Wolfrom Grew Up Long Ago
Left-hander Matt Wolfrom of Anaheim Esperanza pitches with a maturity in his first year of varsity baseball that defies expectations.
Then again, he’s a 17-year-old junior who has already suffered the most disheartening of calamities -- the death of a parent.
When he was 6, his father, Bob, died of cancer. He became the man of the house, picking up the pieces with his mother, younger brother and grandparents.
“You’re so young, you don’t understand what’s happening,” he said.
His grandfather, Bill Hayes, was there to coach him and tutor him in baseball. Two years later, his mother, Cindi, remarried and he had a stepfather, Gus Bruner, to support him. And through it all, his mother has stayed at his side.
“My mom is my best friend,” he said. “She’s my idol.”
Wolfrom was 10-0 as a junior varsity pitcher last season. He’s 7-1 as a varsity starter this season. Add it up, and there are few who can equal his 17-1 record over the last two seasons. Not bad for someone who was penciled in to be the No. 4 or No. 5 pitcher on Esperanza’s varsity staff.
He doesn’t throw hard, but he has a palm ball that keeps getting batters out.
“I developed it back in Little League because it’s not as hard on the elbow,” he said. “I learned it, perfected it and still throw it today.”
He throws strikes and understands what pitching is all about.
“He goes after guys,” Coach Mike Curran said. “He stays within himself.”
Added Wolfrom: “My [team’s] offense is fabulous. My defense is great. It’s really hard to lose with a defense and offense that we have.”
It also helps to have dedicated grandparents who attend every game no matter whether he’s in the lineup or not. Wolfrom calls his grandfather after every game.
“Just knowing he’s there is great,” he said. “He fires me up.”
And he appreciates what his stepfather has done.
“He’s filling the role more than I could imagine,” he said.
The death of his father was long ago, but it changed everything for Wolfrom.
“As I get older, I realize not to take things for granted and appreciate what you have,” he said.
He wears uniform No. 6 because that’s how old he was when his father died.
Wolfrom is probably the Southland’s biggest surprise in the pitching ranks, emerging with little warning to become a dependable starter for one of the teams expected to contend for the Southern Section Division I championship.
But he’s hardly alone. There’s a strong group of pitchers who might have started the year as unknowns but are gaining attention because of their performances.
Sophomore Martin Villanueva is 9-0 with four shutouts for Los Angeles Roosevelt. He has 64 strikeouts in 45 2/3 innings and possesses excellent control.
Senior Jeff Hitt is 7-0 with a 1.21 ERA for La Habra Sonora. “We knew he could throw,” Coach Pat Tellers said.
Senior Brian Knight is 5-1 for Villa Park with an ERA of 0.79 and three shutouts as a starter.
Junior Luke Collis of La Canada St. Francis is 4-0 and has helped lead the surprising Golden Knights to a 16-2 record.
Senior Anthony Herdliska of Verdugo Hills is 4-1 with a 1.22 ERA. He ended Sun Valley Poly’s 36-game Sunset Six League winning streak with a 5-0 shutout Wednesday.
“It was all him,” Poly Coach Chuck Schwal said.
Senior Matt Wabby of Encino Crespi, known more for quarterbacking skills, is 7-0 as the Celts lead the competitive Mission League.
Senior J.D. Haver of Long Beach Wilson is 6-3 with a 1.17 ERA.
Junior Matt Burke of Whittier La Serna is 5-0 with an ERA of 0.78.
Sophomore Casey Fry of Woodland Hills El Camino Real is 4-0 and has 41 strikeouts in 30 innings.
None of these pitchers were ranked among the best in the Southland before the season. But their performances can’t be ignored.
Eric Sondheimer can be reached at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
