Corey Dotzler Athlete of the Week

Dotzler Starring at Hancock

With RYAN CHURCH still inactive due to a concussion he suffered Saturday in an outfield collision, the highest ranking Lompocan in baseball right now, at least the one who is playing games where they keep score, is Allan Hancock standout COREY DOTZLER (the baserunner in this photo by his grandfather.)

Dotzler went 2-for-3 with an RBI triple in the Bulldogs’ conference opener last week and followed up in a non-conference game with a 2-for-4 day with four RBIs.

To show he can run the bases, even if he was a catcher at Lompoc High two years ago, he scored four times.

For those performances he was named Male Athlete of the Week by the North County Athletic Round Table at its weekly meeting Monday. Then yesterday he doubled in the go-ahead run in a 4-3 victory over Moorpark.

We caught up with Dotzler today and asked how he liked playing third base instead of catching.

“I like it a lot. I only caught for two years, starting my junior year of high school, but infield I’ve been playing pretty much my whole life.” But he had always played shortstop, not third base, and yet at the beginning of the season it was his glove that won him a spot in the Bulldog starting lineup.

“My hitting wasn’t coming around but I was picking it pretty good at third. When my coach saw I could play there pretty well he just left me there.

Pitchers are tougher at the JC level, Dotzler said.

“You’ve got guys throwing a lot harder and spotting up a lot better. It’s a quicker pace. It’s not so laid back like in high school. It’s a lot better quality of baseball.”

Dotzler was blazing hot when the season began but then slumped.

“The last two weeks were pretty low. I was 0-for-4 one game, 0-for-3. I kind of struggled but my coach had some extra hitting for me. I stayed after practice a couple days and it got so I started hitting the ball again. Things have just been happening.”

They’ve been happening so well that Dotzler is batting in the clean up slot. Bulldog batting averages and RBI statistics are apparently a secret, so closely-guarded by the Dawg coaching staff that even Dotzler himself does not know his numbers. “I hope it’s over .300,” he shrugged.

Dotzler injured his knee in a freak accident in June 2006 so he did not play last season. Instead he spent time in the weight room and gained 15 pounds of muscle.

“After fracturing my kneecap thought maybe I wouldn’t play, but my dad kept pushing me and pushing me.”

Dotzler and the Bulldogs are glad he did.

The Bulldogs play tomorrow at 2 p.m. in a rematch with Moorpark, then visit Ventura Saturday before hosting Ventura on Tuesday.

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Minor league baseball

Chris White heads out

CHRIS WHITE will be heading out Sunday morning for Lakeland, Florida, the minor league camp of the Detroit Tigers. Spring Training starts on Monday. For the past two months Chris has been training at Sacramento City College where he played last spring.

The centerfielder was named Player of the Year by the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Tigers. He hit safely in his final seven GCL games from Aug. 20-27, going 14-for-28 with a double, triple, two home runs, four RBIs and six runs scored.

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Duffy in Arizona

Lefthanded pitcher DANNY DUFFY already departed for Arizona and the Kansas City Royals minor league camp.