Baseball: Torrance saves big pitcher for another day

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Torrance has one of those big-bodied pitchers -- a kid at 6 feet 6, 235 pounds.

His name is Jason Wheeler, who has a 4-2 record with 54 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings and a 2.10 ERA. ‘He’s a good hitter, too,’ said Coach Ollie Turner. ‘He’s raw and strong.’

Turner saved the big kid’s arm Wednesday against Compton Centennial and just let him bat cleanup. Smart move. The Tartars won easily, 15-5, as Wheeler proved he is a good hitter, lacing a couple line-drive hits. Wheeler, whose brother, Ryan, plays for Loyola Marymount, was hitting .302 with two homers and 14 RBIs entering the game.

In the meantime, Torrance (16-4, 5-0) now has a stranglehold on first place in the Pioneer League with a two-game lead over second-place El Segundo (14-9, 3-2).

-- Anthony Stitt

-- Image from www.bartechco.com