Prep baseball: Daily Pilot’s 2002 Dream Team

Barry Faulkner

Nick Cabico isn’t much interested in keeping up with his press

clippings. He’s too busy focusing on the next pitch, the next at-bat, the

next challenge.

“He’s not much of a banquet guy,” Costa Mesa High baseball coach Kirk

Bauermeister said of his four-year varsity veteran, about whom

Bauermeister could extend a team banquet into the wee hours while

summarizing what the right-handed pitcher and outfielder has meant to his

program.

“He’s one of the smartest kids I’ve ever had and he has easily been

the hardest working guy in our program,” Bauermeister said. “He was the

best player on our team and, I think, one of the best players in the

(Pacific Coast League).”

Cabico was also the best player among Newport-Mesa schools this

spring, at least so deemed by the Daily Pilot, which has named him Dream

Team Player of the Year.

Cabico, a three-time Dream Team honoree, is joined by repeat

selections Billy Eagle and Nick Rhodes, both from Corona del Mar, as well

as Estancia standout J.B. Goff.

The rest of the squad, chosen from four Newport-Mesa District schools,

as well as Newport Coast newcomer Sage Hill, includes CdM’s Nick Karpe,

Wess Presson and Josh Bradbury, Costa Mesa’s Nathan Hunter, Mike Carrasco

and Michael McGuire, as well as Sage Hill’s Tim Wilkins.

The 5-foot-8, 145-pound Cabico, who plans to continue in baseball and

football at Chapman University, posted a 7-4 record with two saves and a

school single-season record 0.84 ERA. He fanned 85 in 75 innings,

yielding just 51 hits and nine eared runs.

But Cabico’s contributions also included a team-leading .351 batting

average (26 for 74), with 22 runs and 19 stolen bases. He drove in six

runs, collected six doubles and a triple, and posted an on-base average

of .484.

The Co-Pitcher of the Year in the PCL, Cabico finished his four-year

varsity career with 15 wins, four saves, 215 strikeouts in 215 1/3

innings and a 2.50 cumulative ERA.

Offensively, Cabico finished with 83 hits, 35 RBIs, 50 runs, 38 steals

and a .326 average over four seasons.

Eagle, yet another four-year varsity performer, also closed out a

distinguished prep career. A two-time former Newport-Mesa Player of the

Year, the UCLA-bound standout hit .370 (30 for 81) with four home runs,

22 RBIs, 25 runs and 11 extra-base hits, despite being relegated to

designated hitter duties by an elbow injury.

Eagle, who helped the Sea Kings reach the CIF Southern Section

Division IV Playoffs for the fifth straight year, was selected to play in

the Orange County All-Star Game, after earning second-team All-PCL

recognition.

Eagle’s career statistics include a .415 average (113 for 272), 11 homers, 63 RBIs, 75 runs and 29 stolen bases.

Rhodes, a junior left-hander, earned his second straight Dream Team

honor by posting five wins, one save and a 3.87 ERA in 72 1/3 innings.

Rhodes struck out 62 and walked just 15, going the distance in five of

his 12 starts, including a hard-fought first-round playoff loss at St.

Paul. He was a first-team All-PCL choice.

Goff, a senior left fielder for the Eagles, hit .367 (29 for 79) with

17 runs, six RBIs, five extra-base hits and four stolen bases. He was

thoroughly effective as a leadoff man, posting a .500 on-base average. He

was a second-team All-PCL honoree.

Presson, a freshman outfielder who hit .344 (31 for 90) and collected

16 RBIs, 17 runs, five steals and five extra-base hits, proved he may be

the next four-year sensation. He joins former Newport Harbor standout Joe

Urban (Class of 1997) as the only freshman ever to make the Newport-Mesa

Dream Team.

Karpe, a junior transfer from Mater Dei, earned first-team All-PCL

recognition by hitting .355 (32 for 90) with one homer and a

Newport-Mesa-leading 30 RBIs. Karpe, the Sea Kings’ catcher, belted eight

doubles and scored 13 runs.

Bradbury, a sophomore, was another stalwart for the Sea Kings, for

whom he pitched and played third base. He hit .324 (24 for 74) with 11

RBIs and scored 15 runs. In 25 1/3 innings on the mound, he earned two

victories, posted a 4.14 ERA and struck out 12. He earned second-team

all-league laurels.

Wilkins, a sophomore for the first-year varsity Lightning, who

struggled in the Academy League, was a force at shortstop and at the

plate for Coach Chris Torino.

Wilkins hit .493 (33 for 67) with one homer, nine doubles, five

triples and 24 RBIs. He scored 19 runs, stole 13 bases and complied a

robust slugging average of .821. He also pitched for the Newport

Coast-based program and Torino called him one of the best players he has

coached in seven years, both offensively and defensively. He was a

first-team All-Academy League choice.

Hunter, a junior, settled behind the plate during the latter half of

the league season. He hit .313 (25 for 80) with 16 RBIs, 12 runs and nine stolen bases, en route to first-team All-PCL recognition.

Carrasco, a senior, opened the season behind the plate, and spent time

in the outfield and at designated hitter. He wound up hitting .311 (23

for 74) with four homers and 22 RBIs. He also scored 11 runs and belted

five doubles.

McGuire, a senior center fielder, was a second-team All-PCL performer.

He hit .294 (20 for 68) with one homer and 13 RBIs. He stole 14 bases and

scored 19 runs, legged out four triples and earned consistent praise

from Bauermeister as a clutch performer.