He Could Get Used to Big-League Parks

Every so often, a teenager comes along in Southern California who possesses special athletic skills, the kind that can propel him to national prominence.

John Elway, Bret Saberhagen, Tiger Woods and Kyle Boller left that impression watching them as high school athletes. Their intensity, commitment and talent marked them as can’t-miss professional prospects.

Now, the same instinct is kicking in each time I see Trevor Plouffe of Encino Crespi perform on a baseball field.

Whether pitching or hitting, he’s a 17-year-old playing at a different level. He’s not invincible, unbeatable or infallible, but the odds for victory are greatly enhanced with him on your side.

“He’s good when it counts,” Crespi Coach Scott Muckey said. “We don’t worry about some golden words to him the day before a game. We know he’s ready.”

For those who like to watch history in the making, stop by Dodger Stadium at 1 p.m. Saturday for the Southern Section Division III championship game between Crespi (27-4) and Anaheim Katella (17-13).

Plouffe, a 6-foot-2 senior right-hander, is in position to pull off the unprecedented teenage achievement of throwing consecutive shutouts at two major league ballparks.

Last year, he beat North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake, 1-0, in the Division III final with a three-hitter at Angel Stadium. Now he gets to try to duplicate that feat with a season-ending appearance at Dodger Stadium.

“It’s definitely humbling to be out there and realize you’re in a big-league stadium,” Plouffe said.

Plouffe started his high school career by throwing a no-hitter in his first varsity game as a freshman. He ended up 4-0 with four shutouts in season-opening games. He’s equally impressive at the ends of seasons. In playoff games the last two years, he’s 6-0.

It tells something about the way he responds to pressure situations and how he inspires teammates to do the same.

“I’ve been shaking my head for four years,” Muckey said.

As a pitcher the last two years, he’s 25-2. But most major league scouts have concluded he can be a shortstop in the professional ranks, setting the stage for him to be a possible first-round selection in Monday’s amateur draft.

“I’m definitely convinced I’m a shortstop pitching,” Plouffe said. “I think I can do a lot more for a team playing every day.”

As a hitter this season, he’s batting .500. Last season, he batted .500. In four years as a pitcher, he’s 33-6. In four years as a hitter, he’s batting .431.

These last two weeks will stay in Plouffe’s memory forever. He graduated on Saturday, flew to Pittsburgh on Sunday, worked out with the Pirates at PNC Park on Monday afternoon and returned home at 1 a.m. On Tuesday, he had the game-winning two-run single in the bottom of the seventh to give Crespi a 7-6 semifinal victory over La Mirada.

Today will be his final practice with coaches and teammates. Then comes Saturday’s appearance at Dodger Stadium, a graduation party Saturday night and Monday’s draft.

Whatever happens these next few days, he’ll have plenty to tell the grandkids about, even though his sports journey has only begun.

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Tyler Hoechlin of Corona Santiago plays the recurring role of a major league prospect on the WB series “Seventh Heaven.” He showed earlier this week he’s more than a good teenage actor.

Hoechlin, a sophomore with excellent speed, had a single and double and made three challenging defensive plays at third base in an 8-7 Division II playoff loss to Simi Valley.

He finished with a season batting average above .425. As long as acting doesn’t take him away from practice, he should be a top player over the next two seasons for Santiago (23-6), which had only one senior in its starting lineup.

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Woodland Hills Taft, the defending City champion in boys’ basketball, is rebuilding quickly with the expected arrival this month of two prized incoming freshmen, 5-10 point guard Larry Drew Jr., the son of a former Laker player and assistant coach, and 6-2 Oscar Bellfield, who has been a standout youth player.

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Eric Sondheimer can be reached at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.