POWAY -- They're the defending CIF San Diego Section Division I champions, but there is no way the Poway High baseball players are resting and reading their press clippings.

"The coaches work us hard," said Titans first baseman Josh Anderson after Poway pounded Orange Glen 19-1 on Wednesday in the North County Times Tournament.

"They don't just lob balls down the middle to us in batting practice. We work on situations. Pulling the ball, hitting behind the runner, taking the outside pitch to right field.

"And I'm lucky because I have a batting cage at home. So I take what I learn at school and hit at home until I'm satisfied. There's no real number of swings or a time limit. I hit until I feel I've accomplished what I need to accomplish."

And it's paying off for the team -- which is 7-1, including 2-0 in the tournament -- but especially for Anderson and center fielder Brett Thomas.

Anderson was 2-for-3 on Wednesday, hitting his fifth home run of the season and improving his batting average to .565.

Thomas, who also was 2-for-3, improved his average to .518.

"The coaches preach, 'get 'em on, get 'em over, get 'em in,' " Thomas said. "They break the curve ball machine out for batting practice.

"We don't just swing from our heels on balls down the middle in batting practice, we work on every situation.

"And the great thing is that this team is so together. We'll do anything for each other. The chemistry is great. We have a big roster, but we're a band of brothers.

"We all cheer for each other.

"And we know what it takes to win."

The Titans are young, too.

The top five hitters in the lineup are four juniors and a sophomore. And the Titans start five underclassmen.

"The bats started to heat up the last couple of games of winter league," said Poway coach Bob Parry. "These kids are so experienced, so baseball savvy that we decided as coaches to take it up a level.

"We don't waste time in batting practice. We work on situational hitting, driving the ball the other way.

"We want our guys to know their strengths, especially when they're ahead in the count.

"We want them to look for their pitch and drive it. This group really has an idea.

"We're young, but we have so much experience. So we're further along than most teams.

"Deron Johnson has done a great job with the hitters. The guys have really bought in to what Deron is preaching."

Wednesday, five of the starters had at least two hits against Orange Glen (0-6). Every starter scored a run. And the Titans had seven extra-base -- three doubles, three triples and a home run.

"We have a lot of juniors, so our future is bright," said Anderson.

Staff writer John Maffei can be reached at (760) 740-3547 or jmaffei@nctimes.com.