Najar Provides Fastballs Along With Long Balls

In his first two games of the baseball season, John Najar of San Fernando might have turned in the best individual power performances in the Valley area since pitcher-first baseman Scott Sharts was bashing homers and striking out hitters two seasons ago at Simi Valley.

Sharts was the Pioneers’ arm and hammer, capable of mowing down batters and opposing pitchers. In his first two games, Najar has done likewise.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior right-hander slammed two home runs in a 4-4 tie with Birmingham a week ago and struck out 10 batters in five innings in Thursday’s 5-0 defeat of Grant.

Last season, Najar was a part-time starter at designated-hitter who had trouble making contact. San Fernando Coach Steve Marden said he convinced Najar that at his size, he did not have to take a big swipe to dial long distance.

“We shortened his stroke a little bit,” Marden said. “We made him realize that he didn’t have to hold that thing way down at the knob to hit with power. He doesn’t have to swing it like it’s a telephone pole.”

Najar was converted to pitcher over the summer and was overpowering in his debut. Najar threw 72 pitches in five innings against Grant, allowing just a looping single to right and a ground single up the middle.

Symmetry, at last: At long last, the much-anticipated fence has been erected in right field at Kennedy High.

Coach Manny Alvarado spent the off-season supervising the purchase and installation of the temporary fence, which has been erected well inside the permanent fence--located well out of reach of even the heartiest left-handed batter.

The fence’s specifications: Six feet tall, 326 feet down the line and 360 feet to the power alley. The fence will be covered with a tarp.

“It’s symmetrical with the rest of the field,” Alvarado said. “It looks pretty sharp.”

Rich get richer: Kennedy, which won three City Section 4-A Division baseball titles in the 1980s, traditionally has one of the strongest programs in the area, one that seems to be as self-perpetuating as the basketball program at Cleveland or the football program at Granada Hills.

Case in point: An already formidable Kennedy lineup received a shot in the arm when Jack Moussa transferred to Kennedy from Birmingham. Moussa, impressive in preseason workouts, will start in right field, Alvarado said.

Another newcomer, Jason Rosen, did not play baseball last season but was a kicker and receiver on the football team last fall. Rosen, a left-hander, is expected to start in left.

Short transfer: Simi Valley’s bid for a fifth consecutive Marmonte League baseball championship was improved when Brian Vasey transferred from Carlsbad last week. Vasey, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound junior, started at shortstop for Carlsbad’s San Diego City 2-A champion team last season. He will start at shortstop for Simi Valley and provide the Pioneers with much-needed defensive help.

“Before, I was happy with our shortstops, but we weren’t real solid,” Coach Mike Scyphers said. “Now, we’re real strong up the middle.”

Ineligible: Moorpark baseball players Frank Fernandez and Tom Uphoff, both seniors, have been declared academically ineligible, according to first-year Coach David Rhoades, and will not be eligible to play until at least the season’s seventh week.

Fernandez, a three-year varsity shortstop, batted .507 last season with five doubles, three home runs and 19 runs batted in. Uphoff batted .397. Both players were selected All-Tri-Valley League.

Chuong Ho (shortstop) and Jim Loosbrock (third base), both juniors, will serve as replacements.

Doubleheaders: Crespi struggled offensively last season, but Coach Scott Muckey can look forward to several doubles in the Celts’ future. Twins Charles and Phillip Agajanian, Dan and Dean Zimmerman, and Ed and Ray Kadagian play on either the school’s junior varsity or frosh-soph baseball teams.

Quotebook: Antelope Valley first-year baseball Coach Mike Van Cheri on the Golden League race: “The best thing I like about this league is that there is no Roger Salkeld.”

Staff writers Steve Elling, Sam Farmer, Vince Kowalick and Jeff Riley contributed to this notebook.