementioned Rodriguez headlines a strong local contingent in the WPS ranks, all of whom we will eventually get to in future "Alumni Reports."

Rodriguez was a WPS All-Star last season, the result of scoring 12 goals and registering six assists. She was the top pick in the 2009 WPS Draft coming off a standout college career at USC.

She helped the Trojans win the 2007 NCAA Championship, and was a member of the 2008 gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic team.

Forward Jennifer Stoltenberg (Mission Viejo/El Toro High) joins Rodriguez on the Philadelphia Independence roster. A rookie, Stoltenberg was an All-Pacific 10 selection at Oregon. 

 Atlanta's Wright, a midfielder, also makes her WPS debut this season after a successful career in the PAC-10. An all-conference honoree, she helped UCLA to the semifinals of the 2009 NCAA College Cup.

Midfielder McCall Zerboni (San Clemente High) joined the Western New York Flash in the off-season. Zerboni has three assists in her two-year WPS career.  Zerboni was named UCLA’s Most Valuable Player at the end of her 2008 senior season.

Fans can follow the WPS on the FOX Soccer Channel. 

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Opening day for Major League Baseball’s 2011 season is Thursday, and there is a strong local presence on both the major and minor league rosters of every team. Here's a sampling:

Dodgers -- Infielder Jake Lemmerman (Newport Beach/Corona del Mar High) was a standout for the Class-A Ogden Raptors last season. He hit an impressive .363 with 12 home runs and 47 RBIs. His efforts earned him Pioneer League All-Star honors. He was a fifth-round pick in the June 2010 draft after two outstanding seasons at Duke.

Baltimore Orioles -- Baseball America listed Chris Tillman (Fountain Valley) as a top prospect for the Orioles, and MLB.com has him as one of the sport’s top 50 overall prospects. Thus far this spring, the former Baron has delivered -- he is 2-0 with an earned-run average of 3.55 in 12.2 innings -- and despite splitting the past two seasons between Triple-A and the majors, is expected to be on the O’s opening-day roster.

Florida Marlins -- Former CIF Southern Section Player of the Year Brad Davis (Mission Viejo/Capistrano Valley High) is on the Marlins’ 40-man roster and battling for a spot on the 25-man opening day roster after appearing  in 33 games a season ago. The catcher and former Long Beach State star has 16 RBI in his Major League tenure.

The Marlins' farm system is also home to Los Alamitos High products Beau Wright and Brandon Tripp.

Tripp, an outfielder, spent last season with the double-A Jacksonville Suns, for whom he batted .289 with 46 RBIs and eight home runs. Wright, a redshirt freshman pitcher who sat out the 2010 season at Orange Coast College, was selected in the 48th round (1,457th overall) of the 2010 draft.

Milwaukee Brewers -- Outfielder T.J. Middlestaedt (Mission Viejo High) was selected in the 44th round of the 2010 draft out of Long Beach State, where he finished his four-year career as the school's triples leader. He played for the Brewers’ Arizona Fall League club and has appeared with the major league squad during Cactus League play.

Pittsburgh Pirates -- Right-hander Brett Lorin (Laguna Niguel/Dana Hills High) is an imposing presence on the mound at 6 feet 7 and 245 pounds. In three minor league seasons he has a 3.13 ERA. He was traded to the Pirates by the Seattle Mariners in 2009 as part of a five-player return for Jack Wilson and Ian Snell.

The Pirates optioned shortstop Chase d’Arnaud (Los Alamitos High) to triple-A Indianapolis two weeks ago. D’Arnaud had 48 RBIs and stole 33 bases at double-A Altoona a year ago.

St. Louis Cardinals -- Skip Schumaker (Aliso Niguel High) has been a stalwart for the Cardinals the past three seasons. Originally an outfielder drafted out of UC Santa Barbara in the fifth round of the 2001 amateur draft. He made his major league debut in 2005 and had his most successful season in 2007, when he batted .333 in 177 at-bats. He was the Cardinals' starting left fielder on opening day in  2008 and batted leadoff. After former Angel Adam Kennedy was released before the start of the 2009 season, Schumaker, who had played shortstop in high school and college, took over the starting job at second base.

Texas Rangers -- C.J. Wilson (Newport Beach/Fountain Valley High) was integral to Texas winning the American League pennant last season. Wilson was a closer for the Rangers in 2008, a set-up man in 2009 and a starting pitcher in 2010, when he posted a team-best 15-8 record with a 3.35 ERA. He will be the No. 1 starter in the Rangers' rotation this season after the departure of free-agent Cliff Lee, who signed with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Tanner Scheppers (Mission Viejo/Dana Hills High) spent last season with Rangers’ double-A club in Frisco, Texas, and with the then triple-A affiliate Oklahoma City. Scheppers had a remarkable 0.82 ERA for Frisco. Ranked a top 50 prospect by Baseball America, the right-hander could eventually factor into the club's major league plans, but a back injury suffered while throwing batting practice in spring training, will have him start the season in triple-A Round Rock.

Toronto Blue Jays -- Travis Garret (Los Alamitos) had a solid 4.05 ERA in 20 appearances last year for the Blue Jays’ rookie Appalachian League affiliate Auburn. Garrett is presently with the “Short-A” affiliate in Vancouver.

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Is there a local alum everybody should know about? Contact Kyle Kensing at kkensing@gmail.com.