Meet baseball's new chiefs

With the Indians out for the summer, College Wahoos will feature homegrown baseball talent

click to enlarge Meet baseball's new chiefs
IMAGE COURTESY VINCE SIGISI
BY DESIGN: The uniforms aren’t even stitched yet, but this is what the new Wahoos will be sporting when they take the field in June.

Baseball fans saddened by the news that the Santa Maria Indians won’t be taking the field this year, take heart. There’s a new tribe in town.

When the California Collegiate League begins play in June, the upstart College Wahoos will take the field as a last-minute replacement for the financially troubled club.

Team organizer Vince Sigisi, a full-time Central Coast scout for the Cleveland Indians, said he’s committed to stocking the Wahoos roster with local graduating high-school seniors and college freshmen so they have a place to play in the summer.

“My main focus is that they have to have a tie-in to the Central Coast, because for us we want the whole community to support us when we play,” Sigisi said. “The goal is to thrive and continue to have avenues for kids to pursue their dreams. There are a lot of talented players here, and you just have to go out and find them.”

The Wahoos’ 2009 roster includes Allan Hancock College freshman and former St. Joseph High School pitcher Eric George and Hancock sophomores Derrick Morelos and Bryan Beyers.

Morelos said he and his teammates are excited to be a part of the Wahoos’ inaugural season.

“This is probably the best opportunity we can get on the road to the pros,” he said. “You’re around serious baseball players 24/7, and it just brings your game up.”

Former Lompoc High School and Hancock standout Alray Rossi will handle the team’s managerial duties. Rossi worked with Sigisi as the assistant coach of the high school version of the Wahoos for the past four years. He said the new franchise allows the players he coached there to gain exposure to college and professional scouts.

“Over the years, we’ve seen them develop and progress,” Rossi said. “Keeping them here on the Central Coast where they can get that experience is great.”

He said his players will benefit from matching up against teams like the Santa Maria Packers and Santa Barbara Foresters, who recruit talent from all over the country.

“When we play these organizations that are established, that gives our players a chance to develop a little bit more and gives us a chance to see where their game is compared to other players from across the nation,” Rossi said. “It definitely gives us a chance to compete.”

The summer season also serves as a weeding-out process for younger players with their hearts set on continuing their careers beyond school, said Sigisi, a former Santa Maria Indians’ infielder.

“It’s a crash course in baseball.  It’s a five- or six-week window, and you’re playing a lot of games, so they get a flavor of how the pro game is played,” Sigisi said. “Some kids love it, and some kids go, ‘Man, this is kind of hard.’”

The club will function as a nonprofit, relying on fundraisers and donations to pay for its operating costs. The idea to field the team came just weeks before the Indians’ March announcement when a Santa Barbara Foresters coach called Sigisi and asked him to help fill the gap on the National Baseball Congress schedule if necessary.

Without the support of the other NBC teams, including the Packers, Sigisi said the Wahoos would’ve never been possible.

“They’re as much a part of this allowing these Central Coast kids to get an opportunity to play as we are in trying to put it together,” Sigisi said. “We want to be competitive so that they’ll want to play us in the future.”

Since most of the roster is still in school, the team hasn’t yet held an official meeting or practice. They’ll also be entering the season without a budget or a field to call their own.

All told, Sigisi said he likes the underdog role.

“We might surprise some teams, but for us winning and losing is not the main goal,” Sigisi said. “It’s really to give the kids the opportunity to keep playing the game of baseball that we all love.”

The Wahoos’ first opening day ever will be on June 3 at Sinsheimer Park against the San Luis Obispo Rattlers. The team will face the Packers five times over the summer at Elks Field, including a game on the Fourth of July.

As for the team having to share the local spotlight with the Packers, Sigisi said he isn’t worried.

“If it’s done right, I think this community can support two teams,” Sigisi said. “My hope is that the fans will come and support not only the Wahoos, but also the Packers.”

Randy Musumeci, who owns The Pitchout, an indoor hitting and pitching facility in Santa Maria, has a son on the Wahoos’ roster. He said that while high school players face long odds to continue on, the team will help open doors for players and will increase their chances of being seen by colleges and junior colleges.

“This is a good way of exposing that local talent and giving them a good chance to perform at a higher level,” Musumeci said. “It’s great for the area—it just builds up community baseball.”

 Musumeci also put together the team’s first official fundraiser, which will take place at Stinky’s Sports Grill on May 23. Tickets for the event can be purchased for $7 at The Pitchout, located at 2305 A St. in Santa Maria.

   By fishing from the local talent pool, Sigisi hopes the Wahoos will earn a strong backing from the community, which would help the team avoid a fate similar to what the Indians experienced.

   While he said the Wahoos aren’t trying to replace the Indians, he wants the team to lay a successful foundation for both players and fans of community-based baseball.

   “We may not see the benefit this year, but we will see it in the future. We’re going to play hard and respect the game, and we’ll see what happens with the results,” Sigisi said. “We’re excited for this opportunity.”

Staff Writer Jeremy Thomas relies on fund-raisers to pay for his operating costs. Contact him at [email protected].

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