Fairfax Baseball Swings into Season

The Fairfax High varsity baseball team made great strides last season, winning 18 games, finishing third in the Western League and reaching the semifinals of the City Section Division II playoffs under former coach Rocky Sherwood.

This year, the Lions have a new pilot--Chuck Berrington--who will take over a team with just three returning starters and five returning lettermen.

Berrington had a 5-16 record as head coach at Providence High in Burbank last spring but prior to that he had successful stints at Westlake High in Westlake Village and at Woodland Hills Taft. He knows what it takes to rebuild a program.

Perhaps the top returner is All-City pitcher/catcher Steven Giannelli, who hit .324 with 13 RBI at the plate and allowed only six earned runs and 21 hits in 34 innings on the mound as a sophomore last season. Also back are infielder Cameron Nesbitt, catcher/shortstop/pitcher Anthony Espinosa, second baseman Anthony Mendoza and third baseman/pitcher/centerfielder David Wente.

Two newcomers who should make an immediate impact for the inexperienced Lions are sophomore pitcher/shortstop Scott Choe and freshman outfielder Giovanni Ravera. Making the postseason could be a tall order in a rapidly-improving Western League but if Fairfax does qualify it will be a job well done.

Fairfax opens this week's play in the Poly Classic, taking on Verdugo Hills of Tujunga on Tuesday, tournament host Sun Valley Polytechnic on Wednesday and Los Angeles Wilson on Thursday. All three games are slated for 3 p.m.