Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week: Nick Karpe

Barry Faulkner

For the entire first semester and early into the second, Nick Karpe

was just another new kid this year at Corona del Mar High.

But chiseling a place for himself in the middle of things for the Sea

Kings baseball team has helped the somewhat reserved junior settle more

comfortably into his new environs. And he has clearly made himself at

home against Pacific Coast League pitching.

“He’s just killing the PCL,” said CdM Coach John Emme, whose life is a

lot easier with Karpe leading things defensively at catcher and

offensively from the cleanup spot.

“Nick is baseball’s version of a gym rat and it’s nice to have a guy

you know you can count on day-in and day-out to play the game the way you

want it to be played,” Emme said.

Any coach would appreciate Karpe’s offensive production in two PCL

victories over Estancia last week. The 5-foot-9, 170-pound Mater Dei

transfer went 6 for 8 with three walks, four RBIs and five runs to help

the Sea Kings remain in contention for one of the league’s three

guaranteed CIF Southern Section playoff berths.

Heading into this week, Karpe had gone 16 for 32 in nine league games,

with six doubles and 14 RBIs. For the season, the Daily Pilot Athlete of

the Week came into the week hitting a team-leading .385 (25 for 65), with

a team-best 21 RBIs, as well as seven doubles and a .538 slugging

percentage.

Karpe’s performance, as well as his work ethic and demeanor, have made

him universally popular with his teammates.

“Nick has the complete respect of everybody out there and on a team of

high school kids, that can rarely be said,” Emme said.

Respect for Karpe is particularly apparent with his pitching staff,

which appreciates not only his defensive capabilities behind the plate,

but his motivational influence on impromptu meetings on the mound.

“(Karpe) has really been good about saying the right thing to keep me

focused,” said CdM starting pitcher Nick Rhodes.

Karpe said leadership is something he enjoys, but acknowledges he went

through a long initiation period with his teammates, before fully

asserting his opinions.

“You have to prove yourself to the team, before you can take a

leadership role,” he said.

Karpe said he went through a similar social adjustment at school after

transferring from Mater Dei, where he said tension with coaches led to

his decision to seek greener pastures elsewhere.

“It was hard coming to a new school as a junior and it was hard making

friends at CdM. I really just wanted to get there and play baseball. Once

baseball started, it was a little easier for me to make friends.”

Karpe, who grew up in San Clemente, has always had a friend in the

game, which has occupied his sole athletic attention from an early age.

“Since I was little, this has always been the sport I really clung

to,” Karpe said. “And it was the only sport in which I could really stand

out.”

Emme said Karpe’s ability to block balls in the dirt, as well as his

aggressiveness throwing behind base runners, has been a big plus.

Offensively, Karpe’s smooth swing and intelligent approach have made

him a consistently tough out.

“He’ll take his walks, because, bottom line, he’s all about the

scoreboard,” Emme said. “He has a very, very nice swing and he generally

hits the ball hard. Nick’s bat is so quick, he thrives on pitchers who

throw a little harder. He has never seen a mid-80s (mph) fastball he

didn’t like.”

Karpe likes his surroundings at CdM and he also likes this team’s

potential, both the rest of this season and for his senior year.

“We’re really coming together and the more games we play and the older

we get, I think we’re only going to get better,” he said.