ORANGE COUNTY ALL-STAR BASEBALL GAME : Outfielder Bobby Patel is Fullerton’s ‘Other’ Heavy Hitter

Bobby Patel, Fullerton High School outfielder, knows frustration. He had experience with it during most of his senior year.

Last fall, Patel’s promising football season came to an abrupt end in Fullerton’s second game, when he leaped in an attempt to intercept a pass and tore ligaments in his right knee. He walked off the field, but never played again after arthroscopic surgery.

Patel had two touchdown receptions and an interception in six quarters of play, but spent the rest of the season rehabilitating his knee. He strengthened it in pickup basketball games at the Fullerton YMCA, but feared he would miss the baseball season.

Patel had greatly anticipated his senior baseball season after a disappointing junior one, during which he was benched after two Freeway League games and subsequently used only as a pinch-runner.

“I was hungry going into this season,” Patel said. “I had played baseball since I was 8 years old and wanted to have a great senior year. I worked hard and felt great when the season began.”

Patel opened with three home runs in four games in the Glendora tournament but was overshadowed by teammate D.C. Olsen, who had nine hits in 13 at-bats. It was a pattern that would continue throughout the season.

In most years, Patel’s .522 batting average, 12 home runs, 39 runs batted in and 32 runs scored would have earned him recognition as Orange County’s player of the year. But Olsen’s numbers were more impressive.

Olsen, a powerful catcher who is only a junior, hit a county-record 13 homers and finished with a .595 batting average, best ever in the county. He had 50 hits, second only to former Los Alamitos standout Robbie Katzaroff’s record of 51.

Fittingly, in Fullerton’s final game of the year against Troy, Patel’s two homers in a 6-1 victory were overshadowed by Olsen’s homer to left-center field that gave him the county record.

Patel had an opportunity to tie Olsen in his last at-bat against Troy, but the 5-foot-10, 160-pound senior struck out.

“I was swinging for the fence and that’s how I struck out,” Patel said. “Everybody, including D.C., told me, ‘Go for it’ (the record), but I swung too hard.”

Patel is quick to credit Olsen for his productive season.

“D.C. is a great competitor and he made me a better player just by being around him every day,” Patel said. “He was always so helpful at batting practice, and he was rooting for me to get another homer against Troy that day. He deserved all the headlines with the year he had.”

Tonight, Patel will step out of Olsen’s shadow and into the limelight in the 23rd Orange County All-Star baseball game at Anaheim’s Glover Stadium. Patel will be a starting outfielder for the North team in the annual charity game, which is for seniors only.

Two weeks ago, Patel aggravated his knee attempting to back away from a pitch in an American Legion game. He complained on Monday about his knee being sore, but said the injury won’t keep him out of the lineup.

“I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue playing baseball in college after our season ended,” Patel said. “I had been accepted at Cal State Long Beach and Cal State Fullerton and thought I was only going to be a student next year.

“But once I started playing American Legion ball, I realized how much I would miss the game. I’ve talked to Coach (Scott) Pickler at Cypress College, and I plan on going there to play baseball next year.

“My dream has always been to play major league baseball. I wasn’t drafted, but I’m hoping somebody is interested in me after playing junior college ball.”

Patel’s power defies his size. He generates good bat speed with his strong wrists and added leg strength, which he acquired while rehabilitating his knee. But he fears more surgery may be required to strengthen his knee.

“The night I tore the ligaments, I walked off the field on my own power,” he said. “I heard something snap, but I wasn’t sure about the seriousness of the injury.

“The next morning, my knee swelled up to the point where I couldn’t bend it. I was scared I was going to miss football and baseball, but everything turned out fine.”

ORANGE COUNTY ALL-STAR BASEBALL LINEUPS

NORTH SOUTH Name School Pos. Name Todd Blyleven Villa Park P Kevin Lovingier Jess Evans Katella C Robin Lindsey Anthony Napolitano Los Alamitos 1B Scott Crosby Marco Perez Santiago 2B Chris Sauritch Matt Carter Troy 3B Lionel Hastings Eddie Crippen Servite SS Daniel Hernandez Bobby Patel Fullerton LF Bo Haley Brandon Farley Katella CF Jim Betzsold Greg Hauser Esperanza RF Donnie Smith Dan Redington Esperanza DH Kent Donnelly

NORTH Name School Todd Blyleven Laguna Hills Jess Evans Marina Anthony Napolitano Santa Ana Valley Marco Perez El Toro Matt Carter Mater Dei Eddie Crippen Ocean View Bobby Patel El Toro Brandon Farley Mater Dei Greg Hauser Edison Dan Redington Foothill

NORTH Coach: Chris Pascal, Kennedy

SOUTH Coach: Dan DeLeon, El Toro