DOUBLE THREAT: PETTIS IS A BIG HIT FOR EL CAMINO REAL IN ADDITION TO BEING THE ACE OF THE STAFF, SENIOR IS ALSO TEAM'S TOP BATTER.Byline: HEATHER GRIPP Staff Writer Eric Pettis' mind-set is so different when he's pitching rather than batting that he describes himself as two different players. He's been almost like having an additional player this season for El Camino Real El Camino Real (Spanish for The Royal Road or The King's Highway) was the name of a series of pre-automobile highways linking the various New World colonies of Spain:
Pettis was the ace of last year's City Section champion staff and committed to UC Irvine as a pitcher, but this season the senior right-hander has also added the role of leading hitter to his repertoire. After notching just 13 hits and six RBIs as a junior, Pettis earned a spot in the everyday 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. this year, starting at designated hitter designated hitter n. Baseball Abbr. DH A player designated at the start of a game to bat instead of the pitcher in the lineup. Noun 1. or outfield when he's not pitching, and emerged as one of the biggest hitters on a team that enters today's City Section semifinals with a .405 team batting average batting average n. Baseball A measure of a batter's performance obtained by dividing the total of base hits by the number of times at bat, not including walks. Noun 1. . Pettis is hitting .474 for the second-seeded Conquistadores. His 10 home runs, 47 RBIs and 1.038 slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (abbreviated SLG) is the most popular measure of the power of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats: are all team highs. ``It's not at all what I was expecting,'' Pettis said. ``I kind of took the attitude this year that I wasn't going to care about my hitting. Whatever happened, happened. ``I always wanted to be a good hitter, but I pressed too much and was thinking about it too much the past few years. Relaxing helped.'' ECR ECR Efficient Consumer Response ECR European Congress of Radiology ECR Electron Cyclotron Resonance ECR El Camino Real (Kings Highway; California) ECR Electronic Cash Register ECR East Coast Radio (South Africa) was already getting plenty from Pettis as a pitcher. He was an All- City selection in 2005, when he went 8-1 with a 1.53 ERA, including a two-hitter in the City championship game. ``I just think he's a pretty athletic kid,'' ECR coach Matt LaCour said. LaCour said he always liked Pettis' approach during batting practice and had planned to give him a shot at a larger role when the graduation of key players from last season created an opportunity. Although Pettis is known for delivering in the clutch as both a pitcher and hitter, he says the path to success in each couldn't be more different. ``It's kind of weird,'' Pettis said. ``It's two different mentalities. When I'm pitching, I'm really intense. When I'm hitting, I'm just laid back. I'm two different players. Eric the pitcher and Eric the hitter are totally different.'' Pettis didn't let a rough stretch on the mound affect his hitting. He had struggled while adapting to changes in his mechanics that he was removed from the starting rotation at one point this season. He got another chance during spring break, then later cemented his hold on the job by becoming one of only two pitchers this season to beat Chatsworth, ranked sixth in the nation. ``He's got that bulldog bulldog, breed of thick-set nonsporting dog developed in the British Isles many centuries ago. It stands from 13 to 15 in. (33–38.1 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 40 to 50 lb (18.1–22.7 kg). mentality you want out there in big games,'' LaCour said. ``He's one of those players who's even-keeled. He doesn't get too high or two low.'' Pettis is 5-2 with a 2.53 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 44 1/3 innings INNINGS, estates. Lands gained from the sea by draining. Cunn. L. Dict. h. t.; Law of Sewers, 31. after earning the win in Friday's quarterfinal quar·ter·fi·nal adj. Of or relating to one of four competitions in a tournament, whose winners go on to play in semifinal competitions. n. 1. quarterfinals A quarterfinal round. 2. A quarterfinal match. victory over Palisades Palisades, cliffs along the west bank of the Hudson River, NE N.J. and SE N.Y., extending from N of Jersey City, N.J., to the vicinity of Piermont, N.Y., with a general altitude of from 350 ft to 550 ft (107–168 m). of Pacific Palisades. He hopes for another start Saturday in the City final at Dodger Stadium • • [ , but first, the Conquistadores must get past third-seeded Kennedy of Granada Hills. ``Winning City is what we've been focused on all year,'' Pettis said. ``You can ask Chatsworth and they'll say the same thing, City is what really counts. ... ``The peak of last year was so great that nothing this year could match that feeling except for another City title. I'm trying to help our team get that any way I can.'' heather.gripp@dailynews.com (818) 713-3607 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: El Camino Real ace Eric Pettis is 5-2 with a 2.53 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 44 1/3 innings. In addition, Pettis has also shown his prowess at the plate, hitting .474 for the second-seeded Conquistadores. His 10 home runs, 47 RBIs and 1.038 slugging percentage are all team highs. Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News |
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