All-Valley Team Short on Headliners but Long on Competitors

San Fernando High baseball Coach Steve Marden suggested at the start of the season that the Valley’s dominance of the City Section baseball playoffs seemed threatened.

After assessing the area’s teams, Marden said candidly that the Valley’s streak of City 4-A Division championships might end at 18. Marden characterized 1991 as a year of parity among Valley teams, with no dominant team and no dominant pitcher.

The dominant pitcher in the City was Mike Busby, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound right-hander who pitched Banning to the Pacific League title and enabled the Pilots to enter the playoffs as the top-seeded team.

Through the first three rounds of the playoffs, Banning pitchers allowed Valley teams only three hits, propelling the Pilots into the championship game. All that stood between Banning and the end of the Valley’s playoff domination was San Fernando, which had 11 losses and was the third-place team from the North Valley League.

But Marden made another observation in his prognostication for the race for the City title. He conceded that Banning was a contender but still liked Valley teams’ prospects because of the level of competition in the Valley.

“You can’t underestimate the competition the Valley teams face,” Marden said. “Our teams face tough competition all through the season. We don’t have easy games. I think that makes our teams tough in the playoffs. Those teams over the hill don’t face that kind of competition.”

Marden’s scrappy bunch of overachievers made a prophet of their coach when the Tigers scored with two out in the bottom of the seventh inning at Dodger Stadium to upset Banning, 3-2, and extend the Valley’s title streak to 19. Even in a down year for Valley teams, one prevailed.

Fittingly, The Times’ All-Valley high school baseball team reflects that scrappy nature. What can be more plucky than a ballplayer picking up the pitcher-of-the-year award without a winning record?

Mike Rossiter, a hard-throwing right-hander, posted a 3-5 record for Burroughs and had a two-year record of 6-11.

But Rossiter was plagued with poor support. In games in which he was not the winning pitcher during the past two years, Burroughs was 2-36. When he pitched a no-hitter earlier in the season, the question might have been: Who won?

Still, Rossiter, the 38th player selected overall in last week’s amateur draft (by the Oakland Athletics), posted imposing numbers and proved to be the area’s most intimidating pitcher. He had a 1.62 earned-run average and allowed only 44 hits in 60 2/3 innings. He led area pitchers in strikeouts with 103 and walked only 31.

He also led the Burroughs’ offense, batting .439 with four home runs and 25 runs batted in. Marden, who brought San Fernando its first City baseball title in the school’s 96-year history, was named the area’s top coach and two Tigers were selected to the 14-member first team.

Dereck Ornelas was named the player of the year after his second consecutive solid all-around season for Sylmar.

Chatsworth breezed to the West Valley League title and placed four players on the All-Valley team. Sylmar and Poly, the dominant teams in the East Valley League for the past few years, were the only other schools with more than one player selected. Each school placed two players on the team.

TIMES ALL STARS VALLEY

Coach of the year Name: Steve Marden School: San Fernando Year: 15th season Average: 17-11 Record Pitcher of the Year Name: Mike Rossiter School: Burroughs Year: Senior Average: 3-5; 1.62 ERA Player of the year Name: Dereck Ornelas School: Sylmar Year: Senior Average: .447 Name: Jason Chandler School: Burbank Year: Senior Position: Pitcher Average: 6-2; 0.90 ERA Name: Robert Garcia School: Sylmar Year: Senior Position: Infield Average: .465 Name: Nestor Martinez School: Chatsworth Year: Senior Position: Infield Average: .359 Name: Marion McKinney School: Poly Year: Senior Position: Infield Average: .315 Name: Jose Nunez School: San Fernando Year: Junior Position: Infield Average: .425 Name: Russell Ortiz School: Montclair Prep Year: Junior Position: Utility Average: .479 Name: Adam Pearlman School: Chatsworth Year: Senior Position: Catcher Average: .368 Name: R.J. Simone School: Hart Year: Senior Position: Pitcher Average: 9-1, 2.17 ERA Name: Mitch Root School: Chatsworth Year: Senior Position: Outfield Average: .506 Name: Thurman Williams School: Chatsworth Year: Senior Position: Outfield Average: .453 Name: Jesus Perez School: Poly Year: Junior Position: Outfield Average: .438 Name: Gregg Sheren School: El Camino Real Year: Senior Position: Infield Average: .430 Name: Chris Tampoya School: Palmdale Year: Senior Position: Outfield Average: .403 Name: David Rojas School: San Fernando Year: Senior Position: Infield Average: .376