BASEBALL PREVIEW: PLENTY OF PROPS FOR HARRINGTON PALMDALE HAS A LOT MORE THAN SUPERB PITCHER.Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer PALMDALE - There is more to the Palmdale High baseball team than Matt Harrington Matt Harrington (born February 1, 1982) is a baseball player who holds the record for the most times being chosen in the Major League Baseball amateur draft. Between 2000 and 2004, Harrington, a top prospect coming out of high school, was chosen in all five drafts, but never signed . The hard-throwing senior right-hander is rated the No. 4 high school prospect in the nation by Basebal America and is the reason scouts will be flocking to the Falcons games, but the overall talent of the team is what makes Palmdale a Golden League contender. ``Hitting-wise, all our hitters are doing great, the defense looks solid and we've got a lot of pitching,'' Harrington said. ``The thing we have over some teams is we've got good middle relievers, we've got closers. . . . We've got eight pitchers, so with that many, you're gonna gon·na Informal Contraction of going to: We're gonna win today. be able to find whatever you need.'' The Falcons shouldn't need much more than Harrington when their ace pitches. He put on at least 15 pounds since last season and has gone from throwing mainly in the high 80s to consistently hitting the 90-92-mph range. His command of all four of his pitches is as sharp as ever and pressure surrounding a probable high pick in hte draft doesn't seem to faze him. Drew Kennedy is one of two transfers from Highland and should earn a spot in the rotation after being an All-League selection with the Bulldogs last year. Junior left-hander Dana Eveland Dana J. Eveland (born October 29, 1983 in Olympia, Washington), is a relief pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He throws left-handed and bats left-handed. He is 6'1 and weighs 258 pounds. He went to college at Hill Junior College in Texas. is up from the junior varsity junior varsity n. Abbr. JV A high-school or college team that competes in interschool sports on the level below varsity. Noun 1. and impressing coach Lance Pierson. Eveland threw a no-hitter during American Leagion last summer. The Falcons are just as deep when it comes to hitting. ``We're gonna hit a lot,'' Pierson said. Harrington and senior Matt Plante return as the top power hitters from a year ago - each hit six home runs - but Palmdale is more of a line-drive hitting team with several players capable of batting better than .300. Junior Tyrone Culver Tyrone Culver (born July 6, 1983 in Palmdale, California) is a professional American football player who is currently on the Injured Reserve list for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. moves up from the junior varsity and takes over as the leadoff hitter In baseball, a leadoff hitter is a batter who bats first in the lineup. Strategy Leadoff hitters must possess certain traits to be successful: they must reach base at a proficient rate and be able to steal bases. in a lineup A criminal investigation technique in which the police arrange a number of individuals in a row before a witness to a crime and ask the witness to identify which, if any, of the individuals committed the crime. that doesn't have much speed. The defense has just one returning starter, but the previous success of those taking over keeps the Falcons confident. Palmdale's JV team won league the past three years and players like senior shortstop Steve Denuccio, have experience as varsity reserves. Plante returns at third base, where he earned all-league honors as a junior. Culver cul·ver n. A dove or pigeon. [Middle English, from Old English culufre, from Vulgar Latin *columbra, from Latin columbula, diminutive of columba, dove.] is expected to start at second base and Chris Niemeyer and transfer Cory Hodge are candidates to start at first base. Outfield starters are ``undecided,'' Pierson said. Palmdale opens its season Friday at Cleveland of Reseda as part of the Daily News Invitational in·vi·ta·tion·al adj. Restricted to invited participants: an invitational golf tournament. n. An event, especially a sports tournament, restricted to invited participants. Adj. 1. . The Falcons face one of their toughest opponents the next day when they host Notre Dame Notre Dame IPA: [nɔtʁ dam] is French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In the United States of America, Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks. Even though Palmdale is expected to challenge for a title, Highland is the preseason favorite of most coaches in the league, and teams like Littlerock, Quartz Hill and Lancaster should provide tough competition throughout the Golden League. The only team the Falcons are worrying about is their own. ``I don't really pay attention to what other teams are doing or what's said about them,'' Harrington said. ``If we go out there and do what we're supposed to do, it doesn't matter.'' AT A GLANCE Team: Palmdale baseball Coach: Lance Pierson Players to watch: Sr. Matt Harrington, P; Sr. Matt Plante,3B; Sr. Steve Denuccio, SS; Jr. Dana Eveland, P; Jr. Tyrone Culver, 2B;Drew Kennedy, P/OF P/OF Pinhole Occulter Facility . Quote: ``Matt's such a good guy, it doesn't even bother them at all. They all get along great. He just goes out there to win. He loves to play. You wouldn't even know the kid's as good as he is by watching him when's not pitching.'' - Coach Lance Pierson on the hype surrounding Matt Harrington, who is ranked the fourth-best high school prospect in the nation. CAPTION(S): 2 photos, box Photo: (1) Chris Niemeyer, shown here fielding, is a candidate to start at first base for talented Palmdale, a Golden League contender. Phil McCarten/Staff Photographer (2) Palmdale pitcher Matt Harrington is one of the country's top prospects. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer Box: At a Glance (see text) |
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