October 25, 2007

Pomona Nabs 2nd Indian

By Cary Osborne
Signal Sports Editor

Hart High third baseman Jenzen Torres said there's really no comparison.

Four home runs in one game is not the same as committing to play baseball for a university.

The senior joins catcher Bryan Lucas as the second Hart player in a week to verbally commit to a partial scholarship with Cal Poly Pomona.

Torres made the commitment at about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.

He and Hart head coach Jim Ozella said there was interest from college baseball powerhouses UC Irvine and UC Riverside, but Torres consulted with family and coaches and said Division II Pomona was the right fit.

"I had a good gut feeling about it when I went over there," Torres said.

A clutch-hitting third baseman, Torres was an All-Santa Clarita Valley first teamer in 2007 as a junior, his third varsity year.

He hit .380 with two home runs, 23 RBIs and 15 doubles in 2007 and figures to be one of the area's top players in 2008.

He said just because he's committed, doesn't mean he will let down this coming season.

"I still want to do the best I can. I still want to lead the league in a bunch of categories," Torres said. "Let's just take the season off - definitely not. That's not how we do it at Hart. We practice hard, play hard. Just because I'm set for college, doesn't mean I'll take it off."

Torres' biggest day came this summer in a Valley Invitational Baseball League game where he went 5-for-5 with four home runs and a double against Valencia.

"I hear about it constantly. I hear about it every week," he said. "Going to college, I think it's more fulfilling."

Ozella said Torres' future in college might even be at catcher, but he will get his shot at third base.

"It's a great spot for him. He's really maturing day in, day out as a baseball player, as a person," Ozella said. "He's getting bigger and stronger. This is a great opportunity for him to play college ball and be a star."

Ozella said senior left-handed pitcher Michael Montgomery is not too far away from accepting a scholarship also.

Montgomery is receiving interest from many schools, with Oregon, Arizona and Cal State Fullerton being leading candidates.

Ozella said Baseball America has rated Montgomery as the No. 42-rated high school baseball player in the country.

There may be even more Hart players receiving interest this year, Ozella said, including senior infielder Trevor Matern.