Baseball: Sea Kings go out as winners
IRVINE — At the start and at the end of the home team’s pregame introductions, the PA announcer called the names of those representing Corona del Mar High.
John Emme coached and Teddy Stuka batted third in the lineup, while Jake Hastings was a reserve. The trio represented the Pacific Coast League in the Ryan Lemmon Senior Showcase on Friday.
The baseball game marked the final one for Stuka and Hastings in their high school career. Emme guided them one last time, and he sent them off as winners. The Pacific Coast League beat the Freeway League, 8-3, at Windrow Community Park in Irvine.
“It felt good to end my high school career with a win,” said Stuka, a first-team All-Pacific Coast League performer who plans to continue his baseball career at John Hopkins University. “It was nice to share that experience with one of my players and my coaches.”
The right side of the infield featured Stuka, a first baseman, and Hastings, a second baseman. The two got involved early on.
Stuka produced the Pacific Coast League’s first hit. He went the other way with a 2-0 fastball, singling to right field in the bottom of the first inning off Fullerton left-hander Brent Bell.
“I’m not here to walk,” said Stuka, who in 85 plate appearances only walked six times during the Sea Kings’ season, finishing with a .342 batting average with 10 runs batted in, four doubles and a triple.
Stuka, who went one for two with a walk and run on Friday, and Hastings made it onto the field together in the second inning. A little rust showed.
After University pitcher Eric Brunst induced a grounder toward the second-base bag, Hastings fielded it and fired to first, but Stuka said he misread the ball when he reached out for it. Stuka was unable to hold on to the ball.
The error that put the first batter on didn’t hurt the Pacific Coast League. Brunst kept the runner on first by getting the next three batters out, two went down swinging.
The second miscue involving a CdM infielder led to the game’s first run.
Woodbridge’s Dan Foret hit the first batter he faced in the third inning, and a pick-off attempt by the catcher went so high that not even the 6-foot-7 Stuka could’ve made a play on the ball had he been at first base. The throw to first sailed over the head of Beckman’s Isaiah Bull, allowing the runner to reach third with ease.
Five pitches later, Foret issued a walk, but the batter didn’t stop at first base. Foret saw him going and he threw to second, where Hastings dropped the ball. The shortstop picked up the ball, trying to get the runner coming to second, but the runner at third took off for home to give the Freeway League a 1-0 lead.
“We haven’t played in a while,” said Hastings, who reached base when the left fielder and center fielder collided in the fifth and flew out to left field.
The last game for Hastings and Stuka was on May 21, when Rancho Alamitos upset host CdM, 7-5, in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 3 playoffs. The setback stung CdM (17-10), ranked No. 7 in the division back then.
The Sea Kings’ return to the postseason after missing it the previous two seasons didn’t last long. The Sea Kings haven’t won a first-round game since 2009.
“[We had] a lot of talent on that team,” said Hastings, who helped CdM place second in league at 9-6, the program’s first runner-up finish in five years. “We didn’t have a single person on that team that played in the playoffs before and I think that took a toll on us.”
The atmosphere at the Ryan Lemmon Senior Showcase game between the Pacific Coast and Freeway leagues was much looser. Emme said he enjoys the annual event, and he’s been a part of it 18 of the 19 years it has been around.
“It’s always fun to be able to come out here in a super relaxed environment and just strap it on one more time,” Emme said.
“The Ryan Lemmon Foundation obviously is working on, you know, just building high school baseball in the communities. It’s just a great way to pay tribute to the seniors on their way out.”