Josh Bradbury

Barry Faulkner

Though the situation has come up much less frequently this season,

Josh Bradbury knows what it’s like to be standing on the mound,

surrounded by base runners. It’s actually a part of the game he

relishes.

Almost as special to the Corona del Mar High junior, is standing

in the batter’s box with the intent of turning the opposing pitcher’s

trouble into his own triumph.

These situations, as well as the opportunity to share the

experience with teammates, were the leading reasons he came back to

baseball before his freshman year, after devoting two full years to

junior tennis.

He has barely picked up a racquet since and, he says, does not

miss the solitary sport in the least. He does admit, however, that

tennis may have helped hone his mental focus. And, of course, there

was that two-handed backhand.

“I didn’t play PONY League, because I took two years off baseball

to just play tennis,” Bradbury said. “I traveled to Florida and Texas

for tournaments. I was playing all over. But I didn’t like being

alone out there, as opposed to being on a team. I never wanted to go

work hard on my tennis game, but I enjoy practicing and working on my

game in baseball.”

This season, Bradbury has made it his practice to lift the Sea

Kings, which he did last week in two crucial Pacific Coast League

wins over University that helped CdM climb over the Trojans to the

top of the PCL standings.

The Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week yielded just one hit in six

shutout innings to key an 11-0 victory April 8 at Uni, then went 3

for 3 with two home runs and four RBIs in an 11-6 home triumph Thursday.

He added a 2-for-4 performance in a Saturday Pride of the Coast

Tournament loss to Back Bay rival Newport Harbor and has emerged as

not only Coach John Emme’s pitching ace, but also one of CdM’s most

potent hitters.

Through Tuesday, he was hitting .545 with four home runs 13 RBIs

and 19 runs. Of his 24 hits, 11 had gone for extra bases. On the

mound, he entered Wednesday’s action 3-0 with a 1.11 ERA, with 22

strikeouts and only five walks in 19 innings.

“Things have just come together for him,” Emme said. “He has

matured physically and he has the experience of playing on the

varsity as a sophomore.”

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Bradbury, who plays third base when not on

the bump, worked hard in the weight room to gain strength. He has

also adjusted his swing to generate more power.

Last season, when he earned All-Newport-Mesa and second-team

All-PCL honors, he hit .324 with 11 RBIs. He had no homers, however,

and only four of his 24 hits were extra-base knocks.

His two-homer game against Uni not only propelled him into a tie

for the team lead, it also enhanced his growing reputation as a power

source.

“We had a coach from Long Beach State here the other day to look

at [senior shortstop] Keith Long,” Emme said. “I put Josh in the same

hitting group with Keith and of the 18 batting practice pitches Josh

saw, I think he hit 15 over the fence. I’ve never seen anything like

it.”

In addition to his added muscle at the plate, Bradbury has

sharpened his control as a pitcher. He walked 18 and struck out 12 in

25 1/3 innings last season, but had fanned 22 and walked just five

his first 19 innings this spring.

“The key has been getting ahead of hitters and working out of

jams,” Bradbury said of his pitching this season.

While pleased with his performance thus far, Bradbury said it has

only motivated him to continue his already exemplary practice habits.

“If I swing by school on an off day, I can almost always count on

seeing Josh in the batting cage,” Emme said.