Diamond in the rough

PATRICK SHELBY/Acorn Newspapers SULTAN OF SWAT-In just 16 official at-bats prior to Wednesday's game against Calabasas, Newbury Park first baseman Andrew Lambo had hit six home runs, tying him for the lead in California high school baseball. Lambo can pitch, too, having logged 14 strikeouts in nine innings of work. Before Andrew Lambo took the Marmonte League by storm, crushing opposite-field home runs and dominating opposing hitters with his cannon left arm, he was in danger of throwing his immense baseball talent right into the gutter.

Lambo, a 17-year-old junior first baseman/pitcher for Newbury Park, transferred to NPHS from Grover Cleveland High School in Reseda following a pair of tumultuous seasons.

During his freshman year at Grover Cleveland, Lambo was suspended from the school's baseball team for failing to attend classes.

Things got worse last year when he was suspended for nine games at the onset. Upon returning to the team, Lambo was declared academically ineligible for the remainder of the year.

"It was pretty much stupidity," Lambo said. "I was doing stupid things in class. I was doing stupid things outside of class. It kind of all just caught up to me. I was really kind of losing it, hanging with the wrong crowd, doing bad things and following the wrong people."

Lambo and his parents, Drew and Denetia, decided enough was enough. It was time for a change, and Newbury Park head coach Scott Drootin would be there to help.

According to Lambo, Drootin was his coach when he was with a youth travel team, the California Eagles. They kept in touch over the years, and when Drootin heard about his former player's ongoing troubles in school and that the Lambos were looking to relocate, the coach said Newbury Park would be a nice destination.

Lambo came out to NPHS and watched the Panthers play toward the end of last season. In June, Lambo and his family made it official by moving to Newbury Park. Lambo started playing with the Panthers during their summer league season.

"I think he got a bad rap in the past," Drootin said. "He was just a young kid and he's learned from his mistakes. I think we're getting him to realize that's he's got a future ahead of him.

"He's been working hard," Drootin said. "His grades are moving up. He's been a good student. He's been a pleasure to work with. Guys like Andrew Lambo make me look like a good coach. They make me a better coach."

Joe Cascione, the head baseball coach at Grover Cleveland, echoed Drootin's sentiments, saying Lambo was a good person who was making bad decisions.

"He just had some problems he had to straighten out," Cascione said. "He was great on the field and showed a lot of respect towards me. He just had some problems off the field that he couldn't straighten out. . . .He's a good kid. I wish him the best of luck."

Drootin and Lambo said the move was beneficial to both parties. The player received the fresh start he so desperately needed, and the coach landed a five-tool athlete who has quickly transformed his team into a contender in the Marmonte League.

"It wasn't my old school, it was me, me as a person," Lambo said. "I had to be taken out."

Lambo said he's enjoying his new home.

"I love it out here," he said. "I like going to this school. I like the principals, they want to work with you. I like the players here, the people here. It's just a good town, something I needed. I've totally done a 180-totally turned it around."

Jordan LaSecla, a three-sport star for the Panthers and the team's top returning pitcher from last season, said he'd heard about Lambo before the slugger arrived on campus. LaSecla knew his team was getting a quality baseball player, and the expectations were high for Lambo from the minute he put on a Panther uniform.

What LaSecla didn't realize, however, was how good Lambo really was.

"I really didn't expect what I actually saw," LaSecla said. "He's not intimidating looking. He's a taller than average kid (6foot-3, 190 pounds). But to see his arm out there is amazing. . . . I've only been with the team for about three weeks, but (Lambo's) unbelievable."

In a league rife with highlytouted prospects such as Agoura's Robert Stock and Jason Stoffel, and Westlake's Jeff Rapoport, it's been Lambo who's been the most productive player early in the season.

Through Newbury Park's first six games, in which the Panthers compiled a 5-1 record, Lambo hit a Southern Section-leading six home runs in 16 at-bats. He had 13 RBIs, a batting average of .688, and has posted gaudy numbers in onbase percentage (.792) and slugging percentage (1.81).

In two starts on the mound, Lambo, who models his pitching after Minnesota Twins southpaw Johan Santana, has posted a 1.55 ERA with 14 strikeouts.

Despite his personal accomplishments early on, Lambo prefers to talk about his teammates and coaches, giving them credit for helping him succeed. His focus isn't on winning batting titles or home run contests. He wants to help Newbury Park win a championship.

"(We're not winning) because I came here," Lambo said. "It's because we all have clicked and we all realize that we can go somewhere. We can win. We can have a good record this year. We can go to the playoffs."

Lambo is a student of the game. He keeps notes on opposing pitchers and doesn't shy away from reading a decent baseball novel. If he keeps working hard and doesn't revisit his off-field trouble from the past, Drootin said the sky's the limit for Lambo.

"If he keeps going the way he's going, he'll be a pro baseball player," Drootin said. "He still has a long, long, long ways to go, and he knows it. But he's got the tools to do it."