Made for the mound
Thanks to a loaded stable of strong arms, Agoura is an early favorite to win a Marmonte League title
By Kyle Jorrey
jorrey@theacorn.com

ARMED AND DANGEROUS-The Agoura Chargers' deep pitching staff is the envy of the Marmonte League. They are, left to right, Robert Stock, Jason Stoffel, Jamie Leonard, Greg Gelber, Jason Novak and Eric Batt. So far they have accounted for 92 strikeouts and have a 2.87 team ERA.

Most experienced pitchers will tell you without trying to sound too pretentious that it’s impossible to understand all that goes into being a pitcher unless you’ve actually stood out on the mound and been one.

Comparable only to a quarterback in football, the art of good pitching requires a laser-sharp mind and a short memory—a genuine sense of confidence and unshakable mental toughness. Pitchers must learn to juggle a hundred decisions in their heads before every toss, and then have the focus and concentration to put that next throw right where they want it to be.

It’s both exhilarating and exhausting at the same time, and it all happens in front of the searing glares of fans, teammates, opponents and, if you’re lucky, scouts.

Not everyone has what it takes to be a winning pitcher, but the Agoura Chargers feel like they have a few kids that do.

Off to an 7-4 start on the season, the Chargers are an early favorite to contend for their first Marmonte League baseball crown in three years in large part due to their highly touted pitching staff. Consisting of seniors Jason Novak, Greg Gelber and Eric Batt, juniors Jason Stoffel and Jamie Leonard, and sophomore Robert Stock, the Agoura staff has already started to show that it could live up to its preseason potential.

"I think all the recognition we’re getting has just added to our confidence that we can go out and do well," said Gelber, who with his long blond locks, sense of humor and command of breaking balls is reminiscent of a young Mark "The Bird" Fidrych. "Sure, there’s some pressure on us to succeed this year, but the guys on this staff are ready for that. We want to try and win a CIF championship."

Novak and Gelber, best friends since they first started pitching together in the Agoura Pony League, are leaders of the staff.

Novak (3.91 ERA, 24 Ks) is a hard-nosed, hard-throwing right hander who has already signed a letter-of-intent to attend UCLA next season and play under head coach/pitching coach John Savage.

Gelber (2-1, 1.40 ERA), a left-hander and the "finesse" pitcher of the staff, is coming off an all-star performance in summer ball and is pitching in his first full varsity season after missing out on last year because of tendonitis in his arm.

"It’s great for the two of us to get to pitch together our senior year. It’s how we always planned it," Gelber said. "We get to go through it together and see how everything works out."

Stoffel (3-1, 2.40 ERA, 21 Ks) and Stock (3-1, 3.43 ERA, 20 Ks) round out the team’s starting rotation. Both are power pitchers, like Novak, with stuff in the mid- to high-80s.

"We have such a strong staff this year that just to make it into the starting rotation took a lot of effort," Stoffel said. "It was a real competition out there, nothing was guaranteed coming in. I had to work my butt off, and everyone still is now, trying to better one another. There’s a lot of good competition in this rotation—it drives everyone to want to work harder."

Stock, the youngest of the group, received national attention over the summer when ESPN: The Magazine did a short feature on him in its "NEXT" issue, which spotlights athletes the publication feels are destined for future greatness. At age 13, he was named the best baseball player in the country in his age group by Baseball America. Last year, as a freshman on the Agoura squad and throwing up to 91 mph, he earned the honor again.

When asked how all the mounting expectations weigh on a 15-year-old, the level-headed Stock simply said it gives him something to shoot for.

"It really hasn’t played that much of a role (all the media attention)," Stock said. "People begin to say, ‘Hey look, it’s Robert Stock.’ But I don’t pay attention to that as much. It’s just that they set standards for me and then I want to fulfill them."

Always there to make sure he doesn’t getting too big of a head from all the praise, his pitching teammates say Stock is a unique type of ballplayer.

"It’s crazy that a goofy kid like him that just sits in the library and reads can come out and do that on the field—just blow people away—but he does," Novak said. "You’d never guess it by looking at him."

Gelber, who’s developed a near dead-on imitation of his younger teammate, agreed.

"We joke with him sometimes because he’s the young guy, but (Robert)’s great," Gelber said. "Everyone is so happy for him."

All the attention being reaped on players like Novak and Stock has meant a steady flow of scouts have been attending Charger games this year. They’re hard to miss at the ballpark, and even harder to miss if you’re a pitcher.

Novak said he first became aware of the scouts during his break-out junior year.

"When I was a sophomore, all you’d get is the parents in the stands. Then, toward the end of my junior year, I’d get up to pitch and look behind and you’ve got about five guys with radar guns standing there, all there to look at you," Novak said. "At first it’s overwhelming. First you’re nervous, but after a while you just have to go out there to the mound and do your thing."

While many might wilt under the pressure of having every pitch evaluated and recorded, this group of arms has learned to thrive off the larger audience.

"I like it. I like to perform under pressure," Stoffel said. "It really brings out who you are and how you play."

It’s important to note a few members of this rotation are also dangerous hitters, giving each player an opportunity to help his own cause or help the cause of a fellow pitcher—something the Chargers have desperately needed since the start of the season.

Stock (.488) and Stoffel (.333) are second and third on the team in batting average, and have recorded 12 and 10 RBIs respectively. Novak has added seven RBIs and four doubles.

In a dramatic 6-5 come-from-behind win Tuesday over Santa Margarita Catholic High School, Stock earned himself a win in a relief role by singling home the winning run in the bottom of the 7th inning after he had pitched two innings of solid relief. Novak also contributed a timely hit in the 6th inning that sparked a two-out, game-tying rally.

So while it’s still early, it’s safe to say that the Chargers and their fans like their chances—just as long as Agoura can continue to match good pitching with timely hitting.

"You’d love to be able to get your team to score seven or eight runs a game, but you can’t ever expect that of any team," Gelber said. "No matter what, I just have to pitch my game, and hope if I give up one or two runs, my team will score three or four."

Novak, who like every other pitcher on this staff, has yet to pitch in a postseason game, said he doesn’t want the Chargers to pass up on a golden opportunity.

"We know we can perform, it’s just a matter of if we come out to play that day," Novak said. "We can’t just hope we’re going to win and go through the same routine every game, hoping the other team will mess up. We need to come out and show what we’ve got, and if we do that, we should be able to win."

Rather than be too concerned about taking first place in an always loaded Marmonte League, the players said they just want a shot at the playoffs, where they know good pitching means anything can happen. It’s also where these talented arms can really get an audience—possibly even at Dodger Stadium—where they all hope to return one day as professionals.

"Our goal is to win a CIF championship, anyway we can get it done, win league or don’t win league," Stoffel said. "There’s some unfinished business with this group, and if you watch us, you’ll see we’re all going toward the same goal."