Wednesdays have a special purpose in the grander scheme of summertime baseball for West Ranch High.
The Wildcats use the middle-of-the-week to set up their weekend pitching rotation, and that means just about anyone who isn’t starting a weekend game pitches on Wednesday.
This time, West Ranch used six pitchers in a 10-4 win over Moorpark on Wednesday at home, with no hurler tossing more than two innings.
Connor Harrison pitched two scoreless innings, while Garrett Snavley, Brenden Fisher and Christos Stefanos, yes, Christos Stefanos, each threw one clean frame.
Stefanos earned Foothill League Player of the Year and All-CIF honors this past season after hitting .396 with 28 RBIs.
Wednesday on the bump, he walked one and struck out one but didn’t allow a hit.
“He’s the closer. He throws hard. It’s something we’re experimenting with this summer and so far it’s been good and we like it,” said West Ranch coach Casey Burrill.
The Wildcats will start Alex Burge, JD Callahan, Cade Nicol and Trent Bird on the mound at a tournament in Fresno that begins Friday.
Bird is the younger brother of former West Ranch standout Jake Bird, now at UCLA.
Burrill referred to Trent Bird as the “little, big brother” because he’s younger but not smaller.
The coach estimated Trent is 6-foot-2 and over 200 pounds.
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Another imposing figure on West Ranch’s roster is first baseman Will Chambers, who Burrill said is off to the best start to a summer of any player he can remember.
Chambers was at it again Wednesday, launching a three-run home run in the bottom of the second inning.
In 11 games this summer, Chambers is 20-for-31 at the plate with three homers, nine doubles and 15 RBIs.
“It’s unbelievable what he’s doing,” Burrill said.
Garrett Monheim went 1-for-4 with three RBIs on Wednesday for West Ranch, which scored one in the first, three in the second, two in the fourth and four in the fifth.
Alex Burge had two RBIs, and Matty Frierson went 2-for-2 and scored two runs.
Chambers finished with two hits, as did Stefanos.
