Pressure Points Stimulate Ornelas : Baseball: Senior center fielder prospers in clutch situations for Sylmar.

The determined look in Dereck Ornelas’ eyes was easy to detect last week as he stared down the third-base line while waiting for a signal from Sylmar High baseball Coach Gary Donatella.

Sylmar was trailing Poly, 5-1, in a Valley Pac-8 Conference game and Donatella was trying to orchestrate a rally with two runners on base in the third inning.

Ornelas, who had struck out looking in his previous at-bat with runners in scoring position, was hungry for a hit.

“You’re the man this time,” Donatella yelled to Ornelas.

The No. 3 hitter said nothing, but the two sharp nods toward Donatella was response enough. Ornelas ripped the first pitch over the left-center wall, 355 feet away, for a three-run homer.

That hit cut Poly’s lead to 5-4 and was the first of four for Ornelas in Sylmar’s two-game sweep of Poly last week. The home run keyed the Spartans’ six-run third inning Tuesday and helped build confidence in the Spartans, who were challenging Poly for the East Valley League title. The teams are currently tied for the league lead at 14-2.

“Our team just rose a notch after that,” Donatella said of the home run. “This kid is contagious. It was like a Michael Jordan slam dunk almost. It got everybody pumped and excited.”

The contagion was manifested in 7-6 and 11-3 victories over Poly.

Ornelas, a senior, drove in six of the 18 runs against Poly and scored three times. He went four for six, including a two-run double in the second game, and raised his batting average from .438 to .457 against a pitching staff that came into the two-game series with an earned-run average of 1.63.

“The best player I’ve ever coached,” Donatella said of his center fielder. “And I’ve told him that too.”

Last season Ornelas finished in the top six for Valley-area City Section players in batting average (.457, fifth), runs scored (33, third), doubles (12, tie for first), triples (four, tie for second), home runs (four, tie for fifth) and runs batted in (28, tie for sixth).

Ornelas has posted similar numbers this season. He leads the team in runs batted in (37), triples (five), home runs (six) and stolen bases (11). After homering twice and singling in four at-bats against Grant on Tuesday, Ornelas raised his batting average to .473.

The California Angels have expressed interest in drafting Ornelas. He hopes to sign with the Angels but said he probably will play at Mission College.

A varsity player since his sophomore year, Ornelas has learned to look forward to hitting in clutch situations. And there is no other City player whom Donatella would rather have at the plate in a tight game than Ornelas.

“He’s a competitor,” Donatella said. “When the white lines go down, there’s no one better. I don’t care if I split the team in two and do a hit-and-run drill, or a bunt drill, and the losers have to run, or do the field. He can’t handle (losing). There’s no question. I’d want Dereck up there because nobody hits the ball harder.”

No player can be expected to produce in every clutch situation, however, and Ornelas is no exception.

In a game against Birmingham on April 18, the Spartans were trailing Birmingham, 9-8, in a conference game. The bases were loaded with two out in the bottom of the seventh inning. It was the kind of situation in which Ornelas thrives.

On a full count, Ornelas swung and missed a high fast ball.

“The pressure was on, but I like those situations,” he said. “When I didn’t come through for us. . . . I was real down after that game. I didn’t want to eat, or (do) anything.”

Sylmar’s sweep of Poly helped Ornelas regain his appetite. Now, Ornelas is craving an appearance in the City 4-A championship game at Dodger Stadium. If he gets to the final and faces another clutch situation, his plan is clear. “Oh, I’m going base hit all the way,” Ornelas said. He smiled as he simulated a swing with his arms. “I don’t want to let my team down again.”