Speakman’s Changes Seem to Be a Big Hit So Far

Willy Speakman figured this baseball season at Fullerton College would be like on-the-job training.

He spent all his baseball life as a right-handed hitting shortstop, but this spring he decided there were too many players like him vying for spots on four-year college and professional teams.

So Speakman went for the complete makeover and emerged as switch-hitting catcher.

He thought he could pick up hitting from the left side pretty quickly, but never dreamed he’d do as well as he has.

Speakman is hitting with a .479 average (34 for 71). He also is leading in doubles (12) and has 22 RBIs.

“I have a goal this year not to hit a home run,” said Speakman, 19. “I just want to hit line drives. It’s been pretty amazing what has happened so far.”

Speakman’s average becomes more impressive, when you figure in an 0-12 slump that lasted three games. But he came out of that slide with a vengeance, going 15 for 21 with seven doubles in the next five games.

“I was a little apprehensive about him going up left-handed at first,” Fullerton Coach Nick Fuscardo said. “I didn’t want him to go right into a slump and not be able to get out of it. But, needless to say, that hasn’t happened.”

Speakman has proven to be equally talented as a catcher.

“He’s always talking with or asking questions about pitchers,” Fuscardo said. “He’s done a really nice job back there as well. We let him call his own game and he’s pretty good at it.”

Of course, having two of the best pitchers in the conference--Steve Trachsel (6-1) and Tom Kelly (5-1)--to work with hasn’t hurt.

“I have to be in every single pitch of the game,” Speakman said. “That’s what I like most about catching. Now I don’t lose my concentration.”

Speakman came to Fullerton in the summer of 1988 after graduating from South Hills High School in Covina, where he played shortstop. He said he first thought of catching that summer in the Metropolitan League, but didn’t because Fullerton had a catcher but needed infielders.

Last season, Speakman started the season at shortstop, but switched to third base about midway through the season. He ended up hitting .313 with three doubles, two home runs and 14 RBIs.

Then, after the season, he had a talk with Fuscardo.

“He came to me and said he wanted to try to catch,” Fuscardo said. “Not too many people make the switch from shortstop to catcher but I said that he could try it. He worked really hard and that’s why he’s done so well. It’s no fluke.”

Speakman struggled over the summer and during the fall.

But in January, things started to click for him and he earned the starting catching job.

“I really can’t explain why things started to go so well but they did,” Speakman said. “I want to have the opportunity to have a college scholarship in one hand and pro baseball (contract offer) in the other hand. That’s my goal now.”

Basketball honors: Rancho Santiago’s Matt Lien, Fullerton’s Rashone Lewis and Cypress’ Vince Hizon were first-team all-state selections in men’s basketball.

Alex Kreps of Golden West was an honorable mention selection.

Joe Small, a former standout at Bolsa Grande High School, also made the first team for College of the Sequoias. Small, a guard, led the state in scoring this season with a 25.4 a game average.

Bryan Thomasson of Skyline and Otis Mixon of Mt. San Jacinto were named co-state players of the year.

Tom Harris, a longtime local baseball fan and the announcer for Cypress games the past six years, died Monday of heart failure. He was 79. Harris had been in Fountain Valley Hospital for three weeks.

“I first met him in 1974,” Cypress Coach Scott Pickler said. “He was just a great fan and loved the kids. He adopted baseball and made it his life.”

Community College Notes

Donna Gondringer, a 6-foot-1 forward from Golden West, has made an oral commitment to attend Hawaii. Gondringer, who was the most valuable player in the Orange Empire Conference,, helped lead Golden West to the state title this month. Shawna Armstrong, also a starting forward at Golden West, has made an oral commitment to attend Cal State San Bernardino. . . The Orange Coast men’s volleyball team plays at L.A. Pierce at 7 tonight in a match for first place. The teams are tied for the South Coast Conference title at 10-1. . . . Bob Van Voorhis, who was the interim coach of the Cypress women’s basketball, has been given the job full-time. He took over last fall from Gerry Livsey, who took the year off.

Paula Tezak, a former La Habra High School basketball and volleyball star, is the new Fullerton volleyball coach. Tezak, 23, played volleyball and basketball at Cal Poly Pomona where she was an all-American in both sports. She also will be an assistant for the women’s basketball team at Fullerton. She replaces Julie Ortman, who left Fullerton to take over at Humboldt State two weeks ago.