Averill Brothers Pitch In for Villa Park
The list of things most teenage boys would do for their brothers is about as long as a gnat’s tongue.
Take out the garbage? Maybe. Mow the lawn? That’s pushing it. Lend him your car for a big date? No way.
The way Erik Averill sees it, though, there’s nothing wrong with bailing out your big brother when he’s in desperate straits.
The Villa Park High sophomore pitcher has relieved his brother, Brandon, a senior and one of the Spartans’ starting pitchers, six times this season. Last Tuesday, Erik came on in relief of his brother in the second inning and picked up the victory in an 18-3 win over Foothill.
“It’s fun having him come in for me,” Brandon said. “He’s a young kid, he’s not afraid of anybody. That’s kind of cool that he can come in and shut anybody down. He’s got the mentality to do it--a little bit of arrogance and a no-fear type deal.”
Said Erik: “I like the role of being a reliever because I like pressure situations. I kind of feed off it. It’s fun when my brother sets me up or puts me in a position to get a win.”
The brothers’ pitching styles are similar, even though Brandon is a right-hander and Erik a left-hander. Both have excellent command of their fastball and have been clocked in the low 80-mph range. Both also are effective at changing speeds and working efficiently.
“They work ahead in the count, hit their spots and maintain control of the situations against the hitters,” Villa Park Coach Tom Tereshuk said. “Their pitching together is special. It’s kind of a different situation you don’t see all the time. When you compete in the game you don’t think of them as brothers, but it’s exciting they get the chance to compete together this one year.”
The Averills played together only once before, on a scout team run by the major leagues. But they “grew up” together on baseball fields while watching their father, Don, a former second baseman and shortstop for the University of Redlands, compete in recreational softball leagues.
In his first year on the varsity team, Erik has a 2-0 record with 26 strikeouts and a 1.07 earned-run average in 26 innings as both a starter and a reliever.
Brandon, the reigning Century League most valuable player, is having another stellar year. He’s 4-0 with a 2.87 ERA and is batting .419 with three home runs and 16 runs batted in.
Brandon’s dream would be to play for Auburn, the school attended by Frank Thomas, his favorite major league player. For now, though, Brandon’s most serious suitor is community college power Cypress. Brandon said he will wait until the season is over to make his college choice.
In the meantime, the brothers will continue to terrorize opponents for Villa Park (13-1, 7-0), the top-ranked team in Orange County.
HONORING BROWN
The Dodgers will honor Foothill Coach Vince Brown as a “Hometown Hero” for his work with youth sports before their game against Philadelphia at 7:10 p.m. May 27 at Dodger Stadium.
Right fielder Shawn Green, who played for Brown at Tustin High, will present the award in a pregame ceremony.
“I’m just excited about getting a chance to be on the field and be with Shawn,” Brown said. “He’s been one of the many special kids I’ve had an opportunity to coach.”
Brown, 40, has been instrumental in the creation of several Orange County youth leagues. He began working with Little League as a 16-year-old umpire and served for years as a coach.
“I feel the youth programs are where everything is at,” Brown said. “That was the most enjoyable time of my life.”
LOOKING AHEAD
El Dorado seeks to regain the lead in the Empire League standings when it plays at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday at Kennedy.
Sixth-ranked Irvine opens a jam-packed slate of weekend tournament games at 7 p.m. Friday when the Vaqueros play Los Alamitos in the Big West tournament at Windrow Park in Irvine.
The National Classic, which begins play Saturday, features 16 of the nation’s best teams, including three from the county.
Second-ranked Fountain Valley plays Taylorsville (Utah), which won five state titles in the 1990s, at noon at Amerige Park in Fullerton. No. 5 Esperanza takes on Newburgh Free Academy (N.Y.) at 7 p.m. at Amerige Park. And in another 7 p.m. game, El Dorado meets North Rockland (N.Y.) at Cal State Fullerton’s Titan Field.
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
