HIGH SCHOOL NOTEBOOK : Rossiter Draws Quite a Crowd for No-Hitter

Despite hitting a home run, a double and driving in four runs in Burroughs High’s 12-0 win over Burbank on Friday, Mike Rossiter was overshadowed by the Burroughs’ pitcher.

Who just happened to be Rossiter.

The 6-foot-5 senior right-hander pitched a no-hitter, and in doing so he struck out 15 and did not allow a ball to leave the infield.

“The guy got three hits, four RBIs and the no-hitter,” Burroughs Coach Terry Scott said. “It was an awesome performance. He was a pitcher, instead of a thrower. He had great control of every pitch. He just took another step up.”

Scott said that about 20 scouts were watching the game. In Rossiter’s previous start, scouts from 23 major league teams were in attendance, according to Scott. Rossiter is 2-1 with 46 strikeouts in 23 innings.

“The scouts have been there, but there usually aren’t that many,” Rossiter said. “You have to go out and play hard, not worry about them. I was concerned with beating our rivals.

“We want this game more than any other because this is the rival. It’s tradition.”

Burbank seems to bring out the best in Rossiter--he pitched a one-hitter and had 14 strikeouts against the Bulldogs last season.

Time trials: Track and field records seem to be items of question whenever a member of the Holcomb family sets one.

Erik Holcomb, a junior at Westlake, broke his late brother Mike’s school record in the 400 meters March 16 in the Northridge/Alemany Relays, but area newspapers printed different times, including two marks that would not have bettered the 48.7-second standard at Westlake.

Although Holcomb’s time posted on the result board was 49.30--The Times printed 49.30, the Daily News printed the hand-held time of 49.3--the official Accutrack photo showed 48.42, thus a school record.

It is not the first time there has been a discrepancy with a mark set by a Holcomb.

Erik’s father Buzz, a 1965 graduate of Alemany High, set a school record of 22 feet 5 inches in the long jump in a dual meet. The following Saturday, Buzz bettered his record with a leap of 22-11 3/4.

The latter mark inadvertently was not recorded in the Alemany record books and the 22-5 jump still stands.

Well heeled: Jeff Wilson of Newbury Park High knows that his last-lap strategy in the distance events is not foolproof.

In two invitationals this season Wilson used the tactic, but he is leery that his opposition may soon catch on. “It’s getting rather obvious, isn’t it?” Wilson said.

The junior tags along behind the leaders until the bell lap, then takes off on a furious sprint over the final 400 meters to win the race. Wilson used that tactic earlier this month in winning the 3,200 in the Ventura Relays and the 1,500 in the Northridge/Alemany Invitational.

After following the pack for seven laps at Ventura, Wilson burst to the lead and ran 60.4 seconds over the final 400 to win in 9:56.4. At Northridge he tailed Erik Spayde of Thousand Oaks and Venice’s Ben Mesfen, the sixth-place finisher in the 1,600 in last year’s state finals, before sprinting to a 12-meter victory in 4 minutes 0.67 seconds.

Double trouble: Brothers Darren and Kevin Brown have compiled some big numbers for the L. A. Lutheran baseball team.

As of Friday, Darren, a senior, led the Lions in hitting (.692), doubles (five), and runs batted in (seven). Kevin, a junior, was the team leader in stolen bases (nine) and was second in batting (.500).

Pleasant surprise: Sylmar Coach Gary Donatella has been surprised by the strength of his pitching staff, particularly junior right-hander Jose Villafana, who threw a one-hitter in a 3-0 loss to Poly and beat Monroe with a five-hitter Friday. Villafana is 2-1 and Sylmar has jumped to a 5-3 record, including a 3-1 East Valley League mark.

“Villafana is gaining more and more confidence each week,” Donatella said. “You can see it in his eyes. I didn’t really expect him to be doing this well this soon.”

Villafana, who has not allowed an earned run in 21 innings, has an unorthodox delivery, which might explain why batters are coming up empty against him.

“When he drops down sidearm, the ball really tails off,” Donatella said. “When you’ve got a guy coming at you sidearm, not a lot of high school players are going to hang in there to see it.”

Add surprises: Birmingham right-hander Noah Kirshbaum (3-0) has shown good control in his first four outings, according to Coach Dave Contreras.

Kirshbaum, who pitched mostly in relief last year, has walked just four batters and given up three earned runs in 29 innings for an 0.72 earned-run average.

“He’s always had the potential, but I think he’s really matured on the mound since last year,” Contreras said. “Last year he might have thrown a tantrum if things didn’t go his way, now he keeps his emotions in line.”

Adam Benson, Mike Glaze and staff writer Paige A. Leech contributed to this notebook.