Junior Is Not Yet a Freshman but He Pitches Like a Senior

Two years ago, Junior Garcia was the most high-profiled Little League baseball player in the region.

He was a pitcher and outfielder hoping to lead Woodland Hills to prominence in the playoffs. But Garcia’s season ended abruptly when he was removed from the team’s roster after allegations he lived outside the Woodland Hills boundaries.

Garcia, 14, is ready to return to the baseball spotlight as a freshman-to-be at Birmingham High.

He made his American Legion pitching debut last week against Poly, allowing two runs in three innings. Several Poly players couldn’t believe the 6-foot-1 Garcia was in the eighth grade.

“He looks like he has great velocity and terrific poise,” Coach Rick Weber of Birmingham said.

Weber is quietly stockpiling some excellent young talent as he tries to compete in a new West Valley League next season that includes Chatsworth, El Camino Real, Granada Hills, Taft and Cleveland.

Among Birmingham’s promising varsityplayers are catcher Jose Carrillo, who batted .420 as a freshman, and infielder Raul Campos, who hit .341 as a freshman.

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One of the hottest hitters in Legion ball is junior catcher and outfielder Jim Milkovich of Chaminade. He has 16 hits in 23 at-bats (.696 average). He hit three home runs against Woodland Hills West last week, a team made up of El Camino Real players.

Milkovich is a World Wrestling Federation fanatic. He has been watching WWF on TV since he was 7 and tries to use the attitude of professional wrestlers on the baseball field.

“I go up there with the mentality nobody is going to get you out and it works,” he said.

Said Coach Scott Drootin of West Hills: “Right now, the way he’s hitting he thinks he’s Stone Cold Steve Austin.”

Whenever Milkovich hits a home run at Chaminade, they play theme music from the WWF television show.

“If Steve Austin loses a match, he [Milkovich] gets down,” Drootin said. “I have to watch Sunday wrestling to see how his week is going to go.”

When West Hills (7-0) defeated Woodland Hills West, 9-5, it was a big moment for a young team made up of Chaminade players. Another junior, Erik Johnson, is batting .524.

“We beat El Camino Real with their seniors and that’s a building point for us,” Milkovich said.

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Francisco Enriquez, a third baseman from San Fernando, had difficulty getting noticed because the Tigers finished last in the North Valley League.

But he has become a hot prospect because of his postseason play. Last weekend, he was selected most valuable player at the California Coaches’ All-Star game at Cal State Fullerton after he had four hits.

He’ll be traveling next week to an all-star game in Oklahoma. He’s close to committing to USC.

Enriquez has helped San Fernando’s Legion team to an 8-1 start. Many of the players were members of the Tigers’ varsity, which had a 5-22-1 record.

Another major contributor has been junior first baseman Jose Montes, who is 14 for 18.