They’re Armed and Dangerous : After Zinda Added a Pitch, He Became King of the K

An improved repertoire of pitches has resulted in an impressive season for Mira Costa High right-hander Brian Zinda, who is 11-2 and leads the South Bay in strikeouts.

Zinda said he became a more complete pitcher by working on his changeup last summer.

“I wasn’t expecting to have this good of a season,” Zinda said. “I’ve gotten the curveball and the changeup to work, and for the first time all three pitches are working.”

Zinda, who also possesses a formidable fastball, will start on the mound at 3 p.m. Friday when Mira Costa (17-9) plays Orange (13-12) in the first round of the Southern Section Division II playoffs at Orange High.

In 84 innings pitched, Zinda has 99 strikeouts, 46 walks and has given up 74 hits. The senior, who has a 2.41 earned-run average, also has a save.

Mira Costa Coach Jim Beaumont said Zinda worked out with former Mustang pitcher Joel Garber to improve his changeup.

“He’s put about five miles per hour on his fastball, but he’s not strictly a power pitcher,” Beaumont said. “He’ll keep you off-balance with different speeds. That’s the key for him.”

Zinda played a key role in Mira Costa’s run for the Ocean League championship. The Mustangs finished the regular season with three consecutive losses and an 8-4 league record, one game behind Ocean champion Beverly Hills.

In league games, Zinda was 7-1 with a 2.74 ERA. He struck out 60 batters and walked 30. Zinda had a string of 22 innings in April and early May when he struck out 30 batters and walked only four in winning four games. His ERA during that span was 0.95.

Late in the season, Zinda contracted mononucleosis. He had a strong outing against Redondo on May 4--his first start with the infection--striking out a season-high 10 batters, walking one and pitching a complete game in a 2-1 victory that clinched second place for the Mustangs.

Before the Redondo game, Mira Costa catcher Casey Glynn said he was worried about Zinda’s health. But Zinda quickly erased his teammate’s doubts.

“He did not look sick at all,” Glynn said. “He came out and warmed up and no one was really worried after that.”

Zinda made a strong impression that day on Redondo Coach Tim Ammentorp, who said the Mira Costa ace is the best pitcher in the Ocean League.

“That was one of the best games I’ve seen pitched.” Ammentorp said. “He changed his speeds real well. . . . In addition to his ability to throw strikes, his ability to throw changeups for strikes is a big key.”

Zinda has not missed a start because of mononucleosis.

“My doctor told me I had the strongest case of mono he’d ever seen,” Zinda said.

Although Zinda was effective against Redondo, he struggled with his control May 12 against Beverly Hills. He suffered his only league defeat when the Normans scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning for a 5-4 victory.

Zinda walked seven batters in the game, nearly twice as many walks (four) as he had given up in the month of April.

Nonetheless, Beverly Hills Coach Bill Erickson was impressed.

“A lot of guys in high school get drafted because they throw hard, but he is the perfect example of someone who can throw the breaking ball for a strike,” Erickson said. “It is extremely hard for a high school hitter to hit a breaking ball like the one he throws.”

On Friday, Beverly Hills defeated Mira Costa, 9-0, in a showdown for the Ocean League title. But Erickson said the key victory for the Normans was against Zinda.

“When our guys were able to beat him, that picked up our confidence,” Erickson said. “When you beat anybody’s best, it gives you confidence.”

Zinda, who has a 3.95 grade-point average, will attend Harvey Mudd College in Claremont and compete athletically for Claremont-Mudd, an NCAA Division III school. He plans to study engineering.