Prep Wrapup : Different League, Same Story: El Segundo Feasts on Imbalance

Last season the Pioneer League included two of the Southland’s best prep baseball teams (Redondo and El Segundo) and two of the worst (Morningside and Centennial). The imbalance of power made for some terribly lopsided scores.

Because of realignment, the Pioneer League was scrapped and the schools were placed in various leagues. But the situation hasn’t changed for El Segundo.

The Eagles, now grouped with Catholic schools in the Camino Real League, are playing an even more inequitable schedule than last year, based on their scores of the past week.

El Segundo set a school record Wednesday for most runs scored in a game with a 27-2 rout over Verbum Dei, and followed it Friday night with a 24-0 shutout over Pius X. The two-game total: Eagles 51, opponents 2.

The imbalance of power could be seen in the Camino Real League standings entering Saturday’s games. The top five teams--St. Bernard, Serra, El Segundo, St. Anthony and Bosco Tech--had a combined record of 12-3. The bottom three teams--Verbum Dei, St. Monica and Pius X--were a collective 0-9.

And the bottom three aren’t just losing. They’re losing big. Serra routed St. Monica, 18-5, Wednesday and earlier this season blanked Pius X, 11-0, behind a no-hitter from Jeff Hazelitt, not known as an overpowering pitcher.

Playing the bottom three teams has been a boon for other players as well.

Dan Melendez, St. Bernard’s star pitcher and hitter, had a field day in an 8-1 win over Pius X on Wednesday. The left-hander pitched five innings for the victory and helped himself at the plate with two home runs and a triple.

Friday night, El Segundo sophomore pitcher Brett Newell looked as good as any player in the league. The son of El Segundo football Coach Steve Newell threw a four-hit shutout and went 4 for 5 with four RBIs against Pius X.

Things continued to go bad for North Torrance’s baseball team. The Saxons, who had hoped to turn their season around in the Ocean League, paid the price for shoddy defense this week in error-plagued losses to Redondo, 8-5, and Mira Costa, 8-7.

Considered one of the favorites for the Ocean title before the season, North dropped to 1-3 in league play and 3-8-1 overall as its losing streak reached three games.

Mira Costa, on the other hand, has to be considered the surprise of the year. The Mustangs, rated fifth in a pre-season coaches’ poll, are tied for first place with Culver City at 4-0 (8-3 overall) under first-year Coach Jim Beaumont.

All four of Mira Costa’s league wins have come in its last at-bat. Jason Garner delivered the game-winning hit Friday against North with a two-out double to score Andy Owens.

The Mustangs hope to be playing for the league lead when they travel to Culver City for a 3 p.m. game Friday.

As for North, the Saxons have an uphill battle to make the Southern Section 5-A playoffs. There are five teams ahead of them in the Ocean standings.

Redondo (3-1) fell from the ranks of the unbeaten in the Ocean League with a surprising 13-0 loss to West Torrance. The Warriors (2-2), winning for only the third time in 12 games, roughed up Redondo pitchers for 12 hits, including a grand slam by John Walsh.

Beaumont says one his first projects at Mira Costa is to improve the school’s baseball field.

“The facility needs to be upgraded,” he said. “It’s not an easy thing to do financially and time-wise, but we’re trying to fix up the field to be a first-rate place to play.”

The batting cages have been upgraded and Beaumont said he is working on getting a permanent fence built in the outfield and smoothing the infield.

Beaumont said his efforts have been supported by Athletic Director Herb Hinsche, who is also working with first-year football Coach Dave Brown and first-year basketball Coach Glenn Marx in helping revamp facilities.

Rolling Hills basketball star John Hardy, the two-time Bay League MVP, is still waiting to see if a four-year college will offer him a recruiting trip.

“I’m starting to get calls, but you can’t tell if they’re serious until they offer you a trip,” he said.

Hardy, a 6-4 senior who figures to play either small forward or off guard in college, scored 13 points Friday night as his team of Southern Section all-stars lost to a team of L.A. City standouts at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Wednesday is the first day of the spring signing period. The area’s top recruits--Ed Stokes of St. Bernard (Arizona), Zan Mason of Westchester (UCLA) and Harold Miner of Inglewood (USC)--signed early in November.

While the Camino Real League is wracked with disparity, the Bay League boasts the South Bay’s most balanced baseball race.

One game separates the top six teams. Rolling Hills and Hawthorne are tied for first place with 3-1 records and four teams--Palos Verdes, Beverly Hills, Leuzinger and Santa Monica--are deadlocked in third with 2-2 marks.

In pivotal games this week, Hawthorne visits Santa Monica and Leuzinger travels to Beverly Hills on Tuesday. The teams switch sites for Thursday’s rematches.