BIG BAT: Katella senior Nick Ramirez, who has signed with Cal State Fullerton, set school career records in home runs, doubles and RBIs. ARMANDO BROWN, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER |
Katella's Ramirez selected county baseball player of the year
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He had an impact on the mound, at the plate and in the dugout.
It did not take long for Nick Ramirez to realize he was different, and in a good way.
It happened when he was 5 years old, playing T-ball.
“I was hitting the ball farther than the other kids,” he said, “and I was throwing the ball harder than the other kids.”
He has not stopped. Ramirez had a great all-around season, his senior year at Katella. Ramirez batted .426 with 26 RBIs, and on the mound was 10-1 with a 1.16 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 84 innings.
His all-around productivity made Ramirez the Register's baseball player of the year for the 2008 season.
Ramirez, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound senior who bats and throws left, set school career records in home runs, doubles and RBIs. He signed with Cal State Fullerton. Ramirez probably is Katella's best player since another county player of the year, former major-leaguer Jaret Wright, played for the Knights in the early-1990s.
He has skills, but he has other qualities that made him successful.
“He's the hardest-working kid on our team,” Katella coach Jimmy Valverde said. “Nobody puts in the extra work like Nick does.”
Cypress coach John Weber also was impressed by Ramirez, who was on the mound for two Katella victories over preseason Empire League favorite Cypress.
“He has incredible leadership qualities,” Weber said. “He's always in tune, always in the game mentally.”
Ramirez gives a lot of the credit for that to Carlos Ayala, Katella's coach during Ramirez's freshman and sophomore years who will return as the Knights' head coach for the 2009 season.
“Mr. Ayala pretty much taught me how to handle myself,” Ramirez said.
Opponents had a difficult time handling Ramirez. He went into his senior year with momentum, having been named most valuable player at the AABC's Don Mattingly World Series while playing on the series-champion Trombly Braves that included local stars like Aaron Gates and Brandon Mauer of Orange Lutheran.
He made an impact right away when the high school season began. In the season-opening Loara Tournament, Ramirez pitched a four-hitter as the Knights beat the then No. 1-ranked team in the nation, Long Beach Wilson, 3-1.
He was just as strong in the season's final weeks. Ramirez pitched a complete game and homered in a 3-2 victory over Cypress, then pitched a shutout in a 9-0 victory over Valencia that clinched the Empire League championship.
In the CIF-Southern Section playoffs, Ramirez threw a complete game in a 9-3 victory over Arroyo Grande. The Knights were eliminated in the second round by Upland. Katella finished 21-8 overall. He concluded his high school playing days in last week's Orange County All-Star Game, in which he struck out five in two innings of pitching.
Now, it's on to Cal State Fullerton, where Ramirez hopes to be able to play first base and pitch.
“I like pitching,” he said, “but hitting is more fun.”
Nick Ramirez had plenty of fun times his senior year.
Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com
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