October 19, 2007

Indians' Lucas Picks Pomona

By Grant Marek
Signal Staff Writer

After three years of rivaling the green and gold, Hart High baseball's Bryan Lucas will be wearing both colors in 2009.

The Indians senior catcher verbally committed to Cal Poly Pomona Wednesday.

Lucas, who earned an All-Santa Clarita Valley honorable mention nod last season, earned a partial scholarship with the Broncos, who went 20-31 overall and 10-26 in the California Collegiate Athletics Association in 2007.

"I definitely like the program," Lucas said. "They're well built, they're in the best Division II league in the country, and the catching position looks open already."

Heading into the 2008 season, Cal Poly Pomona lists two catchers on its roster, including senior Andres Fernandez.

"Their coaching staff is confident he can come right in and play as a freshman," said Hart head coach Jim Ozella. "He'll get there and compete for a job."

Lucas will also pick up where Hart High graduate Kyle Boggio leaves off. Boggio will be a senior outfielder for the Broncos this season, joining Pomona after a stint at College of the Canyons.

Lucas batted .371 as a junior with 17 runs, 23 hits, 18 RBIs and a team-leading 16 walks.

The 6-foot-2, 170-pounder caught Hart ace Michael Montgomery and sophomore Trevor Bauer as the Indians reached the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Division I postseason.

"Bryan's a kid with a real high upside," Ozella said. "There's been some other people interested."

Among them was College World Series participant Cal State Fullerton.

"Really, Pomona came out of the woodwork here," Ozella said. "They had seen him play, and they liked what they saw."