Prep Wrap-Up / Rob Fernas : Showdown Time for Redondo, El Segundo

It’s showdown time in the Pioneer League.

Redondo and El Segundo, the heavyweights of South Bay baseball, will meet in a two-game series this week to decide the Pioneer title and the league’s top two berths for the CIF Southern Section 4-A playoffs.

The importance of Wednesday night’s 7 o’clock game at Redondo and Friday night’s 7:30 match up at Recreation Park in El Segundo has been anticipated since the schedules were announced.

Last year, Redondo swept El Segundo in the final week of the regular season to win its third consecutive league title and end El Segundo’s two-year reign as Pioneer champions. Redondo won Bay League titles in 1985 and 1986.

The teams enter this week’s series with 8-0 league records and strong credentials, but El Segundo Coach John Stevenson considers his team the definite underdog.

The reason? Redondo pitcher Scott Davison.

“I think everything is tipped in (Redondo’s) favor because they have the one guy who is such a dominant force,” Stevenson said. “I’m not saying he is impossible to beat. If we catch him on an off night . . . he just hasn’t had any off nights.”

Davison, whose victory on Saturday night over Gahr in the finals of the Redondo/Palos Verdes Tournament raised his record to 14-0, is enjoying one of the best seasons for a pitcher in Southern Section history. The record for a perfect season belongs to Covina’s Mike O’Hara, who was 15-0 in 1979.

Redondo (26-1 overall) has another unbeaten pitcher in right-hander Henry Schelb (7-0), who, in addition, leads the Sea Hawks with eight home runs.

“On paper,” Stevenson said, “they have the best two pitchers in the South Bay.”

Sea Hawks Coach Harry Jenkins said Davison will probably start Wednesday night at Redondo, a field that favors pitchers more than the smaller confines of Recreation Park.

El Segundo (20-6) doesn’t have an overpowering pitcher like Redondo, but the Eagles have three capable hurlers in right-handers David Lubs (7-1), Heath Jones (6-3) and Chris Ashelford (6-2). Before Friday’s 3-2 win over Leuzinger, they had a team ERA of 3.81.

“For high school, that’s not very good,” Stevenson said. “Not when you compare it to Davison.”

The area where El Segundo takes a back seat to no one is hitting. The Eagles have perhaps the area’s most formidable lineup, headed by Jones, Jeremy Varner and Jose Sanchez, the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 hitters. All three are hitting well over .400.

Sanchez, who overcame a shoulder injury suffered during football, leads the team with 10 home runs and 40 runs batted in. There was some question before the season whether he would be able to play catcher, his normal position, but he has performed well since moving behind the plate in mid-April.

In Wednesday night’s 3-2 win over Leuzinger, Sanchez picked two runners off first base.

“Sanchez is an extremely good catcher,” Stevenson said. “He’s got a quick release, a strong arm and he’s a good receiver.”

The 6-5, 210-pound Jones has nine home runs and 38 RBIs, while Varner, one of the area’s top shortstops, has six homers and 29 RBIs.

El Segundo’s big bats were quiet this past week, however, as Leuzinger limited the Eagles to seven hits in two games. Stevenson said seeing good pitching the week before meeting Redondo could be a blessing.

“I think it’s great,” he said. “That’s what somebody was saying (on Wednesday). It’s the best thing that could have happened to us.”

El Segundo almost fell out of a tie for first place on Wednesday, when Leuzinger’s Tyrone Scott limited the Eagles to one hit and struck out 14 through seven innings.

When the junior left-hander was relieved in the eighth, El Segundo scored a run to pull out a 3-2 win.

“The guy (Scott) was by far the best pitcher we’ve faced all year,” said Stevenson. “This guy is a phenom. I don’t know how he’s stayed a secret. He totally dominated us.”

Stevenson said he had never heard of Scott until he pitched a strong game against Redondo in a 2-0 loss on April 27.

“Apparently he was ineligible last year,” Stevenson said. “He didn’t come into the season with any background, but he can really throw. He has practically an unhittable curve ball.”

While Redondo and El Segundo are battling for the Pioneer title, Leuzinger (4-4) and Miraleste (3-5) will play a two-game series to decide the league’s third and final 4-A playoff berth.

Leuzinger can wrap up third place with a win at home on Wednesday.

Here’s the playoff situation in the South Bay’s other Southern Section leagues:

Bay League: North Torrance (10-3) can clinch at least a tie for the title and the league’s No. 1 spot in the 5-A playoffs with a split against South Torrance (6-7), which is fighting for third place. West Torrance (9-4) can finish no worse than second. Rolling Hills (7-6) plays Palos Verdes (6-7) twice in the battle for the league’s third and final playoff berth.

Ocean League: Culver City (10-3), Santa Monica (10-3) and Beverly Hills (9-4) are in the 5-A playoffs.

Camino Real League: St. Bernard (11-0) has clinched its third straight title and will be the league’s No. 1 entry in the 2-A playoffs. Serra (6-3) and Cantwell (6-3) entered Saturday’s games with the best chances of securing the final two playoff spots. Mary Star (6-6) has an outside chance.

Hawthorne’s chances of repeating as 4-A and state track champions were dealt a severe blow on Friday as the Cougars state-leading 400-meter relay team was disqualified at the Ocean League finals at Santa Monica College.

A hamstring injury forced Hawthorne’s Travis Hannah to miss the meet, but the league will allow Hannah to compete in the 4-A prelims on Saturday without qualifying. Hannah has the second-best 400 time in the nation this season.

Junior Curtis Conway led the qualifiers for Hawthorne, winning the 100 in 10.5 seconds and the 200 in 21.5.