Decades after last national title, CSU Stanislaus is baseball power again

TURLOCK -- If you look close enough at Cal State Stanislaus' throwback jerseys, you'll notice a subtle one-word order.

You gaze at their backs just above the numeral and there it is, peeking through on their undershirts: FINISH. It's meant not to be obvious, but it's also there for a big reason.

"We just want to know that WE can see it," coach Kenny Leonesio said.

Finish, as in "Finish the play," which also applies to at-bats, innings, sprints to first base, sacrifice bunts, hit-and-runs and all of baseball's important tasks. Today's Warriors are nothing if not finish-freaks.

So don't blame them for ho-humming through their surprising No. 1 ranking in NCAA Division II, heady recognition they enjoyed for about 2½ weeks. It was nice, for sure, and fleeting, especially after they dropped six of their next seven.

Now that the Warriors (21-9, 13-8) stabilized after a four-game sweep over Cal State Monterey Bay over the weekend, they can reflect on an emotional month that enforced an emerging truth on the local sports scene: Stanislaus baseball matters again.

"More people are coming to the games now. I've gotten a lot more e-mails, phone calls and more letters from players interested in coming here," Leonesio said.

Oldtimers remember the Warriors' NCAA Division III titles in 1976-77, flags earned before today's team was born. Fact is, the Warriors followed their non-scholarship success with years of strife in Division II. They missed the postseason for 19 years until last year's drama kings (37-23) annexed more than a dozen wins in their final at-bat.

Hence, "Finish."

Stanislaus clearly has built on last year's success. Though not physically daunting, the Warriors treat grass stains and infield dirt on their uniforms as badges of honor.

No one embodies the team better than senior centerfielder Kyle Loretelli, a graduate of Beyer High and Modesto Junior College. Twice during Saturday's doubleheader sweep, he dove at first base trying to leg out infield rollers.

Never mind that he's Stanislaus' new career home-run king.

"That's how we play," Loretelli said. "We want to beat it out and do it for the next guy."

Loretelli, a marble-hard 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, measures the pitcher with an open stance. All appearances lean toward a pesky contact hitter, not a slugger swinging for the fence. He struck only one home run during his sophomore season at MJC.

But months before his first game at Stanislaus, he tried something new after working with his new coaches. He picked up his leg high before each pitch, then stepped into it with force. Presto! His fly balls are becoming souvenirs.

Friday at Seaside, he stung Monterey Bay with his 22nd and 23rd career home runs, which carried him past former record-holder Rusty Kuntz, one of the program's patriarchs. Loretelli's record-tying homer, an audacious 400-foot shot, prompted Monterey Bay coaches to have his bat checked.

"It was kind of funny to me," Loretelli said. "You can't cork an aluminum bat."

Not that he would try, of course, but he and his teammates also rely on more conventional means. The Stanislaus revival has been based on pitchers such as the departed Marquis Fleming, last season's bellwether now learning his trade in the Tampa Bay Rays' minors.

Fleming has been replaced, however, by two discoveries: 240-pound lefty Spencer Snodgrass (4-2), a Pitman High graduate who bounced back home after two years at San Jose State; and JC transfer Dakota Watts (7-1), a 6-5 righthander attracting pro scouts with a fastball in the 90s and 49 strikeouts in 41ª innings.

Yes, Stanislaus is winning more recruiting battles these days. Its scholarship allocation has jumped to $45,000 per year, which puts it roughly in the upper third of the California Collegiate Athletic Association.

The hike has been inspired by Leonesio, a native of Newark who's retooled Stanislaus in seven seasons. A stickler for details, he's focused the Warriors on pitching, defense and winning close games.

The improved Warrior Baseball Field, spiced by a new backstop and an old-school wooden scoreboard in right-center, also illustrates Leonesio's impact. He was a land-use management major when he wasn't pitching for Metro State. Simply, he loves a perfectly manicured field almost as much as a double play.

"I think he lives out here," Snodgrass said.

Inspect the checklist: A bit more money, better facilities, an uptick in talent. It's no secret why the Warriors are winning again.

"We are recruiting the same players as Chico State, Sonoma State and the other top teams where before we wouldn't have had a chance at those kids," Leonesio said. "We used to have to take the best of what was left."

No more. Even their recent slump signaled a new era.

The Warriors trailed San Bernardino 13-0 after three innings but rallied to within 13-12 before losing 17-14.

"I think we may look back on that game as our big turnaround," Leonesio said. "That's the mentality we're looking for."

As they understand, No. 1 in March doesn't resonate like finishing big in May.

Bee sports columnist Ron Agostini can be reached at ragostini@modbee.com or 578-2302.