With the 2013 baseball season set to begin on Feb. 1 against Sacramento City, head coach Ron Scott expects another winning season.
After finishing the 2012 season with a 29-13 overall record and a 20-4 record in conference play, the Rams are coming into this season looking to win the Central Valley Conference and the state championship.
Scott says they have a “tremendous pitching staff this year, probably the best in years.” Leading the pitching staff is Michael Tittle who had a 4-1 record last year as a freshman.
The Rams are also counting on outfielder Jackson Glines who led the team last year with a .393 batting average. Another key returning player, Jack Karraker, led the CVC last year with 34 runs batted in.
Although this year’s team is full of talent, Scott says “the best team wins the game, not necessarily the team with the most talent.”
Scott comes from a background of serious baseball. He was a community college baseball star who helped lead the Miami Hurricanes to the College World Series championship game, where he was selected All-Tournament catcher. Scott also played on the USA baseball team that won the 1974 World Games, receiving a gold medal.
Scott, along with his staff, is also credited with having five Rams advance to the major leagues. These players are Jaime Cerda, Ted Lilly, Bill Simas, Shad Williams, and Jason Wood. Since his first season with the Rams, Scott has also placed a large number of players on the All-American list.
Assisting Scott is pitching coach Eric Solberg, who has been with Scott for the entire 24 seasons of his FCC career.
Assistant coach Darin Ghimenti has worked as a coach at FCC for 14 years. Ghimenti signs from the third base coaching box, as well as working with the outfielders.
Another member of Scott’s staff is Mike Noakes who has worked for seven seasons as a coach at FCC. His experience comes from his time at Bullard High School, where he won 15 league championships and five CIF Central Section championships. Noakes will be coaching first base for the Rams this season while coach Bart Selma will be assisting with the hitters.
The Rams first home game is Feb. 5 vs Ohlone at 6 p.m.
