Lack of Seniority Doesn’t Faze Poly, 5-0

With eight non-seniors in the starting lineup, Poly High is supposed to be a year away from challenging the elite baseball teams in the City Section.

So why are the Parrots off to a 3-0 start, receiving strong pitching, playing great defense and looking fearless on the diamond?

“They’re so focused on winning,” Parrot Coach Chuck Schwal said Tuesday after junior pitcher Carlos Reguengo pitched a two-hitter in a 5-0 victory over Highland in the San Fernando Valley Invitational. “I’ve had some real good teams, but I really like this team.”

Reguengo (2-0) faced 23 batters, two over the minimum.

Rob Cowan had both hits for Highland (2-1). Reguengo used an effective curveball and changeup to fool Bulldog batters.

Outfielder Traviss Hodge, one of the most dangerous hitters in the Golden League, was helpless against Reguengo. He was hitless in three at-bats and struck out twice.

“When I looked into his eyes, I knew he was ready,” Schwal said of Reguengo. “He had fire in his eyes.”

Reguengo was 13-2 as a sophomore last season on Poly’s junior varsity.

Schwal thought his No. 1 pitcher might be infielder Sal Trujillo, who has yet to throw a pitch.

Freshman Abraham Gonzalez, who has thrown eight shutout innings, and Reguengo have shown they can pitch on the varsity.

“I try to mix up my pitches, keep them off balance and make them think,” Reguengo said.

He struck out eight and walked one. He had at least one strikeout in every inning.

Poly executed the fundamentals to perfection, none more so than catcher Mario Acuna. He squeezed home a run in the second inning, moved over a runner with a sacrifice in the fourth and hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

Jorge Felix had a two-run single in the fourth and Juan Guerrero scored three runs and finished with two singles.

Shortstop Johnny Manuel and second baseman Trujillo performed so well in the field that Reguengo might consider taking them to dinner as a reward.

Then again, maybe not.

“I’ll have to think about that,” he said. “They need to stay in shape. They’ll get fat. They have to stay fast up the middle.”

Poly was 0-5 in this tournament last year while starting several sophomores.

“They took their lumps,” Schwal said.

Now it’s the experienced juniors inflicting the damage as Poly prepares to start Valley Pac-8 Conference play next week.

“We’ll see how we play the North Hollywoods, Sylmars and Monroes,” Schwal said. “But if you play good defense, you’re going to win.”