Nevada Gets By With Lagattuta

In baseball lore, left-handed pitchers long have had a reputation for being a little wacky.

As a general rule, expect the unexpected when dealing with a lefty.

Occasionally, Rico Lagattuta will say something that fits the stereotype.

“I’m surprised I’m doing so poorly,” the Westlake High graduate said of his 1995 performance at Nevada.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound junior has a 7-0 record and a 1.64 earned-run average. He has already broken the Wolf Pack record for saves in a season (10) and career (18), and he will most assuredly go high in the baseball draft.

And, yet, the lefty said he’s doing poorly.

“My goal was to keep my ERA under 1.00,” Lagattuta said, somewhat disgusted.

Can we get a second opinion here?

“Rico’s had a dream year, to be honest,” Nevada pitching coach John Savage said. “Every time he gets the ball something good happens for us. He’s got to be the best reliever in Nevada history.”

The Wolf Pack (29-12) has not lost a game in which Lagattuta has had a decision or a save. While he complains about his ERA, he should also moan about 50 strikeouts in 44 innings and the .151 average to which he has held opposing batters.

Such dominating statistics could only be borne of hard work and confidence.

“I go into every game knowing I could get it done,” Lagattuta said. “Every time the batter steps into the box I know I’m better than him. I’m prepared.”

Despite the fact that sometimes he falls short of his own expectations, Lagattuta said his success has been calculated. His tools include a fastball in the low 80-m.p.h. range, a slider and a good curve and changeup. But hard work is what sets him apart from other pitchers.

“I worked my (tail) off for it,” he said. “I see other guys cut out of workouts early. I’m not cheating myself.”

And Lagattuta will make sure he doesn’t get cheated when major league scouts come calling. If he’s not treated fairly, he’ll stay at Nevada, play his senior year and get his degree in business management.

“I’m not going to be asking for some outrageous amount of money,” he said. “But I don’t want to be some filler player. I want to make sure I’m not a nobody.”

Savage doesn’t think the scouts will low-ball his bullpen ace.

“He’s a big kid, he’s left-handed and he’s made himself a pitcher,” Savage said. “There’s not many like that around.”

What is Lagattuta’s feeling about his professional future?

“Someday you’ll be seeing me on TV,” he said.

*

Around the country: Nevada catcher Shane Slayton (Royal) is batting .341 with five home runs and 38 runs batted in. . . . Wolf Pack third baseman Andy Dominique (Alemany) is batting .290 with four home runs and ranks second on the team with 16 doubles.

San Francisco freshman pitcher Rich Igou (Notre Dame) recorded his second complete game last week in a 4-3 victory over St. Mary’s. The left-hander is 5-2 with a 3.62 earned-run average. . . . San Francisco outfielder Daryl Hernandez (Simi Valley/Moorpark College) is batting .303. He leads the Dons in triples (four) and is second in doubles (11) and RBIs (26).

Oklahoma pitcher Russell Ortiz (Montclair Prep) has 31 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings. . . . Saint Mary’s first baseman Marlon McKinney (Poly/Mission College) is batting only .238 but has struck out only five times in 68 plate appearances.

Lewis-Clark State outfielder John Davis (Kennedy/Canyons) is batting .313, leads the team in runs (46) and doubles (13) and is second in RBIs (35) and home runs (six). The Warriors (37-9) are ranked No. 1 in NAIA Division I.

At Westmont, Dan Gray (Glendale/Canyons), Robert Mancilla (Glendale College), Greg Thompson (Alemany/UC Santa Barbara) and Tim Weir (Valley College/Sam Houston State) boast four of the team’s top-five batting averages. Thompson is batting .318, Weir .288. Gray (.339) leads the team in home runs (six) and RBIs (36). Mancilla (.330) leads the team in runs (31).

In softball, Penn State shortstop Valerie Serpico (Camarillo) is second on the team with five home runs and 22 RBIs and has a .911 fielding percentage in 186 chances. . . . Indiana pitcher Janelle Campbell (La Canada) is 3-3 with a 2.15 ERA.

Catcher Kristyn Frady (North Hollywood) is batting .303 and leads Long Beach State in home runs (six), hits (44) and runs (24) and is second with 25 RBIs. . . . Outfielder Nicole Ochoa (Thousand Oaks) is batting .290.

Cal Poly third baseman Kelley Bannon (Camarillo) is batting .315 with a team-high 35 hits and has a .949 fielding percentage in 129 chances. . . . Freshman third baseman Rondi Golden (Buena) has started 34 of Northwestern’s 36 games and has a .951 fielding percentage in 78 chances.