Honoring Fall Guys and Gals

Scott Dragicevich and Kevin Howard patrolled the left side of the infield for Westlake High in 1998.

But the friends will be in opposite dugouts today when Stanford plays Miami in the College World Series championship game at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Dragicevich, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound junior shortstop, has demonstrated during the series why he is the backbone of a Stanford infield that has a nation-leading .979 fielding percentage.

Howard, a 6-3, 185-pound sophomore third baseman, has made several clutch defensive plays and has energized the Hurricane offense.

Both were instrumental in helping their teams win three consecutive World Series games en route to the final.

“It’s kind of bittersweet playing against Kevin,” Dragicevich said. “I want him to have a great game, hit a three-run homer and go four for four.

“But I want to win the game.”

Howard wishes similar good fortune for Dragicevich, who he succeeded as Westlake’s shortstop after playing third base as a junior.

In 1998, they helped Westlake reach the Southern Section Division III championship game.

Westlake had a 3-2 lead going into the final inning before West Covina South Hills scored seven runs for a 9-3 victory.

“I can still remember how that felt when we lost,” Howard said. “One of us is going to feel like that again after this game.”

Dragicevich had plenty of time to ponder that defeat during his first two seasons at Stanford when he got only 31 at-bats. He has started every game this season despite nursing a sore back and is batting .317 with five home runs and 34 runs batted in.

“He’s not flashy and he doesn’t have great quickness but he grows on you,” Stanford Coach Mark Marquess said.

“He’s just a very solid player.”

Howard played a key role for the Hurricanes from the time he arrived.

Last year, he batted a team-high .413 with four homers and 52 RBIs and was named freshman of the year by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball magazines.

He is batting .333 with four home runs and 45 RBIs this season and is four for 12 with a home runs and six RBIs in the World Series.

Howard made a long throw to the plate to cut off a run against USC, one of several plays that have helped Miami win 16 consecutive games.

“He plays great defense and I think he can do that at third, shortstop or second base,” Coach Jim Morris of Miami said.

“When he’s at third, you can’t bunt on him because his strongest play is on the slow roller.”

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