Star Power: Bishop Amat slugger Rio Ruiz has been destined for baseball success since he was 3

PLACENTIA, Calif. – Hold up three fingers to Bishop Amat (La Puente, Calif.) slugger Rio Ruiz and he immediately laughs. He recalls the story vividly or has heard it enough to memorize.

"Yes – I've been playing baseball and swinging a bat before I could talk," he said.

Seems Ruiz' father Rudy knew the president of the West Covina American Little League and convinced him to let Rio sign up early. Way early as it turned out.

"It was the first day and the coach was asking all the kids how old they were," Rudy said during Amat's 11-3 shellacking of second-ranked St. Francis at the Hard 9 National Classic Tuesday. "Some were 7. Most were 5 or 6. When it got to Rio he still wasn't really talking so he just held up three fingers for 3 years old.



"The coaches were like, ‘What? Wow.'"

Ruiz has been wowing them ever since and is the most coveted player at the prestigious annual tournament in Orange County.

Check that. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound third basemen and pitcher is one of the most sought-after juniors in the country and a projected high pick in the 2012 draft.

His uber quick hands and powerful stroke, combined with soft glove, excellent speed (4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash) and rocket right arm keep scouts scribbling, opponents pacing and historians comparing.

Ruiz, who started as a freshman and has made MaxPreps All-American teams in his first two seasons, will challenge about every school record in the books. And Amat has a pretty solid list of baseball alumni, in recent years alone – Rangers infielder Michael Young, Angels hurler Dan Haren and multi-team utility man Mike Lamb.

Bishop Amat coach Andy Nieto doesn't bother with any of those comparisons.



"He's Eric Chavez," Nieto said. "That's who he is."

Nieto would know.

IN HIS BLOOD
As an 11-year assistant for Mike Gillespie at USC, Nieto recruited Chavez out of Mt. Carmel (San Diego) High School in the mid-1990s.

Chavez, in fact, committed to USC but the Oakland A's selected him as the 10th overall pick in the 1996 draft and signed him in August that same year.

Like Chavez, Ruiz has committed to USC also, but other similarities are uncanny. Both are Hispanic, left-handed power-hitting third basemen with almost identical builds. Both are charming, handsome and extremely coachable.

Ruiz, at this stage, might be a little stronger, thicker and faster.



Nieto wouldn't be surprised come June if Ruiz isn't presented the same choice as Chavez, now a reserve for the Yankees whose injury-riddled 13-year career has featured 230 home runs and six Gold Gloves.

"(Ruiz) has that type of talent," Nieto said. "He's that special. He's the poster child for the Class of 2012."

What sets Ruiz apart not only from Chavez but most others is that he's also a superb football talent.

In his first season as starting quarterback, he completed 134 of 215 passes for 2,000 yards and 19 touchdowns, leading the Lancers to a 9-2 season. That came after he caught 35 passes for 469 yards and three scores as a sophomore receiver. One of those TD catches was the game-winner in overtime to beat Mater Dei 28-21 in the playoffs.

According to his dad, the USC baseball coaches have given Ruiz to the OK to play both sports in college.

"I'd love to play both in college," Ruiz said. "My greatest memories in high school are under the Friday night lights. I wouldn't trade them for anything."



But he makes no bones about it. Baseball is his first love.

Beyond his acclaim and gaudy career numbers — .447 average, 88 RBIs, 43 extra base hits, 29 steals in 32 attempts – Ruiz finds tranquility in the game.

"When I get on the diamond, everything else goes away," he said. "It's in my blood. It's what I wanted to do my whole life."

Rudy can corroborate that. When he dragged home from his family-owned 8-to-5 hazard waste job every day, Rio would be lying in wait.

"I couldn't get a foot in the door and there would be Rio with all the baseball gear wanting to play catch or hit the ball," Rudy said.

Said Ruiz: "I just remember the first time picking up a bat and it made me smile."



He just couldn't talk about it. Literally.



Continue reading{PAGEBREAK}LEGENDARY TALES
There were other young Ruiz tales that got people talking — like when he was 11 and was trying to break the competitive West Covina American Major record of six home runs.

"He hit 14 during league play and 11 more during All-Stars," Rudy said.

Or when he was 13 and wanted to see if he could throw as hard as dad could during his hey day. Rudy was a quarterback and baseball standout at Rosemead High School who later threw relief at Harbor and De Anza junior colleges.

"I threw 81 in the day," Rudy said. "When he was 13 he was clocked at 88."



The same year, Ruiz made the USA 14-under team that won the gold medal in Puerto Rico.

"He hit a 385-foot bomb to left-center field to clinch the semifinal win," Rudy said. "He was the youngest kid on the team."

Despite all his successes, coaches and teammates say Ruiz is the same kid he's always been: humble, good-hearted and a good teammate.

"A great teammate," said Amat senior Wallace Gonzalez, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound senior who is already as physically imposing as Juan Gonzalez. On Tuesday, Wallace, not Ruiz, was the hitting star with four hits, a homer and six RBIs. Amat plays El Capitan (Lakeside, Calif.) in today's 4:30 p.m. semifinals at Cal State Fullerton.

"I grew up two blocks from Rio and we have talked since we were kids about what we want to do with our lives. Which (Major League) teams we want to play for. Rio has always been very humble and level-headed."

He was humbled somewhat – at the plate anyway – by St. Francis on Tuesday. He went 0-for-3, was hit by a pitch and thrown out trying to steal.



But he also made two tremendous diving plays at the third base bag, throwing out runners handily at first base. The second one was deemed a foul ball, but it didn't matter.

The large contingent of fans hooted and hollered.

Though held hitless for only the third time this season, Ruiz was focused on more important things, specifically his team's 18th straight win and advancement to the semifinals.

"Everyone has off days and today was mine," he said following a death-grip handshake. "When the bat doesn't come to play, the defense has to be there. I made every play today and so did all nine guys.

"This team is scary right now. Everyone was struggling a little bit at the beginning, but we just kept working. That's what it's all about."

Asked what's more satisfying – a defensive gem or home run – and Ruiz chose neither.



"None of it matters unless you get the ‘W,'" Ruiz said. "I could care less about my individual stats. I just hate losing. A win is the greatest feeling ever."