Vlahakis ends as all-star

IRVINE — The first words Newport Harbor High Coach Evan Chalmers offered the last player to leave the baseball field were, “I’m sorry you didn’t get to pitch.”

Nick Vlahakis never reached the mound to play his favorite position in his final high school game Saturday.

Coach didn’t have to apologize. The senior told him so.

Chalmers looked slightly relieved because Vlahakis also didn’t get to swing the bat.

Sometimes the opportunities are limited for a player at the Ryan Lemmon Foundation Senior Showcase. A lot of talent is present.

Getting the chance to stand on the same field and sit in the same dugout at Windrow Community Park with players recently drafted by Major League Baseball teams was enough for Vlahakis.

“I’ve never been on any all-star team,” said Vlahakis, who began playing baseball at age 4. “Just to be recognized for hard work, it’s really a great honor.”

When Vlahakis walked off the field, all Chalmers remembered was how far his player had come.

The final score, the Sunset League lost to the Trinity League, 13-6, or Vlahakis’ small role in left field for the losing team, mattered very little.

What mattered was how Chalmers and Vlahakis started together with the Sailors program four years ago as newcomers.

Chalmers started as the varsity coach. Vlahakis was nowhere close to varsity.

Vlahakis was a freshman on the freshmen team, playing very little. He said teammates expected as much.

Through hard work, Vlahakis worked his way up, earning his first all-star nod.

The 13th annual Ryan Lemmon Foundation Senior Showcase displayed more than major-league prospects or NCAA Division I recruits.

Out of the seven local players from the Newport-Mesa Unified School District taking part in the two-day senior event, Vlahakis is a prime example of how far determination can get you.

“Vlahakis is a guy who’s taken advantage of his opportunities,” Chalmers said. “[He] pitched 40 2/3 innings, the most innings of anyone on our team this season, [finished] with a 4-2 record.

“He’s the guy [who] has the work ethic.”

Next for Vlahakis is Golden West College, where he plans to pitch.

The other Newport Harbor player at the showcase was Alex Rios. The 6-foot-6 senior said he’s going the junior college route as well, up north to Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo.

Rios and Vlahakis also came off the bench in the bottom of the fourth inning. Rios went to play first and Vlahakis left field.

Unlike Vlahakis, Rios batted. He was robbed of a single in his lone at-bat.

“The guy made a good play on it,” Rios said of the first baseman. “I wasn’t fast enough I guess.”

Rios doesn’t have much speed, but Chalmers said Rios possesses leadership skills.

This year, Rios helped the Sailors beat Los Alamitos for the first time since returning to the Sunset League in 2007. His walk-off three-run home run lifting Newport Harbor to an 11-9 victory in the eighth is Rios’ most memorable moment.

“I’m going to miss my teammates,” said Rios, who also played on the football team as an offensive lineman and on the boys’ basketball team as a low-post player.

“It was a good experience. We would like to thank the Ryan Lemmon Foundation.”

Corona del Mar’s five players, Danny Moskovits, Steven Manning, Mitch Sands, John Doering and Michael Bloom were grateful for the opportunity to participate in the showcase Friday.

They played for the Pacific Coast League against the Sea View League.

Both Back Bay schools representing their respective leagues, lost.

The Pacific Coast League fell, 12-2. Bloom and Moskovits scored the losing team’s runs.

The Sea Kings got a late start. Moskovits played a role in that as well.

The Harvard-bound senior participated in the home run derby, hitting two homers. The event pushed back the game’s starting time by an hour.

The public address announcer said the two teams had 2 hours, 30 minutes to play seven innings before the lights shut off at 11 p.m.

Somehow, they managed to finish in time.

“It’s always nice to be able to come out here … one last time before they go off to do their thing,” said CdM Coach John Emme, who has Manning headed to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., and Bloom to Orange Coast College to play baseball, and Sands to the University of San Diego to play football, and Doering to Kentucky for school.

“That’s the core that took us to where we got, to the [CIF Southern Section Division III] semifinals [for the first time since 2004]. They were all huge contributors. I’ll miss that, then obviously the fact they’re great kids.”