Poly Hitters Are Unwitting Hitees

Taking one for the team took on new meaning for Poly High last week in the Bishop Gorman tournament in Las Vegas.

In four games, Poly batters were hit 17 times by pitches.

“It was unbelievable,” Coach Chuck Schwal said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. We got hit by a lot of curveballs that didn’t curve.”

Poly (12-5-1) went 4-0 in the tournament, led by junior Eddie Baeza, who was six for 11 and pitched a one-hitter with 14 strikeouts against Kennedy.

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Only weeks after Granada Hills was forced to forfeit a game against Taft as punishment for players being involved in a locker room shower incident, school administrators are investigating allegations of an incident involving players and alcohol last weekend in Las Vegas.

A meeting of baseball parents has been scheduled for Wednesday.

Last month, two players were suspended for their roles in a shower confrontation between varsity and junior varsity players and the administration required the team to forfeit its West Valley League game against last-place Taft.

Granada Hills played in four games in Las Vegas as part of the Bishop Gorman tournament. The Highlanders (12-7) have won five of their last six games.

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A day after getting hit three times by pitches, Bobby Paschal of Chaminade pitched a two-hitter in a 1-0 victory over Las Vegas Palo Verde, prompting Coach Scott Drootin to joke, “From now on, I’m going to put him in the batting cage to get hit.”

While in Las Vegas, Drootin bet a parlay on the Philadelphia Phillies, Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers because three former Valley players were pitching--Randy Wolf (El Camino Real), Jeff Suppan (Crespi) and Jeff Weaver (Simi Valley).

None lasted more than six innings and all three lost.

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Chatsworth (20-0) may have found a hitting standout in sophomore Jordan Sisson, a catcher who was the top player for the 18-0 junior varsity team.

Sisson, a straight-A student and nephew of Canoga Park football Coach Rudy Lugo, was promoted for the trip to Las Vegas and pressed into action because of an ankle injury to senior Danny Dominguez.

Sisson was five for seven, helping the Chancellors win the Bishop Gorman tournament, and will stay on the varsity. He’s expected to become designated hitter when Dominguez returns.

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Kennedy went 0-4 in Las Vegas, but pitcher-third baseman Adam Geery was the winner of the tournament’s home run derby.

Geery and Jose Carrillo of Birmingham tied for first with six home runs apiece. Geery won in a hitoff.

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Junior left-hander Justin Blaine of Westlake is 6-1 and making a positive impression.

“He’s going to be big time for us next year,” Coach Chuck Berrington said.

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Birmingham (15-6, 4-2 in league play) and Granada Hills (12-7, 3-3) meet tonight at 6:30 at Birmingham in an important West Valley League game.

The teams are in a four-way battle for second place behind Chatsworth.

The game features an outstanding pitchers’ duel between Patrick Roark of Birmingham and Eddie Degerman of Granada Hills.