Serna Declared Ineligible at San Fernando

San Fernando High right-hander Frank Serna, a Times’ All-Valley and All-City selection last season as a sophomore, has been declared academically ineligible after failing to make up an incomplete grade he received during the fall semester.

Serna, who was 8-1 with a 1.43 earned-run average in 68 innings, did not complete an assignment in a science class, Coach Steve Marden said. Serna will be ineligible until the first week of April, the 10th week of the spring semester.

Serna was given until Feb. 26 to make up the work but missed the deadline when a friend was killed Feb. 24th, Marden said.

“Frank was just completely devastated,” Marden said. “But the bottom line is that Frank was negligent in class. He was given the opportunity to bail himself out of a hole he dug himself into, and he didn’t.”

San Fernando, which won the Mid-Valley League title last year with an 11-4 record, will use a two-man rotation of Rudy Vargas and Hector De La Cruz.