Player of the Year

He was merely a bit player on the Hart High baseball team a year ago, batting in the eighth spot -- seventh, if he was lucky -- and contributing a hit here and there for the Southern Section Division II champions.

Then came this season and a boatload of new responsibilities for Bill Susdorf, who was thrust into the third spot in the batting order and handed the ball late in games as Hart’s designated stopper.

It’s safe to say he delivered.

Susdorf, a junior, batted .476 with five home runs, 13 doubles and 40 runs batted in.

He was also effective as a closer, picking up 10 saves and striking out 37 in 24 2/3 innings. He allowed only two extra-base hits and finished with a 0.85 earned-run average for the Foothill League champions.

Susdorf, who did not pitch an inning in the 1999 season, is The Times’ Valley player of the year.

Susdorf was dominating in league play. Against Burroughs, he had two hits and an RBI and struck out four in 1 1/3 innings to earn a save. Against Saugus, he had three hits, including two doubles, and an RBI and allowed no hits in 1 1/3 innings to earn a save.

Twice he had five-RBI games -- against Burbank and Calexico -- and he drove in four runs against Lancaster. In relief, he had six strikeouts against Hueneme and five against Camarillo.

But more often than not, Susdorf was quietly consistent, exactly the type of player Hart needed to win its third consecutive Foothill title.

“Without Billy, I don’t think they accomplish what they did,” said Coach Jose Valle of Burroughs. “I thought he was the best baseball player we saw all year.

“Offensively, he was one of the top three hitters we saw, and on the mound he was very dominating.”

Susdorf’s emergence helped ease the absence of senior Jamie Shields, The Times’ 1999 Valley player of the year, who was sidelined by back spasms most of the season.

“Probably more than anything we needed someone to step up offensively and [Susdorf] carried us for most of the season,” Hart Coach Jim Ozella said. “He was a tough out and an RBI guy. He had a monster season for us.

“I hate to think where we’d be without him.”

Susdorf’s opponents will hate to hear that he’s only getting better. His curveball, already sharp and “nasty” in the words of Ozella, will be complemented next season by an improving fastball and changeup.

And his power hitting is developing, as evidenced by the 400-foot-plus home runs he hit in two of the Indians’ last three games.

“He had a great year for us,” Ozella said. “And I think he’s going to get better and better.”