DAILY PILOT HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE WEEK:

Danny Moskovits is sort of a news junkie.

The BBC feeds him daily reports from all over the world on satellite radio. From plights, to wars, to genocide, these issues pique Moskovits’ interest.

If you lived where he does in Newport Beach, Moskovits said you might not care about the current events affecting the helpless.

Moskovits does care. He might become a journalist, a foreign correspondent. He wants to tell stories like Brian Steidle, who wrote about the Darfur crisis in Sudan.

There is one thing the senior at Corona del Mar High is truly passionate about and it is the truth.

Moskovits excels in the classroom, a 4.25 grade-point average and a 2150 score on the SAT, and on the baseball field, batting .340 with four home runs and 20 runs batted in.

On his baseball team, Coach John Emme said teammates elected Moskovits as the captain. The role is big because when the captain speaks, players pay attention.

Moskovits isn’t afraid to tell the truth. The senior won’t get in your face and grill you if you’re slacking. The way he leads is by example, devoting everything he has to the game.

The hard work has paid off. After high school, Moskovits plans to continue playing in college at Harvard and the pros. Some doubt the last one, his ultimate goal.

“People keep telling me I’m not going to,” Moskovits said of becoming a Major League Baseball player. “That’s another reason I went to Harvard because I think I can play a lot more [at Harvard] than at a school out here [in California] and [I’m going to] try to prove everyone wrong.”

The more you question Moskovits, the more drive he has.

Moskovits hasn’t been able to pitch much the past two seasons because of right shoulder and elbow issues. So, he works on other aspects of his game.

Twice a week, Moskovits said he meets with a hitting coach inside a converted bunker, where a bowling alley used to be in Coto de Caza. Some of the best high school players in the area go and learn to hit at the spot.

When Moskovits leaves his 90-minute session, he’s soaking wet.

Not everyone is wired like Moskovits. A lot of what you see is due to Len Moskovits, his father. Len used to be president of MET-Rx Nutrition, a sports nutrition company.

Now, Danny said Len is retired and an investor. Like any good dad, Len is heavily invested in his son.

“My dad is actually pretty hard on me,” Danny said. “He tells me when I’m doing something wrong, but he also tells me when I’m doing something right.

“How else are you going to improve if you don’t know what you’re doing wrong?”

Danny has tried to use the same approach to help teammates. He said some respond to it well and some don’t.

The way CdM (8-7) played before it entered the recent Beach Pit Classic, Moskovits’ teammates probably thought they didn’t need assistance.

The Sea Kings were on a roll, improving to 4-1 in the Pacific Coast League after winning four straight league games. One because Moskovits hit a walk-off, two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to lead CdM to a 5-4 victory against University last week.

The success continued into the Beach Pit Classic, a four-day, 16-team tournament held during spring break. CdM claimed the first two games, finding itself in the semifinals.

Not everyone focused on reaching the final for the second time in three years. Others had other plans.

“Before the game, some people were saying, ‘Hey! Where are you going to surf after the game?’ I didn’t really look at that too fondly,” Moskovits said after CdM allowed Fountain Valley to rally late for a 9-8 semifinal victory Tuesday, knocking the Sea Kings into the third-place game.

“I’m not a beach guy. I’m a baseball guy. If you’re going to play baseball, you should play baseball. You should be ready to play.”

Emme addressed this issue after the tough loss.

He told players to stop thinking about their spring break plans and focus on the next game in the tournament against South Hills of West Covina.

Emme mentioned South Hills’ No. 7 ranking in the CIF Southern Section Division III coaches’ poll. The Sea Kings are No. 10. After a 17-3 loss and finishing in fourth place, they might find themselves out of the top 10 next week, when the poll is released.

If it happens, you can bet Moskovits won’t be too thrilled.

But Moskovits has heard far worse news before, so he’ll be fine.

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at david.carrillo@latimes.com.