Spring Sports Notebook : Sunia Slams Pitches From His Strike Zone Deep Into the Ozone

John Sunia is maintaining a tradition of power-hitting, left-handed first basemen at Channel Islands High. Even if he isn’t aware of it.

Sunia, a senior who has started at first for three years, hit home runs in six consecutive games this month, has eight homers this season and 18 in his career. Clearly not the type to be hung up on records, Sunia couldn’t say who held the single-season school record.

“The record is 16, I think, by, I think his name was Manuel, a while back,” Sunia said. “Ask the coach, he knows the records.”

Sunia, apparently, just swings the bat. He’s batting .404 with 25 runs batted in for the Raiders, who are battling strong Marmonte League opponents for a Southern Section 5-A Division playoff berth.

But, for his information, the record of 16 home runs--which is also a county record--was set by Arnold Garcia in 1983.

Like Sunia, Garcia was a left-handed first baseman.

Unlike Sunia, Garcia was 6-2, 220. Sunia, who was a three-year starter for and captain of the Raider football team, is built like a block and tackle at 5-7, 200. But he claims that being short helps him hit the long ball.

“Being short helps me a little bit,” said Sunia, who bats third in the lineup. “Pitchers have to throw to my strike zone.”

Pitching woes: Nordhoff’s two strongest pitchers, seniors Jason Savard and Larry Carlton, are both sidelined.

Savard, a 6-4 right-hander who is 3-3-1 with a save, broke his left foot on first base while running out a ground ball and is lost for the season. Carlton, a right-hander who is also batting .457, has mononucleosis and will be out at least two weeks.

On the plus side, Coach Mark Capritto is pleased with the play of the four sophomores in Nordhoff’s starting lineup, especially shortstop Rob Fournier, who is batting .313.

Nordhoff is 5-7, 2-5 in Frontier League play.

New Musketeer coach: Rob Dearborn has been hired to coach the Moorpark High football team, school Principal Cary Dritz announced Tuesday.

Dearborn, 24, was the junior varsity football coach for the past two seasons at Newbury Park, where he compiled an 18-2 record. He is also the Panthers’ varsity track coach, a position he has held for two years.

“In his short history as a coach, Dearborn has demonstrated the extra ability and leadership necessary to be a head coach,” Dritz said.

Dearborn, who replaces Bob Noel, played football at Kern Valley High in Lake Isabella. He played linebacker and center for one season each at Bakersfield College and Cal Lutheran.

Hantgin signs: Ventura High’s Chris Hantgin signed a letter of intent to play basketball for Gonzaga, a Division I university that competes in the Western Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Hantgin, a Times’ all-county selection, helped Ventura to a record of 21-6 this season by averaging 19.1 points and 6 rebounds a game. The 6-4 forward scored 906 points during his three-year high school career.

Gonzaga, located in Spokane, Wash., was 16-12 last season with a WCAC record of 7-7 under Coach Dan Fitzgerald.

Klemm signs: All-American Mary Klemm has signed with Arizona. The Buena High point guard, who was a Times’ all-county selection, chose the Lady Cats over Arizona State and Utah.

Klemm (5-7) led Buena to a record of 24-3 and to the Southern Section 4-A Division semi-finals this season by averaging 10.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 5.7 ball recoveries and 5.1 rebounds a game. She was recognized as one of the top defensive players in the country.

DeLaittre signs: Shawn DeLaittre, who helped Simi Valley High to the Southern Section 4-A Division title this season, has signed a letter of intent to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, a Division II school in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn.

DeLaittre, a 6-5 forward, averaged 15.2 points and 8.9 rebounds this season and was a three-year starter.

Hawking signs: Simi Valley point guard Butch Hawking (6-2) has accepted an appointment at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Hawking, a two-year starter who averaged 12.4 points and 8.2 assists this season, will play basketball at Air Force, a Division I school competing in the Western Athletic Conference.

Add signings: Ventura College has signed three football players--Lee Jaitt, Roger Perkins and Alex DeHayward--to letters of commitment for next season.

Jaitt, a defensive back, was most valuable player at Oxnard High last season. He is Oxnard’s career interception leader and was first-team All-Channel League.

Perkins, also a defensive back, did not play last season but led the Marmonte League in interceptions in 1986 while a senior at Channel Islands High, where he also ran track.

DeHayward, a defensive lineman, played at Taft College last season and played in the Shrine game after his high school career at Montclair Prep.