Here’s the Pitch: Young Looks Like Force on Mound

If he keeps this up, he won’t be known as Dmitri Young’s little brother much longer.

Delmon Young, a strong-armed outfielder who can swing the bat with power and precision, is perfecting another skill.

He is pitching for the Camarillo I 17-and-under American Legion team with impressive results.

Despite a 4-2 loss to Simi-Royal on Monday, Young is showing good pop on his fastball and has developed a surprisingly good slider.

His curveball is still under construction and his change-up needs work, but Young is showing he’s more than a rifle-armed right fielder who hit .460 last season.

And, by the way, he will be a sophomore in the fall.

“It’s absolutely crazy,” said Camarillo High Coach Scott Cline. “He’s going to be pretty wicked the next few years. He’s going to get a lot of people out.”

Young likely will be a starting pitcher for the Scorpions next season. The graduation of John Gonzalez slides Young into the No. 2 spot in the rotation behind Jim Alstot (8-0 last season).

Young, who saw spot duty as a pitcher last season (2-0 with 20 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings), could ultimately create a difficult decision for pro scouts and college coaches.

His skills on offense are already established--12 doubles and 40 runs batted in as a freshman--but his dual role on defense presents an interesting dilemma.

“The scouts are going to see his defensive skills and his pitching, and it’s going to put the decision on them--do we want this guy to pitch or do we want him in the outfield,” said Rich Jaquez, coach of Camarillo I. “If he continues going like this, he might be valuable in both areas.”

Young, whose older brother is an outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds, enjoys pitching as much, if not more, than playing in the outfield.

In right field, “all you can do is watch,” said Young, who is trying out for the Youth National Team on July 21-28 in Houston.

“I like being on the pitcher’s mound . . . as long as I get to hit.”

Jaquez said Young consistently throws in the upper 80s and has been clocked at 90 mph on radar guns. And, unlike other position players who also pitch, Young genuinely enjoys pitching.

“Some guys who have other positions don’t like to throw,” Jaquez said. “But every time Delmon pitches, he throws hard. He likes it.”

That’s bad news for Camarillo opponents.

*

Van Nuys Notre Dame is the top-seeded team in the American Legion District 20 playoffs, but its first-round game today against Calabasas at Birmingham High will be anything but an intentional walk.

Van Nuys Notre Dame (20-1) is expected to face Tony Sulser, a hard-throwing right-hander who had 86 strikeouts in 75 innings for Calabasas High last season. Calabasas, seeded No. 8, is 13-8.

Valley Chatsworth (17-4), seeded No. 2, hosts No. 7-seeded Antelope Valley (13-7) at Valley College. If Chatsworth wins, it sets up a potential game against No. 3-seeded Granada Hills Kennedy, which plays No. 6-seeded Quartz Hill at Birmingham.

Kennedy upset top-seeded Chatsworth, 11-4, in the City Section quarterfinals on May 30 on its way to the championship.

In the other first-round game, Van Nuys Birmingham plays Studio City Sylmar at Valley College.

The playoff format is double elimination. The championship game is at 1 p.m. Sunday at Birmingham, with a second game at 4, if needed.

The top two finishers qualify for the Area 6 playoffs next week at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium.

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AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL

District 20 Playoffs

Today

18-and-under Division

Van Nuys Birmingham vs. Studio City Sylmar at Valley College, 1 p.m.

Quartz Hill vs. Granada Hills Kennedy at Birmingham High, 1 p.m.

Van Nuys Notre Dame vs. Calabasas at Birmingham High, 4 p.m.

Valley Chatsworth vs. Antelope Valley at Valley College, 4 p.m.

17-and-under Division

Thursday

Canyon vs. Palmdale at

Chatsworth High, 2 p.m.

West Hills Chaminade vs. Lancaster at Chatsworth High, 5 p.m.