If Irvine Wins, You Can Bet Hazlett’s Lent a Hand

Irvine pitcher Chad Hazlett’s recent stats make you wish there were a Bill James at the high-school level.

But even James, major league baseball’s stat-crunching guru, would be hard-pressed to find a high school player who has matched Hazlett’s recent mastery: The junior right-hander has gone 5-0 in the Vaqueros’ last five games, winning two games as a starter and three as a reliever.

He’s pitched only 17 2/3 innings over the two-week streak and has a chance to win his--and Irvine’s--sixth game in a row Wednesday when he starts against Laguna Hills in a matchup of the Sea View League’s top teams.

“I feel like we’re a softball team,” Irvine Coach Bob Flint said. “We have the one pitcher and we pitch him every game.”

Hazlett’s streak began March 7, when he started against Pacifica and pitched four solid innings in a 16-5 win. He entered the Vaqueros’ next game, against Anaheim, in the seventh inning and was the eventual winner of a 4-3 decision that went nine innings.

The streak was in serious jeopardy March 11 when Savanna took a 7-0 lead. But Hazlett put out the fire in the sixth and seventh innings and Irvine rallied for an 11-10 victory.

Hazlett picked up win No. 4 with a complete-game 3-1 victory over Newport Harbor last Wednesday and completed the streak Friday with two innings of relief work in a 9-8 victory over Aliso Niguel.

Hazlett (5-1, 4.06 ERA) has played a part in every winning decision for the Vaqueros (5-2, 2-0 in the Sea View League). His only loss of the season came on opening day against El Dorado.

“The rate he’s going, he’s going to win a lot of games,” said Flint, who plans to step down at the conclusion of this, his 21st season at the school. “He throws a lot of strikes and competes very well. But I would imagine this would slow down.”

THEY MEANT NO OFFENSE

Mission Viejo’s John Hudgins and La Quinta’s Ian Kennedy recorded no-hitters over the weekend, but because of their teams’ offensive prowess, the pitching feats will come with an asterisk: The no-hitters were limited to five innings because of the mercy rule.

Hudgins threw five hitless innings in the Diablos’ 11-0 romp over Dana Hills on Friday, and Kennedy did the same Saturday in the Aztecs’ 10-0 defeat of Cabrillo.

A SOD STORY

The Angels donated excess sod from Edison Field to upgrade facilities for Buena Park and El Modena high schools. Buena Park refurbished its junior varsity field and El Modena its varsity infield.

LOOKING AHEAD

El Modena (4-4, 1-0) hosts top-ranked Villa Park (7-1, 1-0) today in a battle of Century League unbeatens.

This could be a crucial week for Loara (4-2-1, 0-0-1), which plays at Cypress (6-2, 1-0) Wednesday in a key Empire League game. On Friday the Saxons host No. 6 El Dorado (5-3, 1-0) in a 7 p.m. game at Glover Stadium.

Second-ranked Fountain Valley (7-1, 1-0) travels to No. 9 Los Alamitos (5-3, 1-0) Friday to decide who will take the early lead in the Sunset League.

If you have an item or idea for the prep baseball report, you can fax us at (714) 966-5663 or e-mail us at ben.bolch@latimes.com