Prep talk: Fremont, once best in City Section baseball, plays for Division III title

A first-year baseball coach, Dino Flores, teaches health and has a freshman from Venezuela, Roiber Colmenares, in his class for the semester. Colmenares asks how he can join the baseball team, saying he played baseball in Venezuela. Flores confirms he can help and has Colmenares demonstrate fielding a ground ball using an imaginary ball. Flores recognizes Colmenares’s movement as that of a baseball player. With Colmenares leading, Fremont advances to face Hamilton in the Division III final at Stengel Field. Flores describes Colmenares as the team’s best hitter and best pitcher. Fremont has a history of City titles, with the last in 1963 and another in 1992.

"One day, Colmenares asked Flores a strange question. "Hey Mr. Flores," he said in Spanish. "Do you know how I can join the baseball team?" "Yes I do," Flores said. Colemenares told him playing baseball was all he did in Venezuela. Then Flores had Colemenares show him how to field a ground ball with an imaginary ball in class."

""That's when I knew we had something special," Flores said. "Just his movement you could tell he's a baseball player." With Colmenares leading the way, Fremont has advanced to face Hamilton in Friday's 2:30 p.m. Division III final at Stengel Field. The Division II final will have South East playing Roosevelt at 5:30 p.m. at East Los Angeles College."

""He's our best hitter and best pitcher," Flores said of the 5-foot-8, 140-pound freshman. Fremont used to be a baseball power, having won five upper-division City titles, the last in 1963. There also was a 3A title in 1992. "The history is well documented," Flores said."

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