Moskovits thrives in clutch

If one at-bat summed up Danny Moskovits’ senior year at Corona del Mar High, the last one coming in the Sea Kings’ final victory is the best way to tell it.

Go back to May 29. The Sea Kings are in a tight CIF Southern Section Division III quarterfinal playoff baseball game on the road in Hacienda Heights.

Los Altos is behind by one run in the top of the sixth. Moskovits steps to the plate with runners on. An extra-base hit here and CdM is bound for its first semifinal appearance since 2004.

The pitches Moskovits has seen so far: all curveballs. Try a dozen. Nothing good to hit.

Moskovits reminded himself to relax and stay back for another curve.

Practically everyone figured out the next pitch. Coach John Emme figured Moskovits would deliver again in the clutch.

When the game is on the line, Moskovits thrives.

The curve came and Moskovits stroked a two-run double toward the gap in right-center field, blowing the game open and sending CdM into celebration mode.

Seeing Moskovits come through was nothing new. The Sea Kings won, 6-3, and Emme earned his 200th career victory that day.

Emme has won a lot of big games and coached a lot of talented players during his 12 years at CdM.

Emme said Moskovits ranks as one of his top 10 players of all time.

This year, Moskovits is the Newport-Mesa Dream Team Player of the Year in baseball. He ran away with the award in walk-off fashion.

The Harvard-bound Moskovits produced one of the finest offensive seasons in recent CdM history, earning him first-team All-CIF Southern Section Division III and first-team All-Pacific Coast League recognition.

Moskovits hit .333, led the team with six home runs, 39 runs batted in, 14 doubles and 36 runs.

The RBI total is a school record, surpassing Ty Harper’s mark of 36 set in 28 games during the Sea Kings’ 1999 section championship season. Moskovits, a first baseman, played one extra game.

One more and the Sea Kings would have competed for their fourth section crown in school history. The playoff run ended at home, losing in the semis to eventual champ South Hills of West Covina.

The season proved to be a memorable one for Moskovits, a three-time Dream Team pick. Not because of his individual achievements, but how CdM bounced back after starting out 8-9.

Emme said Moskovits’ 36 runs ranks third and his six home runs tied him for fifth in Emme’s single-season record book.

For a career, Emme said Moskovits ranked fifth in doubles (21), seventh in RBIs (61) and runs (59), tied for eighth in homers (nine), and 10th in hits (70).

“The threat of Danny made all the guys around him hit a lot better,” Emme said. “People had to decide who they were going to pitch to.”

CdM turned it on in the second half of the year.

The Sea Kings closed out the season winning 10 of 12 games.

“Everyone started caring and everyone wanted to win,” said Moskovits, a key contributor to CdM’s success, including belting a walk-off, two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to lift CdM to a 5-4 victory against University on March 31.

“We became baseball players. We started playing a lot better. Everything we did, playing defense, pitching and hitting, worked.”

Moskovits hasn’t pitched the last two years due to right shoulder and elbow issues, but he sure continued to swing a hot bat.

 Steven Manning

Corona del Mar

The senior pitcher threw lights out down the stretch for the Sea Kings. The right-hander started CdM’s first two CIF Southern Section Division III playoff victories. In back-to-back outings on four days rest, he threw 12 innings, allowing only one earned run. Manning finished 5-4 with a 3.79 earned-run average and struck out 30 in 68 1/3 innings. He earned second-team All-Pacific Coast League honors. Manning is headed to play at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.

 Alex Jimenez

Sage Hill

The junior pitcher recorded the best eight-game stretch of any local hurler, lifting the Lightning to their second straight Academy League championship. The right-hander at one point in the season won eight straight starts, finishing 10-2 with a 2.50 ERA, while striking out 46 in 56 innings and walking only 16. Jimenez beat every team in league. Jimenez earned first-team All-Academy League honors and was a second-team All-CIF Southern Section Division VI pick.

 Tyler Peterson

Costa Mesa

The junior pitcher led the Mustangs to their first league championship since 1978 by claiming the Orange Coast League title. The right-hander went 7-2 with a 2.88 ERA, recording six complete games, including a shutout. Peterson threw 75 1/3 innings, striking out 47 and walking only 16. Peterson helped Costa Mesa reach the postseason for the third straight season. Peterson earned the Orange Coast League Pitcher of Year award. This is Peterson’s second straight Dream Team honor.

 Blake Davey

Newport Harbor

The junior catcher led the Sailors to their best season in the competitive Sunset League since joining it in 2007. Sailors finished 5-10 and matched their win total from the first two seasons in league. Davey batted .485 with five home runs, 15 RBIs and five doubles. The Sailors beat Edison and Los Alamitos, the past two league champs. Against Edison, Davey went four for four with a homer and four RBIs. Davey earned first-team All-Sunset League honors.

 Nick Pederson

Costa Mesa

The senior first baseman clinched the Mustangs first outright league title since 1978 with an impressive performance in the batter’s box and on the mound. The cleanup hitter belted a grand slam and threw a complete game as Costa Mesa beat Laguna Beach, 9-2. Peterson hit .354 and led the team with three home runs and 28 RBIs. As a pitcher, he went 6-3 with a 1.70 ERA. Pederson earned first-team All-Orange Coast League honors.

 Michael Bloom

Corona del Mar

The senior second baseman produced offensively and defensively. Emme called Bloom’s defensive gem late in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs CdM’s best play of the year. Bloom dived to his right and helped turned an inning-ending double play by flipping the ball to second. Bloom hit .361 with 37 RBIs, six home runs and eight doubles. He earned first-team All-Pacific Coast League honors and was a first-team All-CIF Southern Section Division III honoree.

 A.J. Wolfson

Sage Hill

The junior third baseman gave the Lightning a chance to claim their second league title in school history. In the regular-season finale, Wolfson hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh against rival St. Margaret’s, tying the game at 8-8. The Lightning won and shared the league title. Wolfson hit .474 with three home runs, 29 RBIs and nine doubles. Wolfson shared Academy League MVP laurels and earned first-team All-CIF Southern Section Division VI honors.

 Mikey Molina

Costa Mesa

The senior shortstop was the spark plug to the Mustangs recording a school-best 20 wins, going 11-1 in the Orange Coast League, and advancing to the playoffs for the third straight season under Coach Jim Kiefer. The leadoff hitter batted .378 with two home runs, 12 RBIs, seven doubles and one triple. Molina had a .440 on-base percentage, 37 hits, 29 runs and seven stolen bases. Molina earned first-team All-Orange Coast League honors.

 Dillan Freiberg

Newport Harbor

The junior center fielder performed at his best against the best. In the Sailors’ 13-5 upset against Edison, the eventual CIF Southern Section Division I champion, Freiberg started. He went four innings. Against eventual Division III champ South Hills of West Covina, Freiberg homered and scored two runs in the Sailors’ 7-4 win in the Beach Pit Classic semifinals. Freiberg batted .341 with six RBIs, two doubles and one triple. Freiberg earned first-team All-Sunset League honors.

 Mitch Sands

Corona del Mar

The senior outfielder recovered nicely from a knee problem, playing every day since April 14 and the Sea Kings took off. Sands led the team with a .444 batting average to go with no errors. He had 11 RBIs, seven doubles and one homer. Sands led both the baseball and football programs to the semifinals of the playoffs. Sands earned second-team All-Pacific Coast League honors. Sands, a quarterback who was the Newport-Mesa Player of the Year last fall, will play football at the University of San Diego.

 John Doering

Corona del Mar

The senior was praised by Emme as the best center fielder in Orange County. Doering covered a lot of ground in the outfield and set the table for the Sea Kings offensively. The leadoff hitter batted .383, scored 32 runs, drove in 14, stole 10 bases, doubled seven times, and had a .453 on-base percentage. The repeat Dream Team pick earned first-team All-Pacific Coast League honors and was also a second-team All-CIF Southern Section Division III choice.

 Beau Attyah

Corona del Mar

The junior played catcher, but Attyah hit so well he earned the designated hitter spot. Attyah led the Sea Kings with a .424 average (at least 100 plate appearances) and 21 RBIs, two home runs and one triple. He helped the Sea Kings take sole possession of second place in league League with a three-for-four effort against Laguna Hills. Attyah earned second-team All-Pacific Coast League honors and was a second-team All-CIF Southern Section Division III pick.