Prep Baseball: Van Meetren plays well as big league scouts take notes

Spencer Patterson

Friday, March 20, 1998 | 9:26 a.m.

With major league baseball scouts studying his every move from the bleachers, it would have been understandable for Bishop Gorman's Jason Van Meetren to perform below par on Thursday.

Instead, the senior seized the opportunity to impress, blasting a two-run homer and making a pair of tough plays in the field to help the Gaels to a 5-3 victory over Chaparral at Hadland Park.

"I don't think he feels a lot of pressure," said Gorman coach Tim Chambers, whose club improved to 5-1 and handed the Cowboys (3-1) their first loss of the year.

"I try not to think about (the scouts)," said Van Meetren, who already has signed with Stanford and will wait to see where he's drafted before making a decision about next season. "I just feel fortunate that they're out here to see me."

Van Meetren's first home run of the season -- a shot off Chaparral starter Brett Bollman that just cleared the fence in left-center -- gave the hosts a 2-0 lead in the third inning.

With senior righthander Paul Wurtz cruising against a Cowboys lineup playing without top hitters Jason Habel (hip injury) and Nick Hobbs (serving a one-game suspension for an ejection), the Gaels' lead appeared safe.

But in the top of the fourth, Wurtz ran into trouble. After walking one batter and hitting another, the Gorman pitcher was tagged for a sharp single by Ronnie Burkey, tying the game at two.

The Gaels responded to the threat quickly, plating three runs in their half of the fourth on an RBI double by Nick Didier and RBI singles by Ryan Lee and Nino Mantico.

After the visitors scored an unearned run in the sixth to pull within two, Wurtz tried to slam the door in the seventh. But with two outs and nobody on, the Cowboys nearly rallied to win the ballgame.

Habel, who came in to pinch hit, battled Wurtz for a bases on balls, and Johnny Caruso took first after getting hit by a pitch. When Gorman shortstop Ben Quinto couldn't come up with Dusty Owens' grounder, Chaparral had the bases loaded.

Righthander Nate Fouts relieved Wurtz and quickly silenced the Cowboy faithful, getting Dwayne Sparks to pop-up to short center, where a charging Van Meetren caught the ball on his way to the dugout.

"Paul got himself into trouble," Chambers said. "He was struggling to find a second pitch today. He didn't throw his slider or changeup well, so he had to rely on the fastball. He did a good job throwing without his best stuff."

"I like the way we battled back in the last inning with two outs," said Chaparral coach Richard Ebard, whose club was the last in the Las Vegas area to fall from the ranks of the unbeaten. "We're a little upset at ourselves for not getting it done, but to have a perfect season, you have to do everything perfectly."