THE HIGH SCHOOLS : Even With 20 Strikeouts, Left-Hander McGuire Might Have Missed Mark

El Camino Real High left-hander Ryan McGuire concedes it is unlikely that he will ever pitch better than he did during his 20-strikeout performance in Tuesday’s 7-2 defeat of Cleveland.

After all, 20 strikeouts in seven innings doesn’t leave a lot of room for improvement.

“I don’t see how I can,” McGuire said. “I was extraordinarily lucky. I was throwing my fastball for strikes, the curveball was right where I wanted it and the third pitch was working too.”

Yet if McGuire wants to claim, or perhaps reclaim , the seven-inning City Section record, he might need to raise his performance a notch.

As a senior, right-hander Bob Henriksen of Hollywood High struck out 21 in a seven-inning, 1-0 loss to Fairfax in 1939, according to teammate Howard Anderson.

Anderson said the Hollywood High yearbook says that Henriksen’s mark eclipsed state and national records at the time. Yet Henriksen’s performance was news to Cal-Hi Sports magazine, which keeps a log of all state marks. The City Section keeps no records on individual statistics.

“We’ll check it out,” said Cal-Hi’s Mark Tennis, whose record book indicates that McGuire was the first City pitcher to record 20 or more strikeouts in a seven-inning game. “If it’s true, we’ll recognize it. Yearbooks are always kind of iffy, though.”

Anderson recalled that Henriksen allowed “five hits or so.” McGuire allowed five hits against Cleveland.

“He was bigger than most of us and he threw pretty hard,” Anderson said of Henriksen. “Most of us were about 5-9 or 5-10 back then, and he was 6-2 or 6-3. He blew people away.”

Anderson, who said he started at second base in the 21-strikeout game, said Henriksen was signed by the Chicago Cubs but threw out his arm during his first season of professional ball.

Add record: According to Cal-Hi, the state and Southern Section record for a seven-inning game was set in 1973 by Jim Peterson of La Habra Sonora. Peterson struck out 22, with one batter reaching base on a passed ball.

The national record for a seven-inning game was set in 1986 by Brett Jennings of Lingleville, Tex. Jennings struck out 24 in a game against Santo, Tex. Also included on the national list are Vida Blue and Scott Garrelts; each struck out 21 in seven-inning games.

Cal-Hi’s records indicate that the single-game City mark was set in 1949 by Paul Pettit of Narbonne. Pettit struck out 27 Banning batters in a 12-inning game.

After retiring Cleveland’s leadoff batter on a ground ball to second, McGuire (2-0) recorded the final 20 outs via strikeout. He walked one.

McGuire, a 6-2 senior who will play next season at UCLA, has 45 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings and an earned-run average of 1.03.

Looooong ball: There is no outfield fence at Lanark Park, Canoga Park’s home field. Consequently, outfielders can play as deep as they dare.

When San Fernando Coach Steve Marden saw where the Canoga Park left fielder was playing Tiger slugger John Najar in a game at Lanark last week, he thought it was extreme.

“I remember thinking, ‘That’s outrageous,’ ” said Marden, who said that the Canoga Park player was standing in the middle of an adjacent softball field. “The guy was on the back edge of the infield dirt of the softball field. If he turns around, he’s their second baseman.”

During the at-bat in question, Najar strode to the plate with the bases loaded. Since everyone figured Najar could not hit the ball over the left fielder, Marden said he told Najar to “choke up and make contact, just try to drive the ball somewhere.”

Sure, Coach.

Najar not only pulled the ball over the left fielder’s head, he almost slammed it out of sight. The ball hit a fence near the softball backstop in left field that Marden estimated is 450 to 480 feet from home plate.

Canoga Park had the last laugh, however. Because the outfielder played so deep, Najar was held to a three-run triple.

Put a dent in it: Najar’s Lanark Park poke might not have been his most memorable blast of last week.

Two days earlier, in a 17-6 defeat of Canoga Park at San Fernando, Najar’s home run, his fifth, cleared the fence in left and landed on a Suzuki Samurai belonging to Tiger assistant Abel Ramirez.

“Good thing it was a ragtop,” Marden said. “That’s a dent, otherwise.”

Up-and-coming: Previously known for his exploits in cross-country and at two miles in track, Obed Aguirre of San Fernando is quickly establishing himself at shorter distances.

A week ago, Aguirre placed third in the 1,600 meters in the Pasadena Games at Occidental College. His time of 4 minutes 15.19 seconds (it converts to a 4:16.70 mile) was more than 11 seconds off his previous best and broke the school record in the mile (4:20.2) set by Tim Roelen in 1957 when he won the state title.

“Obed ran well, but he’s capable of running a lot faster before the season is over,” San Fernando Coach Ken Kohon said. “I watched the videotape of the race and Obed really wasn’t that tired after he finished. I think he’s capable of running under 4:10 in the 1,600 and under 8:50 in the 3,200 in the right race.”

Aguirre will not have to wait long for ideal competition. He is scheduled to run in the 3,200 in the Arcadia Invitational on Saturday, and Agoura’s Bryan Dameworth is expected to head the field.

Dameworth won the Kinney national cross-country title in December and placed second (9:00.27) in the 3,200 in the state track meet in June.

Roster addition: Woodland Hills West, the defending American Legion World Series champion, has added left-hander Joey Rosselli to its roster for the summer, Coach Don Hornback said. Rosselli, who is 4-1 and batting .500 for Alemany, lives in Woodland Hills.

“If everything works out, that could give us the Valley’s best right-hander and left-hander,” Hornback said.

The right-hander is Pat Treend, who is 4-0 for El Camino Real. Both pitchers have committed to play next season at Division I schools--Treend at UC Santa Barbara and Rosselli at Arizona State.