PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: Wednesday (May 8, 2000)

BELLAIRE H.S. NO. 1 IN EASTON SPORTS COLLEGIATE BASEBALL NEWSPAPER (www.baseballnews.com) POLL

TUCSON, Ariz. — Bellaire of Texas kept its stranglehold on the No.1 position in the latest Easton Sports Original National High School poll with a 28-1 record. Coach Rocky Manuel’s team, sporting a new brand of Rocky Ball which includes 129 SB out of 136 attempts and 22 errorless games in Bellaire’s 28 victories heading into the state playoffs, seems to have taken charge in Texas prep play. It is no accident that Coach Manuel has led his team to a national powerhouse status. Bellaire has what obviously is the largest prep program in the USA — 100 players, 10 coaches and six teams.

The Cardinals have had five first round draft picks; the team is the only program in Texas ever to win a national championship; the 200 version of Rocky’s boys boast of a 10-man pitching staff. The Bellaire program, with some 3,200 students, also is a national leader academically ranked No. 1 in Texas and 8th nationally. The Baseball Cardinals have been ranked No. 1 nationally at some point in the season five out of the past 10 years. The team has averaged 30 wins a year in the 90s. The team has been ranked No. 1 in Texas eight times in the 90s and the facility has four tunnels, eight mounds and its own locker room just for baseball. And two of its ace pitchers this season return next year, as Coach Manuel just re-loads to field another national pennant contender.

Two Florida teams followed Bellaire in the rankings. Gulliver Prep of Miami, 28-4, which captured the National Classic championship in Fullerton, Calif., held on to the No. 2 spot, followed by Wellington of West Palm Beach, 29-1, which had been ranked No. 1 until upset in the same tournament by another Florida team.

Prep Notes…West Torrance, Calif. was one of the top clubs on the west coast with a 24-1 record. Senior left-handed pitcher Mike Sutherland, who won his first nine games without a loss, sparked the mound corps. West Torrance, coached by Harry Jenkins, earlier won the El Segundo and Redondo tournaments. Start H.S. of Toledo, Ohio, had a 13-0 mark. "Many big games coming up, but so far so good," said Coach Rich Arbinger, who annually fields one of the toughest teams in Ohio. Gloucester Catholic, N.J. had an 18-0 record and is considered one of the premiere clubs on the east coast. South Kitsap, Wash., 17-0, took over top honors in the state of Washington AAA leagues. Buster Kelso of Memphis, Tenn., facing one of the toughest schedules in the nation at Christian Bros. H.S., finished the past week with a 24-4 record. The team played in six different tournaments, winning four, playing against teams from several states.

(Top 30 Agate Follows)