Prep baseball: Rhodes stars in CdM win

ANAHEIM - Corona del Mar High sophomore Nick Rhodes pitched a

complete-game shutout and freshman Danny Whittaker went 3 for 4 in their

varsity debuts to lead the Sea Kings to a 6-0 win at Magnolia Friday in

round-robin action of the Foothill-Costa Mesa Tournament.

Rhodes, a left-hander, fanned four of the first hitters he faced and

finished the three-hitter with nine strikeouts. Magnolia got its first

hit, an infield single, with one out in the fourth.

“He has command of three pitches, which at this age, almost isn’t

fair,” CdM Coach John Emme said. “That was about as good a first varsity

appearance as you could have.”

Rhodes played for the freshman team last spring.

Sophomores Keith Long and Nick Lutton added to the CdM youth movement.

Long went 2 for 3 with an RBI and was a part of what Emme called a

sterling defensive performance at shortstop.

Lutton was 1 for 1 with three stolen bases and three runs.

Senior Wes Hockinson blasted a long solo home run to left field during

a three-run second inning.

Junior star Billy Eagle (hip pointer) sat out and senior Dave Knecht

(hamstring) left the game early, according to Emme.

The Sea Kings will host Foothill today at 10 a.m. in another

round-robin game, which was originally scheduled for Tuesday.

Senior ace Cavan Cuyler is today’s scheduled starter.

FOOTHILL-COSTA MESA TOURNAMENT

Round robin

Corona del Mar 6, Magnolia 0

Corona del Mar 030 102 0 - 6 9 0

Magnolia 000 000 0 - 0 3 1Rhodes and McKeever; Arbiso,

Baltazar (6), Schmitt (6) and Toscano. W - Rhodes, 1-0. L - Arbiso, 0-1.

2B - Lutton (CdM). 3B - McConnaughy (M). HR - Hockinson (CdM).