Now He Doesn’t Want to Stray Far From Home : Colleges: Seahawk sophomore Lopez becomes a catcher and earns the attention of professional scouts.

After playing three different positions, Rene Lopez has found his niche as a catcher for the Harbor College baseball team.

Pro scouts didn’t take notice of the sophomore, who has batted over .400 since high school, until Harbor Coach Tony Bloomfield moved him to catcher.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Lopez was a pitcher and shortstop at Bell High and started at third base as a freshman in 1991. He was more than surprised when Bloomfield informed him of his new position.

“At first I thought coach was crazy,” Lopez said. “I’m surprised at how quickly and easily I adjusted. A year ago I couldn’t even block a ball.

“I worked real hard during summer. I wasn’t the greatest shortstop or third baseman around. Now I’m at a position that I’m better at. Third base was fun, but I didn’t like it, and I got too big for shortstop.”

Said Bloomfield: “He had a great year as a freshman at third base, but he didn’t get drafted. I told him the only chance he had in the pros was being a catcher.”

All-American catcher Robert Lewis completed his eligibility in 1991 and Bloomfield saw an opportunity for Lopez.

“I knew we were taking a big chance,” he said. “He hadn’t even played catcher before. But he got it right away. He puts fear into other teams because of his arm strength.

“After our first winter league game in October, all of the sudden, the scouts were asking, ‘Who’s this kid?’ Suddenly the pros had this great interest. At third base they never got to see his arm strength.”

In three seasons as a pitcher in high school, Lopez was 11-1 with an 0.98 earned-run average. He was a three-time All-City Section player and 3-A Division co-player of the year as a senior.

Lopez led Bell in batting with a .444 average, six home runs and 44 runs batted in as a senior. He finished his prep career with 107 RBIs.

But it wasn’t enough to attract the big-name colleges. Only three community colleges--Harbor, Cerritos and East L.A.--showed interest. He selected Harbor because his cousin, Gus Mungaray, was the Seahawk catcher in 1989.

Despite missing the first month of his freshman season after being involved in a motorcycle accident, Lopez led Harbor in batting with a .412 average and was named to the All-Southern California Athletic Conference first team.

Lopez was a passenger on a motorcycle driven by teammate Joey Miller. Lopez said they were traveling between 90-100 m.p.h. when the bike hit something and Miller lost control. Neither man was wearing a helmet. Lopez broke his left wrist and injured his left leg. Miller’s injuries kept him out most of the season.

“We slid for about half a block,” Lopez said. “It was scary. I was supposed to be out three months, but I took the cast off and I played with pain. The worst part was coming to games and just watching.”

Lopez leads the SCAC in batting with a .469 average that includes a team-high 66 hits, 43 RBIs and eight home runs. The Seahawks are 33-9 and 15-3 in league.

“Some days he’s a power guy and some days he’s a base-hit guy,” Bloomfield said. “He hits the way pitchers dictate. He manages to hit what they pitch.”

Not only are pro scouts interested, but Lopez was offered scholarships to the University of Miami, Texas A&M; and Cal State Long Beach before he decided to sign with Pepperdine.

“There’s not a lot of good catchers out there, and when you do run into one, a good one like him, you’re very excited,” Wave Coach Andy Lopez said. “He really stands out.”

Andy Lopez is not surprised that Lopez developed so quickly as a catcher.

“I saw him in high school and he had good hands,” he said. “He’s a natural infielder with hands that are quick and easy and soft. He also has a tremendous arm.”

Harbor pitcher Herman Casillas, who played in a Norwalk youth baseball league with Lopez, says he feels extra confident with Lopez behind the plate.

“Nothing is going to get by him,” Casillas said. “And he’s got the strongest arm I’ve seen at catcher. What surprises me is that he looks like he’s been a catcher ever since Little League. It looks like he never played shortstop or third base. It looks like he was a catcher all along.”

Lopez is likely to be selected in the first five rounds of the June amateur draft. He said he will only sign if he is offered enough money.

San Francisco Giant scout Jack French says Lopez may get the contract he is seeking because he possesses a rare combination for a catcher: solid defense and powerful hitting.

“He has home run power and not all catchers do,” French said. “He’s basically a hitting catcher, a catcher with power. He also has a very good arm and he knows how to drop down and block a low pitch. It’s a combination that’s hard to find.”

Lopez is enjoying the attention.

“A while back a couple of scouts told me I’d always be a catcher,” he said. “I should have listened to them earlier.”