AMERICAN LEGION / JEFF FLETCHER : He Needed a Clear Head to Clear Bases

It took Monty Moritz a few weeks to do what many high school students do in the summer.

“I stopped thinking,” he said.

It appears to have helped his hitting. After an 0-for-18 start, the Ventura catcher decided to stop thinking about pitches or his swing.

Moritz has hit .403 since the early slump, leading his team into a tie for the District 16 title and a berth in the Area 6 playoffs, which begin Thursday at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium.

“There is the guy who’s the key,” Ventura Coach Arthur Barron said of Moritz. “If you are going to look for someone in a pinch or under the gun, he’s the kid that I’d like to have up there.”

Moritz is a coach’s dream. Not only does he hit--as shown by his .487 average with five home runs and 24 runs batted in this spring at Ventura High--but he catches all the time.

Moritz has caught all but one of Ventura’s 27 games this season.

“Twenty-three innings a weekend,” Moritz said of the nine-inning Saturday games and the two seven-inning Sunday games.

Moritz is also versatile, having played first base, shortstop and pitched in his high school and Legion careers.

“We used him everywhere,” Barron said. “Last year I settled down and told him if he’s going to have a career in baseball, it’s going to be behind the plate.”

Moritz has played varsity baseball since his freshman year at Ventura High, and he’s one of three Ventura Legion players who played in the Area 6 playoffs two years ago.

Moritz had the game-winning hit in a memorable 12-inning duel between Ventura pitcher Brandon Knight and Woodland Hills West’s Randy Wolf in 1993. But Ventura lost its next two games and was bounced from the tournament.

Moritz thinks this team will be better off in the six-team double-elimination playoff because of deeper pitching.

“We have a lot of pitching and we have great defense,” he said. “We are playing really well.”

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The pairings for Thursday’s opening games in the Area 6 playoffs were released Tuesday morning: Ventura (23-4) plays Claremont (31-20) at 10 a.m.; Newhall (24-2) plays Camarillo (29-5) at 2 p.m.; and Westchester (21-3) plays Arcadia (24-12) at 6 p.m.

Arcadia is the defending district champion.

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What do the three local teams in the Area 6 playoffs have in common?

Newhall, Ventura and Camarillo each draw players from two high schools, and each include a few key players with college baseball experience. A small number of college players are eligible for Legion play because their 19th birthdays fall after Aug. 1.

Newhall, which unites players from Hart and Canyon highs, is led by first baseman Aaron Dean of Cerro Coso College, and pitcher Brent Davidson of College of the Canyons.

Ventura, which includes players from Ventura and Buena highs, features pitcher James Melcher, who played at Pepperdine and first baseman Jason Kimble of Ventura College.

Camarillo, which combines players from Camarillo and Rio Mesa highs, includes on its roster infielder Erik Jue of Moorpark College and pitcher Aaron Hanel of Ventura College.

The last local team to win the Area 6 playoffs--and it went on to win the World Series in 1992--was Newbury Oaks, which had a formula similar to this year’s teams. Newbury Oaks drew players from Newbury Park and Thousand Oaks highs, and included several college players.

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Despite Newhall’s weapons, the team’s one weakness could keep it from winning the Area 6 playoffs.

“It looks to me like they might be a little thin pitching-wise,” said Encino Coach Scott Muckey, a veteran Legion coach whose teams have been through the Area 6 playoffs.

Newhall was able to start its ace, Chris Baker, twice during the District 20 playoffs because the tournament stretched over five days. But the Area 6 playoffs are only four days, and a team could play six games. Baker would need to pitch on two days of rest if he makes two starts.

Coach Pat Eggleston said he’s working on other ways to get as many innings as possible out of Baker (10-0).

“What I could do is pull him early if we have a lead or maybe use him in relief as a closer,” Eggleston said.

Newhall’s other two starters--Davidson and Ricky Engbrecht--have also pitched well. It’s the No. 4 spot that could be a problem, but it could be a problem for whichever team is around long enough to use its fourth starter.

Newhall’s best hope is its offense is potent enough that it can hope to outslug teams when it reaches the bottom of its staff, as it did in a 14-9 victory over Verdugo Hills in the District 20 playoffs.

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Muckey, who uses the Legion season to evaluate his players for the next spring at Crespi, discovered a good one during the District 20 playoffs.

Center fielder Andy Campanella, who will be a sophomore at Crespi, was on fire during the final weekend of the playoffs, collecting nine hits in his last 14 at-bats.

“He’s done well all summer, but I think in the last 10 games he hit around .500,” Muckey said. “He just keeps getting better and more confident.”

Muckey wasn’t taking any credit for Campanella’s quick development, though.

“I just put him the lineup every day,” he said.