Mixing Them Up

No matter what level of baseball--Little League to the big leagues--good left-handed pitching is hard to come by.

That’s why the Tustin Tillers feel they have a jewel in senior Chad Chop, whose 3-1 start continues the roll he began last season, when he went 9-3 and established himself among the county’s best pitchers.

Two of his victories this season have been shutouts. He threw a six-hitter against Capistrano Valley for a 7-0 victory in the season opener. In his next turn, Chop pitched a no-hitter against defending Southern Section Division I champion Esperanza for an 8-0 victory in the semifinals of the Newport Elks tournament.

Although he has an 87-mph fastball, Chop said his success does not come from throwing the ball by batters. He never throws a straight pitch.

“Baseball is my passion,” Chop said. “I like to study the game. Like [Atlanta’s Greg] Maddux, I want to outthink the hitter.”

Tustin Coach Greg Jennings said Chop is the latest in a line of strong pitchers produced at the school. Among them are Santa Ana College pitchers Elmer Roldan and Heath Bell, who is headed to Cal State Fullerton in the fall. Jason Milliman, the 1995 Golden West League pitcher of the year, is assisting Tustin’s freshman team. And Ronnie Hall is in the Colorado Rockies’ organization after pitching Tustin to the 1993 section Division III championship.

There’s one key difference between Chop and his predecessors.

“All those guys were one-year varsity starters,” Jennings said. “Chad has been on varsity since he was a sophomore. The others had to prove themselves more, whereas Chad came right out the chute.”

Chop’s biggest moment so far this season was the no-hitter. He struck out six, walked three and got the one great play he needed, when center fielder Richard Lane caught a drive by Aztec David Munoz against the fence in the seventh.

“It’s a funny thing,” Chop said. “Coming into the game I did not feel that good, but I mixed speeds well that day. Instead of overpowering them, I outsmarted them.”

His teammates did not want to jinx Chop’s effort, making sure they didn’t say anything about it or sit next to him on the bench, but the younger brother of Tiller outfielder Chad Lloyd broke the news to him in the bottom of the sixth.

“I was in the on-deck circle waiting to hit,” Chop said. “When this guy came down from the stands and hollered, ‘You know what you’ve got going, don’t you?’ I found out later it was Lloyd’s brother. After he said it, I went and knocked on the wooden backstop before the top of the seventh.”

But with Chop’s skills, he really didn’t need much luck.

Esperanza Coach Mike Curran was impressed.

“This time he was determined to battle us,” Curran said of Chop. “This time he was a lot better than we were. He was very good last year, but he didn’t give us an inch this year.”

Along with his fastball and Jennings’ blessing to call his own pitches, Chop has another edge: a tantalizing circle changeup, so named because the thumb and forefinger form a circle next to the ball, which is cupped in the palm and around the other three fingers.

The ball is thrown with the same motion as a fastball, but it comes in 10-15 mph slower.

Chop is willing to throw his changeup regardless of the count in an effort to keep batters off-balance.

“I learned it playing on a summer league team when I was 14,” he said. “We were in a tournament and I was pitching out of the bullpen. The coach asked if I wanted to learn the changeup and showed me the grip.

“He told me not to be discouraged at first because it’s a ‘feel’ pitch, and takes time to learn. But the first time I threw it, it was perfect. Like out of nowhere. And I can put it where I want to.”

Ocean View Coach Steve Barrett recalled a game Chop pitched against his Seahawks last season.

“It was a bit dark that day,” Barrett said. “All he threw was fastball and changeup, and we couldn’t touch him. His changeup is the best in the county.”

Chop still may need a bit more speed on his fastball to attract a lot of professional scouts, but he does have college scouts following his progress. Pepperdine is the strongest suitor, but he also has heard from Arizona, Loyola Marymount, Pacific and San Diego State.

But before he considers his future, Chop wants to concentrate on the present. The Tillers are expected to battle Servite for the Golden West League championship, and have the talent to make a long run in the playoffs.

“This is the best team I have been a part of at Tustin,” Chop said. “The chemistry is amazing. We’re full of great guys who enjoy being with each other.”