JSerra primed to become athletic powerhouse

Walking around the JSerra athletic complex in San Juan Capistrano takes your breath away because the facilities were built to wow.

Whether it’s the crystal-clear blue water circulating in the massive swimming pool, the smooth, comfortable green seats overlooking the baseball stadium or the pristine all-weather turf practice field, the message being sent is that sports excellence matters at the high school level.

Only six years ago JSerra opened with 156 students and high expectations to challenge the Catholic school powers of Orange County. Along the way, there have been missteps, false starts and debates whether to seek a shortcut to success or embrace a long-term vision.

What has become clear in 2009, with enrollment reaching 1,027, is that a sleeping giant has been awakened.

JSerra appears ready to take its place as an athletic powerhouse. That’s what winning its first Trinity League championship in baseball signifies.

Whoever hired the Lions’ 27-year-old coach, Brett Kay, three years ago, ought to be given a medal of commendation, because Kay has put together a program to admire. He’s a former all-star catcher from Santa Ana Mater Dei and Cal State Fullerton who has instilled in his players qualities much in demand: loyalty, commitment, teamwork.

“We’ve had this group of kids two to three years, and they bought into the system,” Kay said as to the reason Mater Dei, Santa Margarita, St. John Bosco, Servite and Orange Lutheran all finished behind the Lions (22-6) in the Trinity League. “These kids got over the hump and believed in each other. They fought, they battled, they competed. From a high school coach’s perspective, I couldn’t have asked for anything better. It’s going to be a sobfest when they leave.”

The Lions are seeded No. 2 in the Southern Section Division I playoffs and host Camarillo in a first-round game today.

It’s a giant leap of faith to think the Lions could win it all, especially because they’ve lost their No. 1 pitcher, Joe Kurrasch, to injury. But the conquerors of the Trinity League shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Their sophomore second baseman, Austin Hedges, has a 4.6 grade-point average, a .382 batting average and a ringing endorsement from Kay.

“The kid has ability beyond his years,” Kay said. “He’s a dude, and he’s a dude who’s going to be a Division I player.”

Junior first baseman Bret Dahlson has been the team’s most consistent hitter in the last month with five home runs and 25 runs batted in. Then there are lots of pitchers who came through when Kurrasch became unavailable this month because of biceps tendinitis.

No game helped lift the Lions’ fortunes more than beating Mater Dei, 6-4, on April 8. It let everyone know the Lions were legitimate title contenders and not intimidated by Mater Dei’s tradition of success.

“You have to get over that mystique,” Kay said.

JSerra has had success in boys’ basketball but struggled in football. Jim Hartigan was brought in as football coach and athletic director to try to stabilize the program. He has received strong reviews, but it’s the baseball program that has served notice about the potential of the Lions’ athletic program.

“There’s a sense of pride when they walk on the field every day to represent their school and their families in being the first major sport at JSerra to win a league championship, and that’s something that’s going to go with them the rest of their lives,” Kay said.

Kay understands his job is not just about winning championships. He’s trying to teach his players how to succeed on and off the field.

“We throw a lot of stuff at them in a complex system,” he said. “They keep wanting more. We grind them in the dirt and get them going. We want them to understand what the game of baseball is about but also develop them spiritually, physically and mentally.”

Kay didn’t last very long as a catcher in the New York Mets farm system, but he has found his calling as a high school baseball coach at a school that should be flexing its muscles for years to come.

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eric.sondheimer@latimes.com