A-Plus for Effort : Mater Dei Outfielder Cale Carter Excels in the Classroom as Well as on Baseball Field

There are moments when Mater Dei baseball Coach Bob Ickes actually worries about Cale Carter, his standout center fielder.

One has to wonder why.

Baseball? Yeah, right. Carter was named the 28th best high school prospect two weeks ago by Baseball America.

School? Naw, Carter has a 4.5 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale.

But there are times . . . well, like last season for example. Carter was supposed to be sidelined three weeks after dislocating his left thumb. But there he was at practice, in the batting cage, swinging at pitches one-handed.

“He’s a workaholic,” Ickes said. “But sometimes I wish he’d just take it easy.”

Sorry, coach, no can do.

Whether it’s school or baseball, Carter places a high priority on effort. It is one of the things that has made him one of the top outfielders in Orange County.

“I just try to stay focused,” said Carter, a senior. “You have to keep working at things to get better.”

It’s a simple philosophy, but one that works.

Carter puts in the time, for sure. But he also has a little of that God-given-ability stuff, which never hurts. He has already signed a letter of intent to play for Stanford.

Last summer, he was selected to play in the Olympic Festival and for the Junior National baseball team. Carter demonstrated he could compete on a level with quality players.

In the World Youth tournament in Canada, Carter had a bases-loaded single that tied the score in the victory over Cuba. He also had a pair of two-hit games for the West in the Olympic Festival.

“Playing on those teams really made me see how many good players are out there,” Carter said. “You can never think of yourself as the best, because there’s always someone who’s a little better.”

Maybe so, but there are few in Orange County who compare.

“He’s just an outstanding baseball player,” Ickes said. “He could play any position out there.”

That could be written off as hyperbole by a grateful coach, but Carter has already proved it. As a sophomore, he made the varsity as a catcher despite having only one year’s experience at the position.

As a freshman, Carter was told the only varsity spot open the next year would be behind the plate. He took on the position with his usual work ethic.

Carter was a first-team All-Angelus League pick and hit .378 his sophomore season.

“He never accepts being second best,” Ickes said. “He sets high goals for himself, then meets them. I’ve known him since he was in the seventh grade and all that time he talked about going to Stanford. Well, look where he’s going to college.”

Carter applies himself off the field just as hard. As he put it, “I don’t want to be known only as a jock.”

Fat chance. Carter had a 4.75 grade-point average last semester.

He’s also smart enough to know when to stop thinking--like when he has a bat in his hands.

“If you start trying to out-think the pitcher, he’ll get you every time,” Carter said. “You have to let your instincts and training take over. You just have to relax and hit out there.”

Last season, Carter moved to center field at Ickes’ request. The Monarchs had plenty of depth at catcher and his abilities were needed elsewhere.

“Center field is a ‘take charge’ position for us,” Ickes said. “Cale has the speed and aggressiveness to play out there.”

He demonstrated it against Servite last season, making two spectacular catches--one time he hung onto the ball despite colliding with teammate David Gonzalez, and the other time he reached over the fence to take a home run away from Chris Honikel.

Mater Dei rallied to win, 10-6.

At the plate, Carter hit .370 with two home runs and 12 stolen bases as a junior.

“That’s what I want to improve on this year,” Carter said. “I want to use my speed better. I’m working on that.”

And what Carter works on usually works out.

ANGELUS LEAGUE PREVIEW: C6