High Schools: April 2008 Archives

It has taken a while, but Mike Moustakas, California's all-time HR leader while in high school at Chatsworth, hit his first professional home run Monday for single-A Burlington (Iowa), The No. 2 overall pick in the draft by the Royals, Moustakas is batting .214 with three RBIs (two Monday) in 42 at-bats.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

Adam Landecker, a junior shorstop at Calabasas, has committed to a USC baseball scholarship, according to his father, Ron.

Landecker, an honor student, picked the Trojans over Stanford, Cal State Fullerton, Cal, Pepperdine, UC Santa Barbara, Long Beach State and Dartmouth.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

Adam Landecker, a junior shorstop at Calabasas, has committed to a USC baseball scholarship, according to his father, Ron.

Landecker, an honor student, picked the Trojans over Stanford, Cal State Fullerton, Cal, Pepperdine, UC Santa Barbara, Long Beach State and Dartmouth.

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

... Christian Lopes, Valencia's freshman phenom, in Wednesday's Daily News.

gerry.gittelson#@dailynews.com

Former Chatsworth star Mike Moustakas, California's all-time home run hitter who was drafted No. 2 overall by the Royals, continues to struggle at single-A Burlington, Iowa. In 50 at-bats, the shortstop is batting .220 with no extra-base hits and one RBI. Moustakas, who signed for a reported $4 million bonus, has struck nine times and committed five errors.

DAILY NEWS TOP 10
1. Notre Dame (18-2)
2. Crespi (15-5)
3. Hart (13-5)
4. Chatsworth (14-6)
5. Valencia (13-5)
6. Simi Valley (14-6)
7. Thousand Oaks (13-9)
8. Saugus (13-6)
9. Cleveland (17-4-1)
10. Royal (15-6)

OTHERS: El Camino Real (15-7); Crescenta Valley (12-4); Loyola (11-10); Westlake (12-7); Newbury Park (13-7); Camarillo (13-5); Quartz Hill (13-5-2); Malibu (12-3).

DAILY NEWS TOP 10

1. Crespi (13-3)
2. Notre Dame (14-2)
3. Hart (12-5)
4. Chatsworth (13-4)
5. Valencia (11-4)
6. Westlake (11-4)
7. Saugus (12-4)
8. Thousand Oaks (10-8)
9. Simi Valley (12-5)
10. Cleveland (15-3-1)

OTHERS: El Camino Real (13-6); Newbury Park (13-6); Royal (13-6); Crescenta Valley (10-4); Camarillo (12-4); Quartz Hill (11-5-2); St. Francis (12-5); Malibu (11-2).

Saugus, riding a six-game winning streak, faces West Ranch at 2 p.m. today -- all the way in Corona Del Mar in the Beach Pit Classic final.

Saugus defeated another Foothill League team, Canyon, in the semifinals Monday.

"i suggested just playing the game here," Saugus coach John Maggiora said. "The Foothill League has just kind of dominated this tournament."

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com

It's still early -- 11 league games remaining, plus one nonleague game -- but El Camino Real (12-6, 2-2) could find itself in a hole with another West Valley League loss Wednesday at Taft (7-9, 2-2), which has scored upset league victories over Cleveland (14-3-1, 3-1) and Chatsworth (12-4, 3-1) over the past week and a half.

ECR, which has won five City titles through the years, lost twice to national power Chatsworth last week -- no shame in that, as the defending City champion Chancellors have won seven titles -- but the way the Conquistadores lost was not cool: two errors and a mental error in the bottom of the seventh to fall 1-0.

"Honestly, we didn't take advantage of opportunities, and that was pretty disappointing," ECR coach Vince Orlando said. "We were in a position to be successful."

gerry.gittelson@dailynews.com