Pitcher Leaves Simi Valley High

Bill Scheffels, The Times’ Ventura County pitcher of the year last season, dropped out of Simi Valley High on Monday rather than face an expulsion hearing for making a prank bomb threat last week at school.

Scheffels, a senior, enrolled Monday in the Simi Valley Adult School and Career Institute, apparently ending his high school baseball career. He plans to finish his four remaining courses through independent study and earn his diploma over the next few months, his father, Gene Scheffels, said.

But Scheffels’ status remains unclear. Simi Valley Coach Mike Scyphers called Scheffels on Monday night and told him “to give him one more day” before dropping out of Simi Valley High, Gene Scheffels said.

“I don’t think (Scheffels) is going to the adult school,” Scyphers told The Times.

Gene Scheffels was confused about Scyphers’ call, because he said his son had already turned in his books and completed the paperwork to drop out of Simi Valley High.

“I know he’s enrolled at the adult education program,” Gene Scheffels said. “He’s scheduled to go over there in the morning. But Coach Scyphers called for Bill and he said to just give him one more day.”

Scheffels decided to enroll at the adult school because all indications were that Principal Kathryn Scroggin was going to recommend to the school board that Scheffels be expelled, his father said, and the board was unlikely to oppose Scroggin’s recommendation.

Gene Scheffels said school board administrators told him after his son dropped out Monday that the board would not pursue an expulsion hearing.

Scheffels’ scholarship to UNLV will not be affected as long as he earns a diploma, Gene Scheffels said.

“I wanted to play baseball,” Scheffels said, “but unfortunately it didn’t work out that way. I just want to graduate and move on now.”

Scheffels, who was leading the Pioneer baseball team in batting and in pitching victories, was suspended from school indefinitely Wednesday after he made a phony bomb threat from a cellular phone during a morning English class.

Another student dialed the school’s main number and handed the phone to Scheffels, he said.

“I definitely (regret it) now,” Scheffels said.

No arrests have been made in connection with the case but the police are still investigating, a Simi Valley police spokesman said Monday.