AROUND THE LEAGUES : Scouts Sing Big-League Praises of Thousand Oaks’ Songbirds

Scouts from eight major-league organizations had their eyes out for prospects as the Thousand Oaks tournament began Monday morning. Some also had their ears out because the names they jotted down were those of the Thousand Oaks High girls who sang the national anthem. Texas Rangers scout John Young and St. Louis Cardinals scout Steve Flores were impressed enough to pass along the names of Dani Niven, Amy Johnston, Michelle Means and Tiffany Morrill to the front offices of the Angels and Dodgers. “There’s a long waiting list to sing the anthem before a big league game,” Flores said, “but these kids have talent.”

Less pleased was a player’s mother who was working at the snack bar. “These scouts are supposed to be here to watch the guys,” she groused, “and the first thing they do is come over to ask the names of those girls.”

Hospitable hosts: Thousand Oaks bowed out of its own tournament by 3 p.m. Monday after losing to Reseda and Canyon. Ken Sollom, who helped hand Thousand Oaks its only two losses last football season while playing quarterback at Canyon, pitched a complete-game victory to eliminate the Lancers. . . . Diamond Bar’s Brian Hendrick, who at 6-7 is the mirror image of his father, George, of the California Angels, hit a grand slam and a two-run home run in the first two innings in a 10-9 loss to Reseda on Tuesday. After three games, Hendrick, who uses the same closed stance as his father, is 5 for 11 with eight runs batted in. Reseda plays Canoga Park for the tournament championship at 1 p.m. today. . . . Canoga Park pitchers Mike Roberts, who had been academically ineligible, and Mike Kerber, who had tendinitis, made their first pitching appearances of the season in the tournament.

Normally weak Santa Paula defeated El Camino Real and Westlake in the tournament. “This is a once-in-a-two-or-three-decade team for us,” said Coach Henry Jacinto, whose team is in first place in the Frontier League. . . . Camarillo has won three of four since dropping its first 10 games. Two new starting pitchers--sophomore Steve Biggs and senior John Dickenson--have made the difference. Dickenson beat Thousand Oaks in a Marmonte League game last week and Canyon on Monday in the tournament. Biggs beat Westlake with a four-hitter last Friday. . . . Scouts from five major-league teams handed out business cards to Reseda shortstop Matt Gilmore at the tournament. “The major-league scouting bureau told me Monday morning they would have a video camera on me,” said Gilmore, who is 6-4 and has good speed. He is 5 for 10 with a home run and a triple in three tournament games.

Another magic Laker: Simi Valley moved into today’s championship bracket of the Colonial tournament in Florida with an 8-7 win over Oak Ridge of Orlando on Monday, thanks to a big seventh inning by catcher Tim Laker, who was 3 for 4 and had the game-winning RBI. Laker turned a bases-loaded suicide-squeeze attempt in the seventh into a double play. Then with two out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning, he singled to win the game. Scott Sharts, who picked up the win in relief, will start today against Coconut Creek (Fla.). . . . Despite San Fernando’s 3-0 loss to Poly in the Holt/Goodman tournament, Coach Steve Marden is rejoicing because he didn’t lose any players because of academic ineligibility when grades came out last week. “That’s unusual for us,” Marden said. “I feel real good that we’re batting a thousand this year.”. . . . St. Genevieve pitcher Dan Parraz is academically ineligible, reducing the roster to 12 players.

Big bang theory: Big innings have played a part in two Hart victories over opponents from the East Valley League in the Holt/Goodman tournament. On Saturday the Indians handed Poly--ranked No. 1 in The Times Valley poll at the time--its first loss of the season with three runs in the seventh en route to a 4-3 win. In the tournament semifinals Monday, Hart (12-6) pounded Sylmar, 13-7, another East Valley team ranked in the top 10. Hart scored 12 runs in the third inning against Sylmar, but allowed eight runs in the third against Arcadia in Tuesday’s 9-3 loss. Against Sylmar in the third inning, David Lee had five runs batted in with a two-run double and a three-run home run. Four batters were hit by pitches in the inning by Sylmar pitchers Nino Romo and Kevin McDonnell. “That’s unusual,” Hart Coach Bud Murray said. Unusual, but not unheard of. Earlier in the season, Hart pitcher Chris Matkins hit three Burroughs batters in one inning. . . . Hart sophomore Casey Burrill pitched a three-hitter and struck out nine in his pitching debut against Monroe on Saturday. . . . Kennedy is the only City Section team in the Babe Herman tournament, which as a rule includes only Southern Section teams. “The reason I got in the tournament was to play different teams,” Coach Dick Whitney said. . . . Newbury Park’s Scott Davidson, the team’s best pitcher last season, returned this week from a knee injury and pitched three innings without allowing a hit against Buena on Saturday in the Babe Herman tournament. Panther shortstop Dan Smith was sidelined because of a broken nose last week, and junior David Angulo has eight hits in three games since replacing Smith. . . . Burroughs, which hasn’t made the playoffs since 1975, beat San Gabriel twice last week to stay in the Foothill League playoff picture. The wins gave Burroughs its first-ever sweep of a league opponent. “It’s a real good thing for the kids,” Coach Paul Heaney said. “It’s something the program has needed.” Burroughs also welcomed the return of catcher Rick Hoban, who had been academically ineligible. In his first game back Hoban was 3 for 4.

Basketball: Taft’s Kevin Franklin and Louisville’s Andrea Knapp were named Valley Players of the Year at The Times’ awards brunch Sunday at the Anaheim Hilton. John Clark, who led Saugus to the Southern Section 3-A Division title, was named boys Coach of the Year. Craig Raub, who led Kennedy to its second straight City 4-A title, was named girls Coach of the Year for the third year in a row.