Baseball Rich Get Richer : High schools: Powerful Hart program gains eight players through open enrollment, drawing mixed reaction.

NEWHALL — The Hart High baseball program appears to be the area leader in the open enrollment derby, adding three strong players to an already strong varsity and sparking mixed reactions among rival Santa Clarita Valley coaches.

Eight players who would have attended other schools have enrolled at Hart, which Saugus Coach Doug Worley called an all-star team.

Most notable are Mike Bland, the top hitter at rival Canyon High last season, and senior right-handed pitcher Ron Jones, a transfer from Crespi who lives in the Canyon attendance area.

“I was amazed,” said Hart Coach Bud Murray, who missed the first six weeks of school because he had surgery to remove bunions from his feet. “I was out until the middle of October. I come back and all these guys are at my school.”

Said Worley, who gained no new varsity players and lost one freshman to Hart, “We probably would have been co-favorites to win the (Foothill League). But I’m not sure what the situation is now. It should be one neighborhood playing the other. When one team basically becomes an all-star team playing the rest, how fun is that?”

Also enrolled at Hart are infielder Eric Horvat, a sophomore from Alemany; pitcher/infielder Jason Westemeier, a sophomore from Village Christian; outfielder Chris Wright and left-handed pitcher Andy Davidson, freshmen from the Valencia High district; and infielder Nicky Mercado, a freshman who would have attended Saugus.

Hart also picked up Cody Joyce, a sophomore transfer from Florida whom Murray tabs as a Division I prospect. Joyce is a 6-foot-2, 175-pound outfielder.

The four players who figure to be on the varsity--Bland, Jones, Joyce and Horvat--will make Hart even more formidable. Foothill champions last season, the Indians reached the semifinals of the Division II playoffs and return several key players.

“This is going to happen with open enrollment,” Murray said. “You gain some and you’re going to lose some. You only play nine kids. If someone wants to leave, I won’t stand in his way.”

Canyon Coach Scott Willis, who said he tried in vain to keep Bland from transferring, said he doesn’t mind open enrollment as long as recruiting is not involved.

“If it’s used properly, I’m for it,” Willis said. “If it’s used as a recruiting tool, I’m against it. I’m not sure that’s going on.”

Worley, whose Saugus teams have made the playoffs in 12 of the past 13 seasons, twice losing in the section championship game, is steadfastly against it.

“I’m aware that if I talked to people, people would have come here,” Worley said. “I’m just as competitive as anyone, but this is morally wrong.”

Bland, a 5-1, 145-pound second baseman who batted .407 last season, said his transfer to Hart was not solely for baseball.

“It was for academic reasons,” Bland said. “Hart has a physics teacher (Martin Kirby) who passes more students than any other teacher in the nation in AP physics. I’m definitely (excited to play for Hart). I think we should have one of the best teams around.”

Murray, who said he would hate to see any of his players transfer out, believes open enrollment will make coaches work harder to keep their athletes.

“It’s going to force some people to get off their duff and work,” Murray said. “They’ll have to get their diamonds fixed up and do a good job and be accountable for their program. If you’re a good pianist, why not go to the school with the best music program?”