Boys’ Athlete of the Week : Luke Rises to Occasion for Final

Matt Luke had an up-and-down season for the El Dorado High School baseball team.

It ended with an up, as Luke went down the third-base line to steal home in the Southern Section 5-A championship game against Millikan Saturday.

“When I got to third, I was talking to Coach (Steve) Gullotti about it,” said Luke, who had led off the inning with a single. “He told me to see how far I could get off the bag. I just kept going.”

Luke, The Times’ athlete of the week, broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning with his run and the Golden Hawks went on to win, 2-0.

“We talked about possibly stealing home before the game,” Gullotti said. “Their pitcher (Todd Taylor) had a slow delivery. We felt if we got the right player in the right situation, it could work.”

Although Luke had only three stolen bases on the season, Gullotti believed he was the right man for the job.

“Matt is extremely competitive,” Gullotti said. “I would say he is one of the most determined players we have.”

Luke, who plays first base and pitches, couldn’t crack the starting lineup last season as a junior. The Golden Hawks had Scott Tomko, an All-Empire League selection, at first base and several talented pitchers.

The fact that Luke also played basketball hurt his chances, because he didn’t even throw a baseball until late February.

“He had only one week to practice before we started playing games,” Gullotti said. “He had no time to get into shape, especially for pitching. It takes six weeks to get your arm in shape.”

Luke was mostly used as a pinch-hitter.

“The other pitchers were in better shape than I was,” Luke said. “I had also grown five or six inches in two years. My muscles hadn’t caught up with my growing, so I was a little awkward.”

Luke, who is 6-foot-5, decided to be ready to pitch when this season started.

During basketball season, Luke pitched twice a week. He was a teacher’s aide in the physical education department during fifth period and spent some of the time throwing.

“There’s not a lot for a teacher’s aide to do,” he said. “I would run some stuff to the office, then go throw.”

When basketball season ended, he was ready. However, three weeks into the season, he developed a sore arm.

“I think Matt was just physically tired,” Gullotti said. “He had played football and then basketball. By the time baseball started, he was worn out.”

Luke played first base for the next five weeks. He was one of the team’s better hitters with a .406 average. Pete Janicki and Jay Hassel handled the pitching.

“They were throwing very well, so we could rest Matt,” Gullotti said.

That rest paid off near the end of Empire League play.

The Golden Hawks had a crucial two-game series against Katella. Janicki and Hassel combined for the victory in the first game.

Two days later, Gullotti called on Luke, who again was the right guy in the right situation.

Luke pitched a three-hit shutout for the victory and remained in the rotation the rest of the season. He finished with a 6-1 record and 1.57 earned-run average.

TOP PERFORMERS

Greg Hansell of Kennedy pitched a four-hitter, striking out 10, as the Fighting Irish defeated Saugus, 1-0, in nine innings Saturday in the Southern Section 3-A baseball final.

Pete Janicki of El Dorado pitched a three-hitter, striking out four, as the Golden Hawks defeated Millikan, 2-0, in the Southern Section 5-A baseball final Saturday.

Mike Nielsen of Mater Dei ran the fastest 1,600 meters in Orange County this season in placing fourth at the state track and field meet Saturday. Nielsen’s time was 4 minutes 11.56 seconds.

Greg Thurston of Edison finished sixth in the shotput at the state track and field meet Saturday with a throw of 56 feet 11 1/2 inches. His mark was a seven-inch improvement on his personal best.

Matt Luke

El Dorado High School

Position: Pitcher / first base

Height, Weight, Class: 6-5, 195, Senior

Last Week: Luke stole home in the fifth inning to break a scoreless tie in El Dorado’s 2-0 victory over Millikan in the Southern Section 5-A final. He also pitched four innings, allowing one run, in the semifinals against Lakewood.

Season: Luke was 6-1 with a 1.57 earned-run average. He also hit .406.