Western Baseball League Preview

NORTHERN DIVISION

* BEND BANDITS

Record in 1996: 39-51, seventh overall

Home stadium: Vince Genna Stadium (capacity 2,646), Bend, Ore.

Manager: Al Gallagher

Key players: OF Marcus McGowan, OF Bernie Nunez, OF Marty Neff, C Kevin Schula, P Dennis Shrum

Notes: The Bandits traded Donnie Harris (.294, 14 home runs, 64 RBIs), their best hitter, to the Lubbock Crickets in the Texas-Louisiana League to make room for Neff, who played high school baseball at Magnolia. Last season, Neff played in the independent Northern League, splitting time between St. Paul and Sioux City and hitting a combined .323 with 23 home runs and 74 RBIs. . . . Shrum was one of three pitchers to win six games for Bend last year. . . . McGowan led the league in walks (67) last season. . . . Nunez is a cousin of Chicago Cub star Sammy Sosa. . . . Schula is a graduate of El Dorado High.

* GRAYS HARBOR GULLS

Record in 1996: 40-50, sixth overall

Home stadium: Olympic Stadium (capacity 7,500), Hoquiam, Wash.

Manager: Charley Kerfeld

Key players: INF Steve Dietz, INF Chris Grubb, P Tandy Charley

Notes: The Gulls missed winning the first-half pennant by a game and tied Bend for third in the second half. . . . Kerfeld pitched four major league seasons with the Astros and Braves. . . . Grubb (.365. four home runs, 30 RBIs) won the league batting title last year. . . . Charley (1-0, 4.71 ERA), a Native American, is the only left-hander on the pitching staff. . . . A big hole in the Gulls’ lineup was left by the departure of Ray Harvey (.363), who had a team-leading 11 homers and 55 RBIs. . . . Dietz’s father, Jim, is the coach at San Diego State.

* RENO CHUKARS

Record in 1996: 48-42, third overall. Won first-half Northern Division pennant. Lost divisional playoff to Tri-City, two games to none.

Home stadium: Moana Stadium (capacity 3,500)

Manager: Butch Hughes

Key players: P Bob Ayrualt, P Todd Carl, P Brian Doughty, C Pat Ellis, INF Roy Miller

Notes: Hughes was voted league manager of the year in 1996. . . . Miller (.344) had the league’s fifth-highest batting average. The Chukars had the league’s best team batting average (.303). . . . Doughty led the team with 11 victories, followed by Carl’s nine. . . . Ellis played at UCLA. . . . Ayrualt, who recorded a team-high 15 saves, pitched two major league seasons with the Phillies and Mariners.

* TRI-CITY POSSE

Record in 1996: 45-45, fifth overall. Won the second-half Northern Division pennant. Won divisional playoff against Reno, two games to none. Lost league championship series to Long Beach (now Mission Viejo), three games to one.

Home Stadium: Tri-Cities Stadium (capacity 4,000), Pasco, Wash.

Manager: Jamie Nelson

Key players: P Keith Gogos, P Jason Lawrie, INF Ryan Ruiz, OF Shawn Scott, P Jose Salcedo

Notes: The Posse boasts of being the most popular franchise in the league’s first two seasons, drawing more than 100,000 each season (counting playoff attendance). . . . Ruiz (.293, 34 RBIs), Salcedo (7-3, league-leading 2.11 ERA) and Scott (.305, four home runs, 48 RBIs) were All-Star selections. . . . Pitching staff led the league with a 3.83 ERA, and Scott led the league in stolen bases (43) and was third in hits (119). . . . Pitchers Steve Johnson and Chris Sheehan each had eight victories; Rich Graham had a team-high 18 saves. . . . Last season marked the second in a row the Posse finished last in the first half, then rebounded to win the second-half pennant and the Northern Division playoffs.

SOUTHERN DIVISION

* CHICO HEAT

Record in 1996: 0-0.

Home stadium: Nettleton Stadium (capacity 3,500)

Manager: Bill Plummer

Key players: C Brian Arntzen, INF Matt Davis, OF Wes Hawkins, P Jeremy Hernandez, P Rafael Novoa

Notes: Chico replaces Palm Springs in the Southern Division. . . . Plummer’s major league experience includes playing for the Reds and managing the Seattle Mariners in 1992. . . . Hernandez and Nova have major league experience: Hernandez pitched five seasons with the Padres, Indians and Marlins, and Nova pitched two seasons with the Giants and Brewers. . . . Arntzen was the Heat’s first free-agent signing. . . . Last season, Hawkins batted .340, with nine home runs and 52 RBIs, for Meridian in the Big South League. . . . Davis attended Chico High.

* VIGILANTES

Record in 1996: 54-36 (as Long Beach Riptide), tied with Salinas for first overall. Won the second-half Southern Division pennant with a 32-13 record. Defeated Salinas in the Southern Division playoffs, two games to one. Defeated Tri-City in the league championship series, three games to one.

Home Stadium: Saddleback College

Manager: Buck Rodgers

Key players: P Paul Anderson, INF Alan Burke, P Mark Tranberg

Notes: After two seasons in Long Beach--and two league championships--the team moved to Mission Viejo and changed its name to the Vigilantes. . . . Rodgers spent nine years as a catcher with the Angels, and managed another 13 seasons with the Angels, Expos and Brewers. . . . Anderson was voted the league’s pitcher of the year after finishing tied with Salinas’ Ben Weber with 12 wins. Tranberg, with nine wins, joined Anderson on the All-Star team. . . . Burke led the team in homers with 13.

* SALINAS PEPPERS

Record in 1996: 54-36, tied for first overall. Won the first-half Southern Division pennant. Lost to Long Beach in the division playoffs, two games to one.

Home stadium: Salinas Municipal Stadium

Manager: Steve Hendricks

Key players: P Scott Deremer, INF Brian Kooiman, OF Kenny Norman, INF Rick Prieto

Notes: Prieto (.338, five home runs, 49 RBIs) was the league’s regular-season MVP. He had signed a contract with the Reds this season but injured his wrist in spring training, was released and returned to the Peppers. . . . Kooiman (.293, 13 home runs, 76 RBIs) is an important returning player. . . . Salinas, which used 20 pitchers last year, brought back Deremer (7-2, 2.93 ERA). who is expected to be the staff’s ace. . . . Norman returns after spending last season with Elmira in the Northeast League.

* SONOMA COUNTY CRUSHERS

Record in 1996: 34-56, eighth overall

Home Stadium: Rohnert Park, Rohnert Park, Calif.

Manager: Dick Dietz

Key players: P Tony Coscia, P Lee Langley, INF David Mowry, OF Kyle Washington

Notes: Despite their won-loss record, the Crushers lived up to their nickname at the plate. Mowry (.327) hit 20 home runs, second-most in the league, and Washington (.301) added 13. Mowry also led the league in doubles (30), had a 27-game hitting streak, and reached base safely in 83 of the 89 games he played. . . . Washington was traded by the Cleveland Indians to Baltimore in the deal that brought reliever Jose Mesa to the Indians in 1992. . . . Coscia led the staff with seven victories and Langley had a team-high seven saves. . . . Dietz caught eight major league seasons with the Giants, Dodgers and Braves.