Legion’s Top Team Has to Prove Itself Again in Playoffs

Newhall-Saugus Coach Tom Pedersen’s team posted an .809 winning percentage in District 20 American Legion play this season. Seemingly, a 17-4 record would be cause to celebrate.

Almost any coach would be content with a record like that . . . except one whose team is in a nearly dead-even playoff for Legion payoff. And Pedersen, whose club is one of eight teams in the District 20 playoffs that open today, is in such a situation.

“It’s nice to say we have the best record in District 20, but it’s meaningless come playoff time,” Pedersen said. “We’re not impressed with our own record.”

That’s because impressive records were not that unusual this season in District 20 competition. Only two games in the standings separate Northern Division champion Newhall-Saugus from the rest of the playoff field.

In first-round games this morning at 11, Encino-Tarzana (16-5) plays Glendale (15-6) at Birmingham High, and Van Nuys-Notre Dame (16-5) takes on Granada Hills (15-6) at Pierce College.

Chatsworth (16-5) faces Reseda-Cleveland (15-6) at Birmingham, and Newhall-Saugus plays last year’s tournament champion, Woodland Hills (16-5), at Pierce, in 3 p.m. contests.

The double-elimination tournament concludes Sunday with the championship game scheduled for 11 a.m. at Birmingham High.

The winner and runner-up advance to the Area 6 playoffs at Moorpark College from Aug. 6-9.

Even if their regular-season record doesn’t carry a lot of clout, Newhall-Saugus will have the Legion’s most powerful quartet on its side against Woodland Hills--Billy Picketts and Don Pedersen each hit five home runs during the regular season, and Tom Dodson and Gary Morgan each hit four.

Woodland Hills knows a little about hitting, too, batting .394 as a team. In 19 District 20 regular-season games (the team had one victory and one loss by forfeit), Woodland Hills scored 216 runs.

Even with leading hitter Denny Vigo (.538) injured and sidelined for the playoffs, Woodland Hills has eight players batting .400 or better with 29 or more at-bats.

Roger Salkeld, with a 7-1 record and 67 strikeouts in 55 innings, will start for Newhall-Saugus. Woodland Hills Coach Mitch Fair will start left-hander Mike Teich (3-0, 3.78 earned-run average).

Teich, who relies on the fastball, struck out 14 Cleveland-Reseda batters in a recent game.