California Lookouts Baseball

Kevin Lyons, class of 2018 Pitcher / Infielder at Westview High School signs on National Letter of Intent Day (11/9/2017) to continue his baseball career and education at the University of California, Santa Barbara in the Fall 2018.    

See the below link for more information on the UCSB baseball program:  

http://www.ucsbgauchos.com/sports/m-basebl/index

Congratulations Kevin!

Andrew Rueter signs Letter of Intent (2/7/2018) to play collegiate baseball and continue his education at Redlands University in the Fall 2018. Rueter played for the Lookouts from 2010-2014. Rueter currently coaches the Lookouts and is a class of 2018 RHP/INF at Westview High School.

See the below link for more information on the Redlands baseball program:

http://www.goredlands.com/landing/index

Congratulations Andrew!

QUICK PITCH - CATCHIN' UP WITH JACOB MONKS – WINTER 2015

Jacob  Monks, Lookouts (2005-2008), recently met up with Coach Fred Zarcilla at The Habit, aka the Lookouts “Grubhouse” for this Lookouts from the Press Box conversation.  Monks, also known at “Monksy” during his days as a Lookout, is a 2013 graduate of Rancho Bernardo HS.  He was on the baseball team that won the CIF championship his senior year. 

FZ – Great seeing you Monksy! How’s college life?

JM – College is everything I expected and more.  I’m a junior at Indiana University, majoring in Sports Marketing Management with a minor in Business. Bloomington is a great college town.  I believe it has the most ethnic restaurants around the campus.  I making my way to eat at all of them!

FZ – I heard you had great internship last summer.  How did you get this opportunity and can you share some of your experiences?

JM – I worked for Sports One Marketing in Irving, CA, founded by former NFL quarterback and Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Moon.  David Meltzer, the CEO, spoke at Indiana and I contacted him for a possible opportunity for an internship.  I was a selected as legal intern and got some experience in public relations, sales, marketing. 

FZ – Did you get to speak with Warren Moon? 

JM - He would stop by the office and speak to the employees.  He’s a very inspirational person who shared valuable perspectives on the sports industry.

FZ – Have you ever thought about being a sports agent, sort of like in the movie Jerry Maguire?

JM – (Laughs) That’s a tough business. It’s so competitive, representing and dealing with high profile athletes who put their trust in getting them big contracts. 

FZ – What’s your dream job and career aspirations?

JM – I would truly enjoy working in Major League Baseball with a baseball organization.  I am hopeful to get an internship next summer with an MLB team and have connections to possibly work for the Mets, Dodgers, Padres and Angels.  That might open up some doors…

FZ – Let’s go back in time and share some of your memories playing for the Lookouts. What are some of your fondest memories?

JM – I was on the 13U team in 2007-2008 that won several tournaments and played in the TCS World Series in Steamboat Springs, CO.  We were a close-knit team and truly enjoyed our friendships, relationships that contributed to our success.  We were a family!  I remember our first game of the TCS tournament against the Farmington (New Mexico) Yankees when Coach Edwards put me in to pitch and close the game.  I didn’t throw fast but I was dealin’. We went to the championship game and lost to a team from CA that we had beaten three weeks earlier at a tournament at BLD Riverside. We gave it our all and left it on the field. 

FZ – You played four years at Rancho Bernardo HS.  Tell us about your time there.

JM – I played on the freshman team, and JV’s team for two seasons as a second baseman and shortstop.  My senior year, I was a designated hitter (DH).  The second baseman at the time was Gosuke Katoh who is now in the New York Yankee organizations.  I learned a lot from the RBHS coaching staff, especially from Coach (Sam) Blalock.  He taught all of us the value of hard work.  Playing in the CIF championship game was really special.  As we stepped onto the field during the team introductions, it was both emotional and inspiring when I heard my name announced.  We beat Granite Hills 4-2 to win the CIF championship.

FZ – Who are some of the individuals who had an influence on your life?

JM- Definitely my brother Joshua. Josh has been always been there for me to provide advice, counsel and example.  He taught me about limitless potential. (Can’t forget Lookouts Coach Pat Edwards, Coach Kevin Frank and Coach Fred Zarcilla )

FZ – Any words of wisdom you can share with our current Lookouts?

JM – Respect and honor the game.  Always give it your all when you step on the field.  Play the game as if it was your last.  Appreciate the game, players, families.  Have no regrets!

FZ – Here’s to a great junior year at IU. Go Hoosiers!

QUICK PITCH – CATCHIN’ UP WITH FORMER LOOKOUTS BALLPLAYER BRANDON BENTSON

Brandon Bentson, Lookouts (2007-2008), recently met with Coach Fred Zarcilla at The Habit in Carmel Mountain Ranch (aka the Lookouts “Grubhouse”) for this Lookouts Press Box interview.  Bentson, a 2012 graduate of Rancho Bernardo HS, played in two CIF championship games.

FZ – You’ve enjoyed a successful college career at Cal State Marcos.  Can you share with us some of your experiences there?

BB – I am a junior this year majoring in Mass Communication/Sports Journalism. The Cal State San Marcos baseball program (NCAA Division II) is real good fit for me balancing academics and athletics.  It’s an up and coming baseball program and I enjoy the level of play and competition.  We get to travel to places like San Antonio, Texas and Boston, Massachusetts for our conference tournaments.  It is pretty cool to travel and experience different parts of the country.

FZ – You played in a summer league this year.  Can you tell us about those experiences?

BB – I played with the Hannibal (MO) Caveman in the Prospect League.  We played about 60 games.  I had a successful season, batting .280 and I played 1^st base, OF and pitcher.  I had a wonderful experience with my host family.  The long bus rides to the various towns were something else!  I truly enjoyed playing in front of the fans in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.  They love and appreciate the game.  The small town of Hannibal is really into the Cavemen.  The people knew who we were and supported us.  

FZ - Where does the name Cavemen originate? 

BB - Hannibal is the town where Mark Twain grew up.  He wrote his books in the caves in Hannibal that now serve as a big tourist attraction in northeast Missouri.  The baseball organization is named Cavemen from this history.

FZ - What major league player do you emulate and pattern your play off and why?

BB – I enjoy watching Adrian Gonzalez and his smooth approach to the game including his batting style and defense.  Since I was in Missouri this summer, I followed Matt Adams of the St. Louis Cardinals.  These two guys show respect for the game, and in turn that respect and hard work pays off and helps make them successful.

FZ – You were part of the Lookouts team in 2008, “The Boys of Summer,” that finished second in the TCS World Series in Steamboat Springs, CO.  Can you share some of those memorable experiences?

BB – I remember how well we prepared.  You know the banner line on the Lookouts website that reads: Success = Conditioning + Fundamentals + Unity.  Well, that Lookouts team practiced it, applied it and lived it.  It taught me how to stay competitive, how to handle situations, never giving up until the last out.  Coach Edwards and Coach Frank kept us very well disciplined and helped us understand that we needed to respect our opponents no matter how good or bad they may be.  I remember the five game day where we began at 6am and continued playing until the Championship game that evening.  Wow, that was something special!  Walking away from the field that day was pretty difficult knowing that it would be our last time playing together, but in the end we were happy with the effort that we gave and proud of how well we had performed.

FZ – What did you learn as a Lookouts ballplayer and what “words of wisdom” can you share with the current Lookouts players?

BB – Listen to your coaches, believe in what they teach you, ask yourselves, “how can I do better, perfect my game,” love the game, respect the game and play the game right.  The most important thing is to have fun in doing what you’re doing.  If you put pressure on yourself to be successful it will have a negative effect on your game.  Just go out there relaxed, help out your teammates and be yourself.  The rest will take care of itself.

QUICK PITCH – CATCHIN’ UP WITH FORMER LOOKOUTS BALLPLAYER DANNY TYSON 

Danny Tyson, Lookouts (2003-2005) recently got together with Coaches Patrick Edwards and Fred Zarcilla for a “reunion” lunch at The Habit in Carmel Mountain Ranch.  Tyson, an original member of the 12U Lookouts during the 2003 inaugural season, is a Cathedral Catholic High School graduate and currently a senior at Northwestern University.  He shared his thoughts and perspectives with Coach Zarcilla in this “Lookouts Press Box” interview.  Tyson and Joey Denato, a Torrey Pines High School graduate and currently a senior at Indiana University, were the first Lookouts to earn DI scholarships.

FZ: What were your fondest memories of being a Lookout?

DT: I remember we played a game our first season at the Palm Springs Big League Dreams complex that started at 11:30 pm and went until 1:30 am.  That will always stick with me because I had never done anything like that and it was great to be able to stay up that late as a 12 year old and play baseball with my friends.  Also, any time we got to stay overnight in a hotel somewhere was fun.  We would run up and down the halls and prank call each other’s rooms, just fun stuff like that. 

FZ:  What did you learn from your Lookouts coaches?

DT: The coaches always made sure to emphasize respect for the game, respect for your coaches and respect for your teammates.  They taught me that putting in anything less than full effort is a disservice to yourself and everyone around you.  I feel like I came out of the program with a better idea of the intricacies of the game than I would have had I played on a different team.

FZ:  How did being a Lookouts player prepare you for the next level, i.e. high school baseball and playing college ball?

DT: Looking back I realized how ahead of the curve I was because of my experience with the Lookouts.  The coaches treated practices and games with a very professional attitude and always pushed us to play our hardest.  I don't know if you guys still do this but Coach Edwards would have us shine our shoes before each game and it really helped instill a respect for the game that I still carry with me.  We also practiced just like a college team in terms of structure and discipline so I think the attitudes and the good habits I picked up were the most important takeaways. 

FZ:   How does it feel being a player in DI baseball program? Competing at that level and against your Lookouts’ teammate Joey Denato in the same conference, etc.

DT: It's an unbelievable experience.  I remember going to the San Diego State Aztecs baseball games and standing on the foul line during the National Anthem with all the other Lookouts and thinking that the college players were giants.  To be able to play the game at this level is something I'm thankful for every day.  It's also such a cool opportunity to be able to play against Joey every year.  We'd been on the same team since we were 9 so going off to college and playing against him on that stage is pretty surreal. 

FZ:    Tell us about your experience playing summer ball?  Where did you play?

DT: The summer after my sophomore year I played on the Battle Creek Bombers in the Northwoods League and the summer after my junior year I was on the New Bedford Bay Sox in the New England Collegiate Baseball League.  Summer ball is some of the most fun I've ever had on a baseball field.  You get to stay with a host family (I've been lucky to have two wonderful host families) and just basically focus on baseball all summer without worrying about school.  It's also a unique experience because you get to play with different people from schools all over the country and it’s amazing how close you can get with them in just a couple months. Plus, it’s awesome to play against them in the regular season.

FZ:  What is your definition of success?

DT: I define success as being a good, well rounded person.  Success is finding your passion and working towards achieving your goals while maintaining a healthy family life and social life. 

FZ:    What are your plans after you graduate from Northwestern?

DT: After Northwestern, I'm planning on coming back to San Diego and going to grad school at USD.  I've had enough snow for a while!

FZ:    What “words of wisdom” can you share with our current Lookout players? 

DT: Enjoy your time as a Lookout!  Don't forget why you play baseball, sometimes it's necessary to take a step back and remember that it's a game and more often than not you play better when you're loose and having fun.  Cherish all the friendships you're making.  I know I still keep in touch with a lot of people I played with when I was 12.

To view the YouTube video of Coach Templeton's interview, click on the below link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKug6RliVT0

Strength and Conditioning Training “Working Out Well” for the Lookouts – by Coach Fred Zarcilla

For the 2012-2013 season, the Lookouts introduced a new dimension to the program with the addition of strength and conditioning training provided by Coach Zack Macedo.

On Wednesdays (4pm - 5:30pm) and Saturdays (9:00am - 10:30am), two motivated groups of players from the 13U and 14U teams go through a series of exercises that develop strength, power and muscular endurance.

“The ultimate goals for our strength and conditioning program are to improve performance, and decrease the likelihood of injury for each player.  As they become bigger, stronger and more powerful, their performance on the field will improve.  Those changes, coupled with appropriate pre-habilitation exercises, will improve their durability.  It’s really all about maximizing each player’s potential”, says Coach Macedo.

Macedo played baseball at Grossmont College in 2003 and 2004.  He earned a BS in Kinesiology from San Diego State University in 2007.  While at SDSU, he volunteered in the strength and conditioning department and really thought it was a field he wanted to get into.  He has been a personal trainer for the last five years, and is in his second year doing the strength and conditioning for the Westview Wolverines baseball players.  Coach Macedo holds the following certifications:  Health Fitness Specialist through the American College of Sports Medicine and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

According to Coach Macedo, the S&C training sessions have been successful.  “I think the players have done a great job so far.  The goals for the first phase of the program were to teach them how to perform the basic movements correctly, and to get their bodies used to structured exercise.   I feel like we accomplished both of those goals.  The players are already getting noticeably stronger, and that will become our main focus in the next phase”. 

Many players have seen their efforts paying off mentioning improved flexibility, minimizing injuries and increased power.  “I’m hitting the ball a lot farther,” states Sean Beaver of the 13U White team.

See YouTube links to videos for the Lookouts Strength & Conditioning Program

-          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1Q7r4clFnk

-          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArV2LRW2GoQ

Look for special features and articles from the “Lookouts Press Box” with Coach Fred “LookoutsCoach24” Zarcilla throughout this season.