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AMERICAN LEGION NOTEBOOK : Youngsters Come of Age in Summer

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Some high school baseball coaches use American Legion games to aid the development of underclassmen, others prefer to field teams that predominantly employ older players.

In either case, rarely do sophomores make an impact. But this summer, a couple of young guns have outperformed their older teammates.

Russell Ortiz, a right-hander with Panorama City, already has thrown a no-hitter and a two-hitter. Ortiz just completed his sophomore season at Montclair Prep as the No. 2 starter behind senior Kevin Grant.

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It did not take long for Ortiz to show he could keep pace with the high-caliber players of District 20, such as fellow Panorama City starter Roland De La Maza, who played at College of the Canyons this season.

“He looks a little like Roland on the mound,” Panorama City Coach Scott Smith said. “He’s real cool. He looks about 18, but he just turned 16.”

What’s more, Smith says Ortiz throws harder than De La Maza, who once struck out 20 batters in a game while playing at St. Genevieve High.

Burbank’s Mike Rossiter pitched as a sophomore at Burroughs High and was 3-6 with a 2.88 earned-run average this season. Yet a better indication of Rossiter’s potential might lie in his ratio of strikeouts (81) to innings pitched (73).

“I think he’s a prospect,” said Burbank Coach Ray Moore, a former pro scout. “His arm’s really coming around.”

Moore has been bringing Rossiter along slowly but said that he cut the 6-foot-6 right-hander loose two weeks ago in a 7-2 victory over West Hills. Rossiter--who also plays basketball--threw 102 pitches in nine innings, allowed two hits, struck out 14 and walked two. Speed guns have clocked Rossiter in the 81-85-m.p.h. range.

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“Right now, I’m trying to work on his arm location,” Moore said. “Like any kid, he wants to throw sidearm, throw over the top, throw a knuckleball. Shoot, he wants to come at you from all over.”

Statistic of the week: Rossiter’s batterymate, Bob Sherwood, has a pretty good gun of his own. Sherwood, who will be a senior next season at Burroughs, has thrown out 11 of 13 would-be base stealers.

Another 4-A foray of sorts: Today’s 5:15 p.m. matchup between Woodland Hills West and Chatsworth features several players from the City Section 4-A Division championship game.

Chatsworth beat El Camino Real to win the title. Several El Camino Real players are on the West roster.

Through Sunday

District 20 Standings

League

Team W L Pct GB Western Division Woodland Hills (E) 8 1 .888 Agoura 5 5 .500 3 1/2 Las Virgenes 5 5 .500 3 1/2 Woodland Hills (W) 3 3 .500 3 1/2 Reseda 4 5 .444 4 Granada Hills 3 6 .333 5 Chatsworth 2 5 .286 5 Encino-Crespi 2 7 .222 6 Northern Division Lancaster 7 2 .778 - Quartz Hill 7 2 .778 - Eagle Rock 6 3 .667 1 New.-Saugus 5 4 .556 2 Palmdale 4 4 .500 2 1/2 West Hills 5 6 .455 3 Studio City 1 8 .111 6 San Fernando 0 6 .000 5 1/2 Eastern Division Sun Valley 6 1 .857 1/2 Panorama City 8 2 .800 - Van Nuys-N. Dame 5 2 .714 1 1/2 Valley (ET) 4 3 .571 2 1/2 Glendale 5 4 .555 2 1/2 Verdugo Hills 4 4 .500 3 Burbank 4 5 .444 3 1/2 North Hollywood 1 9 .100 7

Standings provided by American Legion District 20 Commissioner Mel Swerdling.

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