These Seven Show Two Ways to Win

It’s clear that the 2004 high school baseball season will be remembered most for its hard-throwing, power-hitting two-way players.

They’ve been so closely identified as standard-bearers for excellence that whenever they face each other, it’s like a final exam to determine who’s the best.

“It’s awesome to be able to play against some of those guys and see where you stand,� said Valencia pitcher and outfielder Jared Clark, who belongs near the top of this season’s list of elite two-way senior players.

The others are Mark Trumbo of Villa Park, Jason Corder of Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley, Jason Dominguez of Chatsworth, Phil Hughes of Santa Ana Foothill, Trevor Plouffe of Encino Crespi and Andy Beal of Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula.

The seven entered this week with a combined batting average of .423, including 37 home runs. As pitchers, they entered this week 46-4 with a 0.94 earned-run average.

Clark is the one who has made the most improvement over the first half of the season, establishing himself as a standout pitcher and hitter.

Before suffering a 4-0 defeat to Saugus on Wednesday, he was 5-0 with a 1.12 ERA. As a hitter, he’s batting .460 with eight home runs for a team ranked No. 1 in the Southland by The Times.

“He’s one of the best players I’ve coached, from his work ethic to his intensity on the field,� Coach Jared Snyder said.

A more consistent curveball has made Clark tougher to hit, but he continues to demand much of himself.

“I wouldn’t say I’m throwing the best I have or could,� he said. “I’m pitching very good to other people’s standards. My standards are perfection.�

Talking about his accomplishments is not something Clark likes to do. He has signed with Cal State Fullerton and could be taken in the June amateur draft, but he prefers to let his actions do his speaking.

“I’m a very humble person,� he said. “I’d rather tell you about my teammates.�

Other midseason observations:

Peninsula’s Beal is the comeback player of the year. He was shut down as a pitcher in early April last season because of tendinitis in his shoulder. He has returned to post a 7-1 record and 0.53 ERA.

All-City shortstop Dylan Cohen of Palisades is another player making an impressive comeback. After being sidelined with a stress fracture in his back from football, he has returned to play in seven games, going 11 for 24 with two home runs to provide an offensive boost for the Dolphins (14-3), 9-0 in the Western League.

Pitcher Brad Meyers of Anaheim Servite is challenging Trumbo and Hughes for ace status in Orange County. He threw consecutive shutouts against Santa Margarita and Santa Ana Mater Dei and is one of the Southland’s leaders in strikeouts with 76 in 51 1/3 innings. His ERA is 0.95.

Center fielder Reggie Foy of Westchester produced a memorable six-game hitting stretch in which he had 11 consecutive hits and went 15 for 17. He also has 25 stolen bases.

“I’ve been coaching 30 years, and this is the hottest kid I’ve had,� Westchester Coach Ron Kasparian said.

Chatsworth freshman third baseman Matt Dominguez has shattered the school record for runs batted in with 50, and there’s still three weeks left in the regular season. The state record of 68 RBI set by Alberto Concepcion of El Segundo in 1998 could be in jeopardy. It would be an extraordinary accomplishment for a 14-year-old.

Pasadena Poly could win the Southern Section Division V championship because freshman left-hander Rob Rasmussen pitches like a senior. He’s 9-0 and has 62 strikeouts in 39 innings.

San Fernando junior right-hander Matt Nevarez, who’s 6 feet 5 and was once considered a quarterback prospect, has 76 strikeouts in 52 innings and might be reconsidering his sports options.

“He’s definitely a big-time baseball prospect,� San Fernando Coach Armando Gomez said.

Cal State Fullerton has another top recruit besides Clark performing well in Brian Stevens of Ventura Buena. He’s 8-0 with a 1.62 ERA and is batting .412. He struck out 10 against Santa Barbara, 14 against Ventura and 15 against Santa Barbara San Marcos. He might be the player of the year in Ventura County.

Junior pitcher Ryan Tucker of Temple City has been close to unbeatable. He has thrown two no-hitters and given up one earned run in 49 2/3 innings, with 82 strikeouts. He has a 7-0 record.

Junior Brandon Laird of Westminster La Quinta could be next season’s top two-way standout. He’s 7-0 with a 1.01 ERA as a pitcher, and he’s batting .386 with six home runs.

Defending Division II champion Thousand Oaks was supposed to be in a rebuilding year. Instead, Coach Rod Stillwell’s Lancers (15-6, 9-1) are running away with the Marmonte League championship behind pitcher Brian Bird and shortstop David Fonseca.

The Southern Section title favorites are Lakewood (Division I), Villa Park (Division II), Encino Crespi (Division III), Westminster La Quinta (Division IV), Pasadena Poly (Division V) and Joshua Springs (Division VI).

In the City Section, defending champion Chatsworth (26-0) is headed for a No. 1 seeding in the playoffs, with San Pedro (21-3) and Woodland Hills El Camino Real (17-7) the likely challengers.

Eric Sondheimer can be reached at [email protected]

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Double Trouble

Top two-way senior baseball players in the Southland (statistics through April 26):

*--* Name, School Avg. Rec. ERA Andy Beal, Peninsula 346 7-1 0.53 Jared Clark, Valencia 460 5-0 0.96 Jason Corder, Capistrano Valley 397 6-1 1.79 Jason Dominguez, Chatsworth 420 6-0 1.65 Phil Hughes, Foothill 397 7-0 0.49 Trevor Plouffe, Crespi 500 6-1 0.80 Mark Trumbo, Villa Park 441 9-1 1.72

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