Most Viewed Stories
Mater Dei's Moore is baseball player of the year
A rival team's coach called Mater Dei's Ty Moore the best hitter in Orange County.
Oh, Moore also pitches some, too.
Moore batted .510 with 37 RBIs and 51 hits and 39 runs scored to rank among county leaders in those categories. On the mound, Moore was 10-2 with 55 strikeouts in 751/3 innings, five complete games and a 3.16 earned-run average. He was named Trinity League player of the year for leading Mater Dei to the Trinity League
For his versatile excellence, junior pitcher/outfielder Moore is the Orange County Register's player of the year for the 2011 baseball season.
His on-base percentage was .581, his slugging percentage .750. And he's a good fielder, too, with only six errors this year on 107 chances.
Laguna Beach's Sears is coach of the year
2011 All-County second and third teams
2011 All-County baseball, other top players
The Monarchs went 13-2 in the Trinity League to win the league title, one game ahead of JSerra. Mater Dei was No. 2 in the final Orange County top 10 rankings, and JSerra was No. 3.
Last year's county player of the year also was a Monarch, Cory Hahn, who was a senior in 2010. Hahn went on to Arizona State, where in the first weekend of games he suffered a neck injury from which Hahn continues to recover. Like Moore, Hahn was a pitcher-outfielder for Mater Dei.
Moore already was intent on filling Hahn's leadership role before the season started. When Moore learned of Hahn's injury, while on the way to Mater Dei's winter formal with Hahn's younger brother and Mater Dei baseball player Jason Hahn in the car, Moore's intentions intensified.
"I just used Cory's situation even more for motivation," Moore said. "As a team, we've been praying and hoping for Cory."
Moore knew this could be a special season for him at the Monarchs' opening game. It was in the Newport Elks Tournament. Moore had a third-inning double to drive in what proved to be the winning run in a 3-2 road victory over Corona.
"I was a little big nervous going into that first game," Moore said. "Then when I went 2 for 3 and drove in the go-ahead run on the double, that set me up early for this season."
Mater Dei went on to a 24-6 season. The Monarchs' advanced to the CIF-Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinals, in which they were eliminated by Division 1 finalist Esperanza.
In Mater Dei's three league games against JSerra, of which the Monarchs won two, Moore was 8 for 11 with eight runs scored, five RBIs and two doubles.
"Ty Moore is the best hitter in the county," JSerra coach Brett Kay said.
Kay's team also had to deal with Moore's pitching skills. Moore did get the loss as the pitcher when Mater Dei was beaten by JSerra, but in another start against the Lions Moore allowed one earned run and struck out six in a complete-game victory.
Moore still has his senior year awaiting him, but he already selected a college – UCLA.
"I chose UCLA because of the coaches," Moore said. "I love the way Coach (John) Savage runs a program."
And UCLA also has assistant coach Rick Vanderhook. Moore has close watched Cal State Fullerton's baseball program, and saw what Vanderhook did for years as a Titans assistant coach before Vanderhook joined Savage at UCLA.
Ty's father Roger, who played college baseball at Arizona, also has been a major influence.
"My dad taught me whatever he knows," Ty said. "I always tell him I'm a better hitter than he ever was, but then he says he's better looking."
Looks also play a part in Ty Moore's favorite major league team.
"The Yankees," he said. "I love those pinstripes. I hope one day I'll be playing for them."
First, there is a senior year of high school baseball. So far, so good for Ty Moore.
