Chatsworth’s Guntz Is Pitcher Perfect

Someone should hook a heart monitor to Chatsworth High pitcher Joe Guntz to prove that he actually has a pulse. Guntz refuses to become rattled in tension-filled situations. While others are biting nails or pacing, he doesn’t sweat, doesn’t grimace and doesn’t worry.

“It’s remarkable his composure out there,” catcher Jordan Sisson said. “He never shows the slightest sense of being afraid.”

It was vintage Guntz on Friday in the baseball season opener for Chatsworth, ranked third in the Southland by The Times. Guntz entered with a 25-0 career record. He was facing seventh-ranked West Hills Chaminade and USC-bound left-hander Bobby Paschal.

Never before had Guntz been so close to defeat. Chaminade had the winning run on third base with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning. “Joe was being Joe,” Coach Tom Meusborn said. “You can’t tell if he’s throwing a no-hitter or a 10-hitter.”

Guntz got a strikeout and groundout to end the inning, then Chatsworth scored three runs in the eighth to pull out a 6-3 victory.

“He scares the heck out of you every inning,” assistant Chuck Hatfield said.

Last season, in the City Championship game at Dodger Stadium, Guntz got a called third strike in the seventh inning with the tying and winning runs on base to secure a 2-1 victory over Roosevelt.

Guntz is trying to pull off the stunning feat of making it through high school without losing a game on the mound.

“That’s an incredible thing to do,” Chaminade Coach Scott Drootin said.

And Guntz might do it. He won’t face a better opponent this season than Chaminade, which reached the Southern Section Division IV semifinals and returns seven starters. And he won’t face a better pitcher than Paschal, who was 12-1 with a 1.08 earned-run average.

The Eagles had waited months to take on Guntz in the most anticipated opening-week game involving San Fernando Valley teams since 1997, when Granada Hills Kennedy took on Antelope Valley and 50 professional scouts watched future major league pitchers Jon Garland and Sean Douglass.

This time, the crowd was large at Pierce College, but there were only three pro scouts in attendance because Guntz throws 81 mph and Paschal hits 86 mph. Guntz still doesn’t have any college offers.

“It’s frustrating,” he said. “I beat the same guys going to college. Eventually I have to get a chance.”

Said Meusborn: “He’s one of those guys teams think, ‘We can beat him,’ then they go to the dugout shaking their head.”

Chaminade took a 3-1 lead in the third inning on a two-run single by D.J. Milonas. Chatsworth tied the score, 3-3, in the sixth on Brett Munster’s run-scoring triple off the glove of right fielder Matt Hynick. The Chancellors finally broke through off reliever Sean Clark in the eighth, with Sisson contributing a run-scoring single and Ryan Barba adding a two-run single.

The game lived up to its expectations. Both left-handed pitchers hung tough. Paschal struck out eight in seven innings. Guntz allowed five hits in seven innings. There was only one error. By the time sophomore Jason Dominguez struck out two in the eighth to earn the save as darkness descended, both teams could feel good about themselves.

“It was the funnest time I’ve had,” said third baseman Cody Haerther of Chaminade. “You couldn’t have had a better game.”

Chatsworth is as good as last season’s 31-2 team. The Chancellors improved their record to 16-1 against Southern Section teams over the last four seasons.

Guntz is in position to challenge the state record of 33 consecutive victories established by pitchers Mike Pill of West Covina Edgewood from 1975-77 and Richard Hunter of Temecula Linfield from 1991-93.

“I try not to think about it,” Guntz said. “I don’t want to lose, but if it happens, it happens.”

Guntz said he has a strategy for dealing with pressure. “I take a deep breath, zero in on the mound and go,” he said.

The only time he has trouble is sitting in the dugout. “I’m a wreck,” he said. “I have to be on the mound.”

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Eric Sondheimer can be reached at [email protected]