Vista: No. 6 in 2013 Xcellent 25 Preseason Baseball Rankings

Teams facing Vista this year better figure out a way to scratch out a run the best way they know how, because the Panthers pitching staff isn't going to give up many runs over the course of a game.

Take a look at last year's statistics and it's obvious why Vista was able to post a 31-4 record and win the San Diego Section Division I championship. Vista had 13 shutout wins and won eight other games with one run allowed. The overall team ERA was just 1.21 and opposing teams batted just .174 with a .268 on-base percentage.

The scary part? The Panthers lose just nine innings out of 243.2 pitched from last year's staff.

"We have tremendous returning experience and talent on the mound with three All-State Team selections," said Vista coach Rick Lepire, who is entering his 17th season at the school. "A 1.21 ERA and a .973 fielding percentage proved to be a good formula in 2012 and it looks to be more of the same this year."



The outstanding pitching depth, and the return of four other starters, makes Vista the No. 6 team in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 Preseason National Rankings. MaxPreps is counting down the top 10 teams in the country this week with the final Xcellent 25 set for publication Feb. 19.

Billy Roth and Brett Seeburger top the list of pitchers for Lepire's club as they combined for 19 wins last year. Both are expected to go in the MLB Draft in June and both have already signed with Division I schools.

Roth was 9-1 last year with a 0.92 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 68.1 innings pitched. Opponents batted just .174 against the University of Arizona-bound star.

Seeburger, considered one of the top juniors in the state last season, has committed to San Diego State University. He went 10-1 with a 0.65 ERA and 102 strikeouts in 85.2 innings pitched.

Roth and Seeburger are also two of the team's top hitters. An outfielder when not on the mound, Roth led the team with a .410 batting average and 22 RBIs. Seeburger, a DH, batted .347 with 16 RBIs.

Austin Ott is also a strong two-way player for the Panthers. One of the top sophomores in the state last season, Ott posted a 7-1 record with a 1.85 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 53 innings pitched. He also batted .306 with 14 RBIs.



Joining that trio on the mound is senior right-handed pitcher Dylan Estensen, who posted a 4-0 mark with a 1.09 ERA. In the field, Zach Mann (SS) is another potential Division I prospect. He batted .341 with 20 RBIs last year.

While the Panthers lost a number of starters in the field, Lepire is looking at a group of underclassmen who starred on the league championship JV team to fill in the gaps. Juniors Nick Byrd (CF), Josh Cuppett (1B) and Brody Roberts (OF) have joined the varsity along with sophomore Chad Koller (UTIL) and senior Chris Perry (OF).

The road to another section championship will be a little different for Vista this season. Instead of competing in the Avocado East League and the Division I playoffs, Vista has moved to the more competitive Avocado West and is a member of the new Open Division for postseason play.



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Head coach Rick Lepire

Photo by Kirt Winter

School size: San Diego Section Division I


Enrollment: 3,310




2012 finish: 31-4, Division I champions


Head coach: Rick Lepire


Career record: 314-189-2


Years at school: 16 years


Notable MLB players:

Wes Littleton, 2003-2012



Trevor Cahill, 2006-12



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Pitcher Billy Roth

Photo by Kirt Winter

No. of starters returning: 5

Top losses:

Collin Nyenhuis

Jared Smith



Zach Taylor

Third baseman/pitcher Austin Ott

Photo by Kirt Winter

Key returners:

Billy Roth, OF/P, Senior, .410, 22 RBI, 9-1, 0.92 ERA, 68.1 IP, 67 K, 27 BB

Austin Ott, 3B/P, Junior, .306, 14 RBI, 7-1, 1.85 ERA, 35 K, 53 IP, 21 BB

Brett Seeburger, P/DH, Senior, .347, 16 RBI, 10-1, 0.65 ERA, 102 K, 85.2 IP, 20 BB

Zach Mann, SS, Senior, .341, 20 RBI



Dylan Estensen, RHP, Senior, 4-0, 1.09 ERA, 19.1 IP, 17 K, 5 BB


Key newcomers:

Nick Byrd, CF, Junior

Josh Cuppett, 1B, Junior

Chris Perry, OF, Senior

Brody Roberts, OF, Junior



Chad Zoller, UTIL, Sophomore



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Shortstop Zack Mann

Photo by Kirt Winter

Toughest game: The Panthers lost four times last season, all to San Diego area teams. The toughest game will likely come in the San Diego Lions Tournament in late March when they play Chaminade, Granite Hills and Coronado. A new member of the Avocado West League, Vista will also have some serious competition in league play with Carlsbad, Rancho Buena Vista and La Costa Canyon.

Local outlook: At the section level, Vista is playing in the new Open Division with Granite Hills, Rancho Bernardo, Poway, Rancho Buena Vista, La Costa Canyon, Helix and Torrey Pines. How tough is the new division? Every team won at least 18 games last season.

Overall outlook: Vista has a much tougher path to a section championship than it did last year. Playing in the new Avocado West League will be more challenging with Rancho Buena Vista, Carlsbad and La Costa Canyon - all 20-game winners last year - now on the league schedule. Getting through the rugged Open Division playoff bracket will also be no simple task. However Vista has plenty of pitching, which will likely be the key in the San Diego Section's double-elimination playoff format.

Coach quote: "With two players projected in the MLB June Draft, there will be no sneaking up on opponents. Our schedule is strong and will create a lot of excitement. Not a lot of depth so we need to stay healthy and accept the challenge of being targeted."
- Rick Lepire