The High Schools : Stroh Remains Calm About a Slow Start

Darryl Stroh’s blood pressure is down, perhaps because expectations are, too.

His Granada Hills baseball team is 0-5, but Stroh says that there have been more than a few high points. It’s just that most haven’t been during games.

“I’m enjoying everything but losing,” Stroh said. “I’ve had teams that won that have been more stressful than this one.”

Stroh said the current group of Highlanders are overachievers, and that living up to the school’s storied baseball history has been more of a hardship for the players than its coach.

“It’s been tougher on the kids than me,” he said. “They’re the first ones in a while that have had this kind of struggle.”

Applying appliances: Westlake Coach Rich Herrera kept track of Simi Valley’s offensive assault on the Serra tournament, where the Pioneers scored 48 runs in four games last week, and has come up with a plan to slow them down in today’s Marmonte League game.

First, he will pitch staff ace Mike Eby, who will be working on seven days’ rest. But, just in case, Herrera has a backup plan.

“We’re bringing the kitchen sink, the kitchen table, we’re bringing everything on the bus . . .,” he said. “The way they’re hitting the ball, I may have to get out there.”

Actually, not such a bad idea.

Herrera was a combined 16-4 for Rio Mesa in 1981 and 1982, when the Spartans won the Southern Section 1-A Division title and were runners-up, respectively.

“I’m the kitchen sink,” he said.

Pitch and run: Kevin Foderaro struck out nine and scattered four hits as Hart beat Boulder City, Nev., 10-3, in the third game of the Chaparral tournament last Saturday.

Not bad, especially for a guy who was promoted from the junior varsity to spell the Indians’ staff, which is without injured ace Jason Edwards.

Nevertheless, Foderaro probably will return to the JV.

“Foderaro would have to sit too much on the varsity,” Coach Bud Murray said. “It will depend on what happens to Jason.”

Edwards, who has been bothered by an inflamed rotator cuff, said he should be throwing in a week.

Thanks for the memories, Kevin.

In a slump: El Camino Real first baseman Ryan McGuire was selected state sophomore player of the year by Cal-Hi Sports last season after batting .397 with 14 runs batted in.

But this year, McGuire, as the barb goes, isn’t hitting his weight. He has just one hit in 10 at-bats, but has drawn six walks.

Seen any strikes lately, Ryan?

“When I do see ‘em, I’m not doing much with them,” he said. “I’ve always been a pretty selective hitter. I’m just not hitting the ball very well.”

Add El Camino Real: With his pitching staff taking a beating, Coach Mike Maio has moved McGuire, a left-hander, into the starting rotation.

McGuire has eight strikeouts and a 3.50 earned-run average in four relief innings. He has fared markedly better than starters Patrick Treend (0-2, 10.76 ERA) and Steve Smith (0-1, 15.40 ERA).

Said Maio: “In this conference, everybody’s the team to beat, except us.”

Staff writers Tim Brown, Steve Elling, Sam Farmer and Vince Kowalick contributed to this notebook.