Santa Cruz baseball coach Rod Flemming never forgets a face--especially when it belongs to a pitcher who strikes out 17 batters in a high school game.
So when Flemming was named to coach a high school all-star team to represent the Far West in the Best of the West Tournament in Honolulu, Hawaii, he remembered Brent McCann of Fremont quite well.
After all, McCann had fanned 17 of Flemming's Santa Cruz players in high school. And while he may not have been too thrilled about it at the time, he's happy to have McCann among his pitchers for the June 17-23 tournament in Hawaii.
And McCann? Well, he's pretty happy, too.
"I'm honored to be invited," McCann said, adding, "I've never been to Hawaii before."
McCann, who led the Indians to the title in the De Anza Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League in 1995, is the only player from the Santa Clara Valley on the squad.
"We have been practicing for about two weeks, every other day," he said. "The team looks strong, lots of power and a real good pitching staff."
McCann is a member of that staff, and he was expected to get the starting nod in the tourney opener on June 17.
The talented hurler, who recorded 97 strike-outs in 60 innings for the Indians this past spring, hopes to showcase his abilities for professional and college scouts in the tourney.
When he returns home, he play for the Sunnyvale Astros in the Peninsula Joe DiMaggio League and for the Cupertino-Sunnyvale Cobras in Palomino League play.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, June 19, 1996.
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