SANTA ANA, Calif -- Baseball practice at
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) has been over for more than an hour. Nevertheless,
Ty Moore is standing in the batters box, taking a few extra hacks, presumably in an effort to improve a swing that already appears to be picture perfect.
Ty Moore, Mater Dei
Photo by Alyson Boyer Rode
His uniform is filthy, covered in a combination of dirt and sweat. Appearance, however, is not a major concern. Certainly not when there's work to be done on the diamond.
A half hour beforehand, mind you, Moore was fine-tuning his mechanics on the mound. Given the fact he possesses pin-point control, it comes as somewhat of a surprise that the talented senior right-hander is tinkering with a repertoire on the verge of being a finished product.
Therein lies the key, perhaps. Moore refuses to settle for anything less than the best. Playing second fiddle to anyone, in any type of situation, is not an option regardless of whether he's hitting or pitching. Suppose that explains the unmatched work ethic he regularly displays.
Behind the UCLA-bound Moore, Mater Dei emerged as one of the nation's premier programs early on this season. Little has changed since. The Monarchs are in the midst of postseason play and have their sights on finishing up strong. And while they rather avoid talk about being considered the country's top team, all signs point to that being the ultimate goal of Moore & Co.
"This is my senior year, it's the last time I'll play high school ball, the last time a lot of us will play high school ball, we want to go out as champs and are willing to do just about whatever it takes to make it happen,'' Moore said. "This is it. All or nothing. Win or go home.''
So far, so good. Mater Dei (21-6 overall record) will be looking to continue its winning ways on Friday afternoon. The Monarchs play Rio Mesa (Oxnard, Calif.) in the CIF Southern Section playoffs. No. 2 in the Maxpreps Xcellent 25 poll and No. 3 in the Freeman Rankings, Mater Dei figures to have little or no trouble with the Spartans. Especially with Moore in the mix.
"When you talk about Ty Moore, you're talking about one of the top players in the state, out here in California. One of the top player on the West Coast and in the nation,'' Monarchs coach Burt Call said. "He does so many things well, too many to count. As coach, you like having a kid like him around, on your team. I can't say enough good things about him, honestly.''
With regards to Moore, there's plenty to like, to appreciate, as Call indicated. The 6-foot and 190-plus pounder has proven that a little hard work does go a long way.
Moore is a dual threat, a timely hitter and a capable pitcher. He is No. 92 on Maxpreps' 2012 Top 100 baseball players list. It is worth nothing that Moore projects as an outfielder for the Bruins. That is, of course, unless he's taken at some point during June's MLB Draft.
"Ty Moore is one of those freaks, a natural born athlete,'' said Eric Borba, who coaches at rival Orange Lutheran (Calif.), ranked No. 1 in the Maxpreps Xcellent 25 poll and No. 2 in the Freeman Rankings. "He's versatile and plays well on both sides of the ball. He's a special player, there's no doubt about it. He has the tools and the passion to play this game for a long time.''
For the time being, Moore leads Mater Dei in multiple categories.
His batting average is .409, tops among the Monarchs starters. He ranks among the team-leaders in hits (36), runs (27), RBI (20), steals (10) and extra base hits (8).
On the bump, Moore has been seemingly unhittable at times. His 0.82 ERA is good indication of just that. He has given up nine runs this season, six earned. Moore has struck out 47 batters in slightly more than 51 innings. In seven starts, his record is 9-1. Can't forget to mention that Moore has helped out late in games, when it's mattered most, and has a pair of saves.
"Ty is a tough competitor. Tough as they come,'' said teammate
Jeremy Martinez, a catcher and USC commit. "He's intense. He's the kind of guy you want on your side in an important situation. There's no one better when there's a lot at stake, when the game is on the line. He's our leader in a lot of different ways. He leads by example. No one works harder than him.''
For those looking for proof of Moore's work ethic, attend a practice at Mater Dei. He'll likely be the individual working on his craft, honing his well-rounded skill set, well after the Monarchs workout has been completed and most of his peers have headed home for the day.
