Prep baseball: One last hurrah

Steve Virgen

IRVINE - Rivalry? What rivalry. When the South County Showcase

takes place today, there won’t be any huffing and puffing or game faces.

Instead, the high school baseball action featuring four leagues, will be

a time to maintain friendships and create new ones.

“It’s a time to come together as one, and realize we’re from the same

type of fraternity,” said Guy Lemmon, the director of the South County

Showcase, in its sixth year. “They’ve played against each other all

season. Now they’ll play together.”

Corona del Mar, Costa Mesa and Estancia High schools will be

represented as the Pacific Coast League takes on the South Coast League

Saturday at 1 p.m. at Woodrow Park in Irvine. The Sea View League, with

Newport Harbor, will face the Century League at 5:30.

Senior Billy Eagle is the lone player from CdM, while Costa Mesa has

pitcher Nick Cabico and outfielder Michael McGuire. Estancia’s Paul

Flory, J.B. Goff and Justin Lund will also be teammates with the Sea

Kings and the Mustangs.

Jon Vandersloot and Cameron Pemstein of Newport Harbor will team with

players from Aliso Niguel, Irvine, Laguna Hills and Woodbridge.

The teams will play nine-inning games, and after the PCL-South Coast

matchup, two players from each league will do battle in a home run derby.

The South County Showcase is presented by the Ryan Lemmon Foundation,

which awards a scholarship to a player in between the two games.