TWO FOR THE SHOW

For once, the Acheatel family can’t wait until their pet cockatoo starts screaming, “Where’s Gregory?”

It happens almost every night, the loud, piercing cry. But this time, the family response will be different: “He’s at Dodger Stadium.”

Greg Acheatel, a 6-foot-4 sophomore right-hander for El Camino Real High, is being asked to follow in the tradition of Randy Wolf, Shaun Fishman and Kurt Birkins in pitching the Conquistadores to a City Championship.

He’ll take the mound tonight at Dodger Stadium against Kennedy (22-11-1) with a clear understanding what’s at stake. But even if his stomach growls and his hands become sweaty, experiences have prepared him for this moment far better than most 16-year-olds.

From age 8 to 13, Acheatel was the Karate Kid, winning gold medals before large crowds. He was a first-degree black belt, dealing with pressure and perfecting his power of concentration.

When he’s staring into catcher Mike Leduc’s glove tonight, then firing the ball, he won’t let the intimidating confines of Dodger Stadium or crowd noise affect him. Karate taught him to overcome pressure.

“That’s something that will always stay with me,” he said. “When I was 8 years old, I was in front of 2,000 people competing. When you’re in a hard situation, [karate] helps you focus more on what you need to do.”

Acheatel (9-4) was thrust into the role of ace for the Conquistadores (21-8) this season, perhaps before he was ready. He has been throwing a curveball for only two years and his fastball is not overwhelming. He has 35 strikeouts in 73 1/3 innings.

But he’s an honors student who once overpowered batters as a youth pitcher at Westhills PONY baseball and made the adjustment to high school by throwing strikes and relying on his defense. He has walked 22 batters and has a 2.77 earned-run average.

“Every game he goes out, he’s getting more confidence,” said Birkins, who has been serving as an El Camino Real assistant coach while taking a year off from pitching at UCLA. “He has the mental toughness [to succeed]. He has to challenge the guys and throw strikes.”

As a youth pitcher, Acheatel was so dominant that coaches routinely made him the first pick in player drafts. He towered over most of his opponents, but everything changed when he reached high school.

“When I was in Little League, I could throw the ball pretty much where I wanted,” he said. “I could throw it down the middle of the plate and not worry too much about getting hit except for maybe one or two guys. Now, one through nine, you make a mistake and it’s going to be hit somewhere hard. You really have to utilize all your pitches and be smart out there.”

El Camino Real has won four City Championships since 1993, with many of its top players coming from Westhills. Acheatel still hasn’t forgotten his meeting with Wolf, the Philadelphia Phillies left-hander and two-time City player of the year.

“Randy Wolf came to Westhills one day when I was 10 or 11,” Acheatel said. “I looked up, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe he’s here.’ Now to be grouped in the same league with him and pitch on the same mound as him is an amazing feeling.”

Acheatel planned to rest Monday and get a good night’s sleep--providing the cockatoo behaved.

“Late at night, when I try to go to bed, you hear, “Where’s Gregory? Gregory, Gregory, Gregory,’ ” he said. “It’s extremely loud. I’ve been outside throwing the baseball around and heard [the cockatoo] screaming.”

A friend suggests Acheatel bring the bird to Dodger Stadium because the Conquistadores need every “loud-mouth fan” they can get.

If the Conquistadores win, maybe Acheatel can train the bird to scream, “We’re champions.”