Comets envision team chemistry, playoff success

The 2012 Comet baseball team can learn a lot from last year's Contra Costa College squad.

After winning more games in 2011 than the previous two seasons combined, the squad is hoping to continue on its recent success.

Even though the numbers are stark, with the improvement last year, the quality of the returning players and the potential of the new players, the Comets are starting the 2012 season primed for a winning season.

So far this season the Comets (3-7 overall, 0-1 in the Bay Valley Conference) are currently ranked seventh in the BVC.

"I'm definitely looking forward to the season. We have a lot of potential and we have a very good chance to make it to the playoffs," sophomore pitcher Francisco Avilez said.

"Everyone needs to worry about himself as an individual, but also come together and work as a team," he said.

After finishing in last place in the BVC in 2009 and 2010, in 2011 the Comets baseball team ended the season in fifth place.

This improvement can be seen clearly in the statistics.

During 2009 CCC finished 4-23 in the BVC and 6-31 overall. In 2010 the Comets won only three games out of 24 in the BVC and finished 6-30 overall.

The Comets finished fifth in BVC with an overall record of 14-22 (11-13 in the BVC) in 2011.

With the momentum shifting over from last season, the Comets are excited and hoping to improve in 2012.

The baseball team's game at Yuba College, its first game of conference play, was Thursday. The game was rained out in the seventh inning and suspended until Saturday. CCC lost at Napa Valley College on March 3, a 4-3 defeat.

"The team is looking good and we can be real competitive," coach Marvin Webb said.

With the experience of 15 sophomores leading 11 freshmen, the Comets expect to have a winning season and make the playoffs for the first time in Webb's 16 years as baseball coach.

The Comet baseball team has not reached the postseason since 1993, three years before Webb took the helm as coach.

"Our main goal is making it to the playoffs and winning," sophomore Cameron "CJ" Doorn said.

Webb said the keys to being more successful than last year and making it to playoffs are focusing on the fundamentals of the game as well as finishing out games.

"Right now we need to improve our pitching and have more clutch hits," Webb said. "Our pitching is good," he said, but in order to be a viable threat in the postseason the pitching staff has to improve its efficiency.

"We walk too many guys. To win games, we can't walk people," Webb said.

So far this season sophomore pitcher Matthias Westfall's 1.96 ERA leads the team and ranks fifth in the BVC.

Sophomore catcher Mark Mills agreed with Webb.

He said, "We need to work on a lot of defensive aspects of the game, improve our hitting and where to place the ball."

Along with making technical improvements, Mills emphasized the importance of them working together as a team.

"Everyone needs to work hard and show up to practice and try to get better every day," he said. "We need to have everyone show up to the games ready to play."

The team remains optimistic and players believe they can improve on last season's performance by being more competitive in the BVC, which could lead to a playoff run.

"We've just got to come out and play 100 percent every game and stay focused all nine innings," he said. "That way we will be able to get ahead of everyone else," Doorn said.