Valley Gets Breath of Fresh Air

When it comes to making positive first impressions, few can top 14-year-old freshman Trevor Plouffe of Crespi High.

In his high school baseball debut, Plouffe pitched a five-inning no-hitter. If that wasn’t impressive enough, he hit a double off the left-field fence at Valley College in his first at-bat.

Welcome to the era where coaches don’t care how young players are, but whether they have the maturity and confidence to succeed at the varsity level.

Plouffe isn’t alone in producing immediately as a freshman.

Jason Dominguez, 15, was the winning pitcher for Chatsworth in the championship game of the Westside tournament.

Julian Gestewitz, 15, hit a three-run home run in his first at-bat for Notre Dame and could be the Knights’ best pitcher by season’s end.

Chad Boyd, 15, is the designated hitter for El Camino Real and hit a grand slam to defeat San Fernando.

None have beards, goatees or driver’s licenses to indicate they’re mature freshmen. The more accurate clues to their personalities can be found by watching how hard they practice and seeing their response to pressure situations.

Plouffe and Dominguez have had the advantage of learning from older brothers, while Gestewitz and Boyd turned to parents for guidance and inspiration.

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There aren’t many coaches who would start a 14-year-old in a season opener, but Coach Scott Muckey of Crespi didn’t hesitate in choosing Plouffe.

He liked Plouffe’s poise in winter ball, appreciated his ability to throw strikes and recognized Plouffe was no ordinary freshman.

“He’s much further advanced than most guys,” Muckey said.

Plouffe wasn’t expecting the call.

“He kind of looked at me funny,” Muckey said.

He went out and no-hit Leuzinger. He is 2-0 with a 2.50 earned-run average in 14 innings.

“I got off to a good start and it builds up my confidence,” he said. “The first couple of times, I was, ‘Wow, I’m here.’ Then you start to settle in.”

Plouffe, 6 feet and 150 pounds, has benefited from watching his brother, Marshall, who pitched Crespi to a Mission League co-championship last season and plays for Cal State Sacramento.

Throughout Marshall’s Crespi career, Trevor would watch from the stands, preparing himself for the day he’d reach high school. Some of Marshall’s Crespi teammates say Trevor fits in well.

“He has the same mental makeup of his brother,” shortstop Dale Legaspi said. “He’s not afraid to get his nose dirty.”

Plouffe is pitching out of necessity for the Celts (5-1), but his best position figures to be shortstop. His strong arm, athleticism and hitting skills mark him as a future standout. He has four hits in eight at-bats this season.

And he’s growing sideburns, which might help him hide the fact he doesn’t turn 15 until June.

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Will somebody please explain how the travel team that included Plouffe, Dominguez and Gestewitz as pitchers ever lost a game?

All three were set to enroll at Notre Dame and had turned in deposits for tuition, but Dominguez and Plouffe changed their minds.

Dominguez, 6-2 and 170 pounds, is destined to be among the region’s top pitchers. He never loses focus in difficult situations. And his velocity is excellent for a freshman.

Having his older brother, Danny, as his catcher at Chatsworth helps immensely. At home, Jason can sometimes wrestle his 5-9 brother to the ground during horseplay. But on the field, Danny is boss.

“He gets on me and is always keeping me up,” Jason said.

Jason wasn’t supposed to pitch on the varsity. The Chancellors were loaded with pitchers, but he threw so well during winter ball that Coach Tom Meusborn made him the No. 3 starter.

“I was pretty much shocked,” Jason said.

He has won his three starts. Throwing strikes got him promoted to the varsity and gives him a skill every high school coach seeks from a pitcher.

Jason also has an asset Meusborn might want to use during Chatsworth’s trip to Las Vegas next month. He’s a sports fanatic who is good at handicapping NFL or college games.

“Watching SportsCenter four times a day helps,” he said.

Jason’s pick of the month: Duke in the NCAA tournament.

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The first sign of Gestewitz’s toughness surfaced during football season. As a 5-10, 190-pound linebacker, he helped Notre Dame’s freshman team finish 10-0 with eight shutouts.

Gestewitz uses a football mentality on the mound.

“You got to go right at them,” he said.

Coach Tom Dill admires Gestewitz’s “bulldog” attitude.

“The thing that’s impressive about him is he walked one guy in five innings and was upset about that one walk,” Dill said. “His mentality is not like a typical freshman. He feels like he belongs up there. He goes after people in football and he’ll do whatever he has to do to get the guy. In baseball, he may not win every battle, but he’ll challenge people.”

Gestewitz said his parents have always provided encouragement, never putting him down after a bad game.

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How excited was Boyd about playing varsity at El Camino Real?

When the Conquistadores’ games earlier this month were jeopardized because of bad weather, Boyd kept waking up in the middle of the night to see if it was raining.

“At 2:45 a.m., I’d put clothes on, go outside and see what the weather was like,” he said.

A left-handed pitcher who can hit, the 5-7, 160-pound Boyd is the latest import from Westhills PONY League to join the Conquistadores as a freshman varsity starter, following the likes of Randy Wolf, Ryan McGuire, Shaun Fishman and Greg Acheatel.

His father, Mike, pitched for Poly in the late 1970s. And his mother, Kathy, is a professional trainer who throws him batting practice.

“She’s got a good curveball,” he said.

He has picked up a flavor for what City Section baseball will be like, hitting a single against defending champion Kennedy and a grand slam against Valley Mission League champion San Fernando.

“I love high school,” he said. “It’s been a great experience watching the older kids. I’m pretty used to pressure.”

The guy’s 15 and acts like he’s 18. Same for Plouffe, Dominguez and Gestewitz. What a talented group of freshmen.

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Eric Sondheimer’s column appears Wednesday and Sunday. He can be reached at (818) 772-3422 or eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.