A Pair of Kings on the Hill : In a season marked by strong pitching throughout the area, Bell’s Moreno-Orozco and Franklin’s Deno have been unbeatable.

The name may have changed but not the results.

Bell High’s John Moreno-Orozco--formerly John Moreno--has emerged as the top pitcher in the Central City.

Bar one, perhaps.

“When I think about the best pitchers, I think about Jeff Deno,” said Moreno-Orozco about his Franklin counterpart. “He is real good.”

Modesty aside, so is Moreno-Orozco. The 6-foot senior right-hander has been untouchable this season with a 5-0 record and 0.20 ERA.

“He is the best pitcher I have ever had,” said fourth-year Bell Coach Henry Santiago. “There have been better pitchers (at Bell) but he would rank in the top 10.”

Statistically, Moreno-Orozco rates first in the area in record, ERA, strikeouts (55) and innings pitched (35).

His near-flawless 1995 campaign includes back-to-back one-hitters against Locke and Huntington Park.

Moreno-Orozco pitched a no-hitter his sophomore year against Huntington Park but lost the game, 1-0, on two errors.

“It happens,” he said. “I just take the win.”

When it comes to winning, no current Central City pitcher has been more successful over his high-school career than Deno.

Deno, who has never lost a high school game, is 15-0 over his three-year career, including a victory over defending 1993 champion South Gate in the 1994 City Section 3-A Division semifinal game.

Left-hander Deno also closed out Franklin’s 2-1 win over Huntington Park in the City 3-A championship game.

“He is one of the reasons why we won the championship last year,” said Mike Barbera, Franklin assistant coach. “He is one of the best pitchers around because he doesn’t make mental mistakes.”

Last season, Deno was 9-0 with an ERA of 0.44. The 6-0 southpaw is 3-0 this season with a 2.63 ERA--solid by normal standards but high for Deno.

“Deno is the ace,” Barbera said. “He knows what to throw and when to throw it. He will make you beat him.”

Which hasn’t happened often to seniors Deno and Moreno-Orozco.

Moreno-Orozco is 17-2 over a four-year varsity span.

“Throughout John’s career, I have thrown him against the toughest opponents,” Santiago said. “He always rises to the challenge.”

And few pitchers relish the 3-2 count more than Moreno-Orozco.

“I like to go straight at the batters,” Moreno-Orozco said. “I am a power pitcher and I don’t like to mess around with the curveballs.”

Last season, Moreno-Orozco joined Lincoln’s Cesar Casteneda as the only junior members of the City Times All-Star baseball first team.

Fundamentally, “John knows how to set up a hitter and has good control for a power pitcher,” Santiago said. And as for his intangibles, the coach added, “John’s major assets are his competitiveness, desire and experience.”

Aside from school, style is the major difference between Moreno-Orozco and Deno.

“I like to mix it up,” Deno said. “The change-up is one of my best pitches and I also use the curveball.”

Moreno-Orozco and Deno are also among the area’s leading hitters.

In fact, Moreno-Orozco, who is hitting .510 with 12 RBIs, bats cleanup. When Moreno-Orozco doesn’t pitch, he is the team’s designated hitter.

*

Deno, who is batting a team-high .550 with 20 RBIs, plays left field when he doesn’t pitch.

In the Panthers’ 15-1 win over Belmont, Deno went 4 for 5 with four RBIs.

But Moreno-Orozco enjoys the strikeout more than the home run.

“I prefer pitching because that is my strong point,” said Moreno-Orozco, who has applied to USC, Long Beach State, Pepperdine and Cal State Fullerton.

Moreno-Orozco scored over 800 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test and carries a 2.5 grade-point average.

Deno, however, has not scored high enough on the SAT and will likely attend a local community college.

“I am undecided about my JC choice but that looks like the route I will take,” Deno said.

In the past, it seemed that Bell, South Gate and Crenshaw were the only schools with a potential 10-game winner.

Now, outstanding pitchers and pitching performances can be found throughout the area.

Lincoln’s Hector Arroyo (3-1, 1.00) is one of the top pitchers in the area.

*

Coach Tom Hall called Arroyo the ace of the staff last year and this year. “We can’t do a thing without him,” Hall said.

In a 3-1 win over Garfield, Fremont’s Gilbert Bolivar struck out 11 batters and allowed just two hits.

Wilson’s Fidel Catano pitched a five-hitter in a 1-0 over Lincoln.

And Bell’s Temo Lopez threw the only no-hitter of the year thus far, beating Garfield, 5-0.

Good pitching seems to be contagious.

“This is a great year for pitchers,” said Santiago, who possesses the deepest staff in the area, again. “Many of my non-starters could start at other high schools.”

The other members of the Southeastern and Northern Conference would rather have Moreno-Orozco or Deno.

Said Hall: “I think Franklin will be (in the championship mix) again. Because it all starts with pitching.”