FITS JUST FINE CLUTCH PLAY MAKES HARIOT INVALUABLE TO ECR.

Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer

Christian Hariot wondered how he would fit in on his new team. He had batted nearly .700 as a freshman on another school's varsity, but he was in awe at what these guys could do.

When his family moved, Hariot transferred from tiny Faith Baptist of Canoga Park to baseball powerhouse El Camino Real of Woodland Hills for his sophomore year. Before his first season with the Conquistadores ended, Hariot had proved he could hang with the big boys. Two years later, he's doing more than just fitting in. The senior shortstop is batting .473 with 41 RBI, seven home runs and 12 doubles for the West Valley League champions.

``He's just a real clutch player,'' teammate Greg Acheatel said. ``In the big games, he's the one that'll come through. Last week against Chatsworth, he drove in the tying run in the sixth inning. ... I don't know how many times we've been down by one, two runs and Christian comes up and drives in a run. Any good pitcher is going to need clutch plays to help him out sometime. Joe Guntz, he's got some great guys there at Chatsworth who come through for him. Christian's one of the ones that's been there in the clutch a lot for us.

``He just goes out there and plays as hard as he can.''

Hariot thanks his teammates for instilling in him the all-out intensity he shows on the field. Former ECR shortstop Conor Jackson, now a standout at Cal, was the player Hariot tried to emulate the most, hoping someday he could be regarded with the same respect as Jackson.

``I got here and saw how hard they worked and thought how good I could be if I worked that hard,'' Hariot said. ``These guys were a step above. Faith Baptist wasn't a step above anybody. The teams we played there were like Taft. And I came here playing teams like Chatsworth. That was pretty difficult. It was a big adjustment.''

Hariot's teammates weren't sure what to expect. Some of them remembered seeing his name in the newspaper the previous year, but they knew small-school stats could be deceptive. Since ECR's junior varsity practiced at a different site, the varsity players remained unfamiliar with Hariot until he was promoted to varsity for a spring-break tournament in Las Vegas. He did well enough to remain with the team through its trip to the City final. He earned all-league honors that year.

``He was a shy guy, real timid,'' Acheatel recalled. ``But he got in there in Las Vegas and he had two home runs and a couple nice plays in the field. He was ready to be there.''

Hariot, 18, was ready to take over as the starting shortstop when Jackson graduated and he was ready to do more this season. Despite his quiet nature, he has tried to be more of a leader. He'll give advice to younger players during practice and has a way of loosening up tense situations with just a few words. Hitting was what he was best known for in the past, but his increased attention to defense has made him one of the region's most reliable fielders. He has only six errors this season.

Few schools have expressed interest. Hariot tries not to worry about that, just as he doesn't dwell on his statistics.

``I'm usually surprised when I see them in the paper,'' Hariot said.

He focuses instead on team success, something the Conquistadores have had plenty of this year after finishing fourth in league and .500 overall last season. They are favorites for the No. 1 seed when City playoff pairings are selected next week.

The former small-school player is counting on playing a big part.

``I want the ball to come to me,'' Hariot said. ``I want to be the one to make the play at the end of the game. I like the pressure situations now. I want to be able to come through and help my team win.''

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Shortstop Christian Hariot is batting .473 with seven home runs and 41 RBI for El Camino Real.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer