PREP BASEBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR : Holcomb a Hit for El Dorado

Shawn Holcomb’s preparation for his senior season on El Dorado High School’s baseball team gave no indication of the type of year he was about to experience.

He didn’t play organized baseball last summer, opting to spend time with his father, who lives in Turlock, Calif. Holcomb lifted weights every other day at the local high school.

He didn’t play a full season of winter baseball, pitching in only two games for a Toronto Blue Jays scout team after experiencing pain in his right elbow.

Holcomb figured to be El Dorado’s No. 2 pitcher behind ace Tyson DowDell when the Golden Hawks began the 1992 season as Baseball America’s No. 2 team in the nation. DowDell, who played in the Sports Festival last summer in Los Angeles, was a preseason All-American.

But it was Holcomb who stood out in El Dorado’s season-opening 5-2 victory over Ocean View in the Loara tournament, where he hit two home runs and pitched three scoreless innings.

It was Holcomb who hit a three-run homer against Cypress in the bottom of the eighth inning to give El Dorado a 5-2 victory and the Empire League championship.

And it was Holcomb who led El Dorado to the Southern Section Division 5-A semifinals, where the Golden Hawks lost a heartbreaker, 5-4, when Diamond Bar scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh.

Holcomb opened postseason play by pitching a five-hitter and striking out 10 in a 4-1 victory over Redlands. He had a two-run homer in a 6-3 victory over Simi Valley Royal in the second round, but was just warming up.

He came back to get a single, double and home run in a 13-3 victory over Mater Dei in the quarterfinals, setting up a showdown with the nation’s top-ranked team, Diamond Bar, at Cal State Fullerton.

Holcomb continued to sizzle against Diamond Bar, getting two singles, a triple and a sacrifice fly. But his good fortune on the mound ended after getting two wins and a save in the playoffs.

Diamond Bar scored three unearned runs in the seventh inning off Holcomb to eliminate El Dorado. For Holcomb, it was only his second loss in 13 decisions, but the senior was visibly shaken afterward.

“This is the lowest low,” he said. Only 24 hours earlier, Holcomb had been drafted by the California Angels in the fourth round of baseball’s free-agent draft. It had been the biggest day of his life.

“When I look back, a lot of things happened to me in just 24 hours,” said Holcomb, who is The Times Orange County player of the year for 1992.

“The playoffs were a lot of fun. Everything seemed to click for me. Those were the best four games I’ve ever played. I thought I came on strong at the end of league play and carried it over into the playoffs.”

Holcomb’s only losses were to Huntington Beach--which finished as the county’s No. 1 team--in the championship game of the Loara tournament and to Diamond Bar--then the nation’s No. 1 team--in the semifinals of the 5-A playoffs.

Holcomb will start his Angel career with their rookie league team in Mesa, Ariz. He signed for an undisclosed amount Saturday and will report June 17 to Mesa.

“This (playing professional baseball) is what I’ve always wanted to do since I was 8 years old playing tee-ball in St. Joseph, Mo.,” Holcomb said. “My brother (Scott) has played pro ball, and it’s something I’ve wanted to do all my life.

“College baseball wasn’t totally out of the picture, but I wanted to begin a professional career as soon as possible. The Angels made what I thought was a fair offer and I took it. Now it’s up to me to keep working hard.

“I figure I’ve been given an opportunity, now it’s up to me to take advantage of it. I’ve talked to my brother (playing for the Yankees’ triple-A team in Columbus, Ohio) a lot about what it takes to be a big league ballplayer. We figure it’s those who work the hardest who make it.”

Holcomb experienced the benefits of hard work and added strength hen he hit .377 with six home runs, seven doubles and 34 runs batted in for El Dorado.

“He went from a boy to a man, both physically and mentally, in one season,” El Dorado Coach Steve Gullotti said. “We had Bret Boone hit .500 with 10 homers in 1987, but I’ve never had a player have the type of season Shawn had when it comes to hitting and pitching.”

But Holcomb says his days as a hitter are over.

“I signed as a pitcher with the Angels, and starting Monday, I’m going to work to become the best pitcher that I can be,” he said.

Another change also paid off for Holcomb. He moved from Turlock to live with his mother in Placentia before the start of his junior season.