Notre Dame Glad to Lend Its Players

Notre Dame Coach Tom Dill is thrilled that he is missing the heart of his team for the beginning of the season. The Knights have been without shortstop Ryan Stromsborg, first baseman Glen Carson and left-handed starter Rich Igou because all three are members of the Southern Section champion basketball team.

“I’m excited for these players,” Dill said. “They are getting great experience. What’s the difference between full-count, bases-loaded, bottom-of-the-seventh and stepping on the free-throw line? I’m hoping they can bring this experience to the (baseball) team and help us out. As long as we can hold our own (without them), I’ll keep saying that.”

The Knights have held their own, winning their first four games. The missing players have caused Dill to be creative with his pitching staff. Catcher Dave Supple, second baseman Joey Orlando and outfielder Francisco Dongo have pitched this season. . . .

Harvard-Westlake has increased its run production in each of its three games, but lost all three. The Wolverines lost to Hueneme, 5-0, then lost to Saugus, 11-7, then lost to Taft, 14-11.

MARMONTE LEAGUE

BASEBALL

After three games, Britten Pond of Simi Valley, the second-ranked team in the country according to Baseball America and USA Today, is nine for 11, including a home run, two triples and three doubles. He also has walked twice. “I’ve never had anyone start like this,” Simi Valley Coach Mike Scyphers said. “Every one of his hits has been shots.” . . .

Kevin Nykoluk, Cal-Hi State sophomore and junior player of the year, has moved from center field to catcher because of a knee injury to senior catcher Jason Houchin. Houchin recently underwent arthroscopic surgery and is expected to be sidelined for about four weeks.

Nykoluk, who played catcher throughout his youth-league career, might remain the catcher all season, Scyphers said.

“As a career move, it’s a good spot for Kevin,” Scyphers said. “He realizes it might be a faster ticket.”

Jason Alcala has moved from left field to replace Nykoluk, and Denver Smith is the team’s new left fielder.

BASKETBALL

As successful as the Thousand Oaks basketball team was this season, the Lancers’ chances for winning a fourth consecutive league title next season look promising.

Forward Jason Hartman and guard Peter Lauer, both starters, will return as seniors. And league members already are taking notice of 6-foot-11 center Paul Brandt, who will be a senior in the fall.

Brandt played sparingly behind twin forwards Nick and Paul Foster, but his role increased late in the season. Brandt appeared in 11 games, scoring 24 points.

“He might be a seven-footer next season,” Thousand Oaks Coach Ed Chevalier said. . . .

After three seasons at Channel Islands, Wendell Nunnery leaves with several school scoring records. Nunnery is the Vikings’ all-time scoring leader with 1,362 points after scoring a school-record 541 points this season. Nunnery also suprassed the school’s single-season (48) and career (122) records for three-point baskets.

Teammate Wayne Revis made a career at Channel Islands dishing off to Nunnery. Revis, also a three-year varsity member, is the school’s career assist leader with 246. Revis had a school-record 164 assists this season.

TRACK & FIELD

File the following under the “That was then, this is now” category.

In 1956, Charlie Dumas of the United States became the first man to clear seven feet in the high jump.

When Camarillo junior Jeremy Fischer cleared 7-0 in a dual meet against Ventura last week, he became the first U.S. high school athlete to clear the once-magical barrier outdoors this season and the 481st overall. . . .

DEL REY LEAGUE

BASEBALL

St. Francis’ second baseman is named Vinnie Sinatra and his father’s name is Frank Sinatra. One of his father’s close friends is named Danny Thomas, whose son, Steve Thomas, is St. Francis’ third baseman. . . .

More on the younger Thomas: “You can’t get a ball through him defensively,” Coach John Yakel said. “He’ll take it off the teeth if that’s what it takes. He’s a quiet kid, though. I don’t think I’ve heard him say three words since I’ve been here.”

Maybe he has taken too many ground balls in the teeth.

FOOTHILL LEAGUE

BASEBALL

Canyon Coach Scott Willis probably won’t use senior right-hander Brad Coukos as an example of proper fielding form.

While attempting to field a routine grounder in the Cowboys’ 4-3 victory against St. Monica in the Westside tournament, Coukos stumbled over his feet and fell on his face.

“He won’t appreciate me relaying this,” an amused Willis said, “but it was funny. He ran up the first-base line and kind of lost balance.

“Fortunately he fell close to the runner and made the tag. I kept thinking, ‘That was pretty graceful.’ ”

Is the fielding procedure included in the Cowboys’ practice sessions?

“No,” Willis said. “He came up with that one all on his own.” . . .

Saugus set a school record for most runs scored in an inning (14) in its 14-5 nonleague victory against visiting Hueneme on Tuesday. Trailing, 3-0 in the third, the Centurions tied the game before the Vikings could record an out. Twenty Centurions batted in the inning. Eight had hits, six were walked and the Vikings committed two errors.

“You really can’t appreciate something like that when it’s happening,” Saugus Coach Doug Worley said. “It was really something.”

FRONTIER LEAGUE

BASEBALL

Calabasas standout third baseman Josh Morton is the Coyotes’ “hit man.”

Morton was named the state sophomore player of the year by Cal-Hi Sports after batting .483 last season. He enjoyed a 20-game hitting streak and had a team-high 12 runs batted in.

Morton picked up where he left off last season. He was four for six with seven RBIs in his first two games, extending his hitting streak to 22 games. Former Torrance catcher Jason Kendall had the state-record hitting streak last season (43 games).

“The amazing thing to me is that he has not yet gone hitless in a varsity game,” Calabasas co-Coach Rick Nathanson said. “You can sit around all day and talk about his talent, but the main thing about him is his work ethic.

“He’s just a very focused and committed guy. And he was born to play third.” . . .

Much to Nathanson’s surprise, the Coyotes scored 32 runs in their first two games.

Moreover, Calabasas scored the runs in only nine innings because darkness forced the games to be called early. In addition to Morton, senior catcher Tim Wayne (four for five, six runs scored) and senior left-fielder Colin Fields (three for five, five RBIs) have also started strong.

Calabasas scored 13 runs in the first inning Tuesday en route to a 19-1 victory over Bell-Jeff. While Nathanson is obviously pleased with the production, he is stressing caution.

“(The coaching staff) is trying to keep everyone on a real even keel,” he said. “We don’t want guys walking around and getting big heads like we’re an offensive machine or something.

“We have 25 hits so far but only two for extra bases. This is nice, but I know we’re going to have to work to score.”

Staff writers Jeff Fletcher, Vince Kowalick, John Ortega and Jason H. Reid contributed to this notebook.