Win or Lose, Reseda’s Brody Maintains High Spirits

Steve Brody was all talk after pitching a complete-game, two-hitter Monday to lead Reseda to an 8-1 win over West Valley League opponent El Camino Real. But then Brody is always talking.

“I guess I do talk a lot,” he said. “I’m the type of guy to keep everybody loose.”

Brody, a third-year starter for the Regents, has spent many an afternoon bending the ears of teammates and playing the role of team wise guy.

“He’s sort of the team comic,” Coach Mike Stone said.

Said Brody: “Winning helps.”

Brody has helped himself to 6-2 record and is tied with Chatsworth’s Pierre Amado for most wins by a league pitcher.

“If I pitch well, I’m always happy,” Brody said.

And when he doesn’t pitch well? Well, he’s still happy. Brody was shelled by Chatsworth, 18-2, earlier this season. The Regents committed nine errors, but Brody didn’t point any fingers.

“I can’t get mad at these guys,” he said. “A lot of the guys were nervous because we were playing Chatsworth--the big Orange. I put myself in their position: Would I want to hear about how I pitch?”

In gear and meshing: Simi Valley is 6-1 since returning from its rough-and-tumble trip to the Colonial Classic in Orlando, Fla., including five wins in the Marmonte League.

The Pioneers are 17-5, 7-1 in league play, but have been most impressive since their return. In the six post-tournament victories, Simi Valley has outscored its opponents, 69-16, an average of nearly nine runs a game.

The only loss in the stretch was a 6-3 nonleague decision to El Segundo in the first game of a doubleheader. Simi Valley won the second game, 15-7.

The team batting average is .355 and the earned-run average in league games is 0.71.

“I think we’ve finally come together as a team,” said Scott Sharts, who leads the Pioneers with a batting average of .530, 14 home runs and 34 runs batted in. He also has a 7-0 record and a 1.35 ERA.

The team is beginning to remind Sharts of the one he was part of two seasons ago when he was a sophomore. That team went 26-4, spent much of the season as the nation’s No. 1-ranked team and eventually lost in the Southern Section 4-A Division semifinals to Esperanza.

“The talent on that team was unbelievable,” Sharts said. “But at this point, I like the team I’m on now.

“Right now, we’re really peaking. I’m glad we didn’t do it too early. I think our intensity and confidence is built up to almost our highest level.”

New opponent: Taft filled out its 1988 football schedule by adding Servite of the Angelus League for a home game in the third week of the season. A contract has not been signed but Taft Coach Tom Stevenson expects it to be a two-year deal.

Along with its seven conference games, Taft also plays Palisades and has scheduled a scrimmage against Reseda in the first week of the season. Under new City Section regulations, the scrimmage may be elevated to game status if both coaches agree. Stevenson said he has yet to discuss that possibility with Reseda Coach Joel Schaeffer.

Honor roll: Teddy Davila of Reseda and Marc Schnapper of Calabasas have been named to the California Youth Soccer Assn. South team.

The team, which consists of high school players aged 15 1/2 to 17 1/2, will play in the Milk Bowl tournament in Sacramento on May 7-8.

Davila, a junior stopper, helped Reseda win its first City Section 4-A soccer title this year and Schnapper, a senior, played fullback for Calabasas.

Sidelined: Alemany softball pitcher Lynn Torres filled the breach left by the injury to pitcher Rebecca Stuart, pitching a five-hitter in the Indians’ 3-2 victory Wednesday over Notre Dame.

Stuart (7-2), a junior, tore ligaments in her left knee while sliding into second base Monday against Louisville and will be out indefinitely.

Torres (3-2), a senior, had returned from a recent injury. She suffered a broken nose in the Simi Valley tournament and returned to the lineup two weeks ago.

“I could have done better,” Torres said, “because I’m not in that great of shape right now. But I’m happy we won.”

In control: Alemany’s three runs represented an outburst against Notre Dame pitcher Becca Berline (12-3). The sophomore lost despite pitching a three-hitter.

In four previous San Fernando Valley league games, Berline had allowed one run. In 36 league innings, she has 45 strikeouts and has allowed 7 walks and 14 hits.

Significant statistic: Reseda volleyball Coach Bob Berrenson is happy with his team’s play. The Regents have a 10-1 record and have good hitting and passing percentages.

But the number Berrenson is the most pleased about is the team’s grade-point average. Thirteen of Reseda’s 25 varsity and junior varsity players have GPAs of 3.0 or better.

“We put a lot of emphasis on that from the start,” Berrenson said.

Chatterbox: On the court, Reseda has been successful because Coley Kyman, a 6-4 junior middle blocker, has taken a more vocal role.

“Coley has been our court general,” Berrenson said. “He keeps talking all the time, telling everybody what to do.”

According to Berrenson, it took time to get the normally talkative Kyman to take on that role.

“When he feels people aren’t listening to him, he stops talking,” Berrenson said. “But the team has finally acknowledged that that’s Coley’s job.”

Few people who know Kyman would believe he needs to be coaxed into talking. “It didn’t take that much,” Kyman admitted. “I’m always talking.”

Staff writers John Lynch, Chris J. Parker and Lauren Peterson contributed to this notebook.