ALISO NIGUEL – There is a good chance Kyle Molnar will eventually spend his days playing professional baseball. The Aliso Niguel hurler is one of the top-rated players in his class — he’s been ranked as high as No. 1. The junior has a scholarship offer from UCLA, and he’s projected to be selected early in next year’s amateur draft.
“I never expected it,” Molnar said. “When I was little I just played on a team that my neighbor coached. I just loved playing with my friends.”
Some things haven’t changed for Molnar, made obvious by his two goals for this season: “Get back to Dodger Stadium with my team and be the best teammate that I can be.”
Two years ago, Aliso Niguel lost to Pacifica in the CIF-SS Division2 title game at Dodger Stadium, which again is the host site for the upper-division finals. Only a freshman at the time, Molnar pitched in relief and surrendered the winning run in the 10th inning.
Last year, the Wolverines’ trek to Chavez Ravine was stopped short in the quarterfinals, after Molnar allowed a career-high seven earned runs to Temecula Valley.
Two painful season finales have left Molnar motivated more than jaded.
“You’re not going to be at your best every time,” he said. “The harder you work, the better results you’ll get in the long run. They might not be there at the beginning but eventually they will.”
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They might come this spring for the Wolverines, who begin the season ranked No. 3 in the county and among the top teams in the state and nationally.
Aliso Niguel returns five All-Sea View League members and seven starting position players. Justin Fowler, Nick Grimes and Blake Sabol hit above .350 last season, while Anthony Sommer and Jaren Daniels boasted sub-3.00 ERAs.
“I think in the 12 years that I’ve been here, this is the most talent we’ve had,” Aliso Niguel coach Craig Hanson said.
Molnar, an All-County outfielder and the league’s reigning pitcher of the year, bats cleanup and plays center field when he’s not on the mound. He spent another offseason playing in showcases around the country, returning with a slider and a fastball that touches 93 mph.
Those might be Molnar’s third- and fourth-best pitches, behind his curveball and changeup. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound right-hander said his approach, though, hasn’t changed since he tossed a complete-game shutout against Cypress in his varsity debut two years ago.
“It’s still the same thing: Throw strikes and keep my team in the game,” Molnar said. “The win is the most important thing.”
Hanson said Molnar’s team-first, unassuming nature has set a great example for the defending league champion Wolverines, who, much like Molnar already has, will be playing under a spotlight.
“He’s quiet, reserved,” Hanson said. “He just has that confidence about him. He’s a good leader on this team. I think the guys look up to him. He’s played at a very high level. He’s going to play beyond high school.”
Molnar is happy to be playing at the high school level. He just wants to do so beyond a high school field.
Contact the writer: amaya@ocregister.com
