ALREADY A BIG HIT SOPHOMORE AIDEM KEY BATTER, RELIEVER FOR VALENCIA.

Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Matt Aidem learned the role of being a big hitter at an early age. He was 5-foot-8 by the time he was in the sixth grade, making it easy for him to crush baseballs out of small fields against undersized opponents.

``I was always the guy who'd come up and hit a home run,'' Aidem said. ``I was basically the same size I am now.''

The growth spurt came to a halt, but Aidem's hitting hasn't. Now one of the smaller players on the field, the Valencia High sophomore succeeds as a pure hitter and intense student of the game rather than relying on power. He has ranked among the region's top hitters since starting on varsity as a freshman. He is the Vikings' second-leading hitter this year, batting about .450 with 21 RBI, a key part of why Valencia is contending for its first Foothill League title despite using eight sophomores.

Aidem had a double and two RBI in Friday's 5-1 victory over Burroughs of Burbank, a victory, which combined with Canyon's loss to Saugus, moved the Vikings (18-4, 8-3) into a tie for first place.

Aidem also has a school-record seven saves for a team that has won 12 of its past 13 games.

``He's the best player all the way,'' Vikings cleanup hitter Jared Clark said. ``I met him in seventh grade and he's always been an awesome hitter. He grew early, so he was big then. He's always been the best.''

And he's always been used to winning. When Aidem was 8, his team won a state title. At 10, it placed third in the Pony World Series. By 13, he had won an AAU championship.

Aidem, 16, had no trouble fitting in at the high school level.

``Matt, my first impression of him was he's more of a man than me,'' Valencia senior Jimmy Rohan said. ``He was awesome. He was an awesome player, it didn't matter what grade he was in.''

Aidem batted .373 with three home runs and a team-high 23 RBI as a freshman.

Aidem credits much of his success as a hitter to having found a comfortable swing and sticking with it. While others are adjusting their swing, Aidem is able to work on other aspects such as timing pitchers. He's used the same swing for years and said he isn't about to change it, even if it is a bit unorthodox.

``I have my own philosophy on hitting,'' said Aidem, who took hitting lessons years before entering high school. ``A lot of coaches stress where you put your arms and your legs - the technical stuff. To me, as long as you end up in a good spot where the bat meets the ball, that's what matters.''

He is strong and always a threat to hit the ball out of the park, but he no longer has the relative power he had as a kid. He has two home runs this season. Instead, he leads the team in doubles and has become an ultimate team player, often laying down bunts instead of swinging away to pad his RBI total.

Aidem is not just a hitter, though. He tries to be a well-rounded player and it shows in his fielding. The Vikings moved Aidem from third to first base this season. Any concerns about him being shorter than typical first basemen quickly disappeared when coach Jared Snyder saw Aidem routinely picking bad throws out of the dirt. Snyder liked the confidence Aidem gave the young fielders, knowing they didn't have to be perfect to get outs.

As a relief pitcher, Aidem has one of the lowest ERAs on the staff.

He's received letters of interest from almost every college in Southern California. Playing as long as possible always has been his goal.

``I have fun now, and if I could get paid to do this, that would be a dream come true,'' Aidem said. ``Who in their right mind wouldn't want to go out everyday and play a game and have that be their job? I love baseball.''

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First baseman Matt Aidem is hitting about .450 with 21 RBI for Valencia and has a school-record seven saves on the mound.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer