High School Baseball: Larsen riding high for Sea Kings

There were days when baseball was just a game. Today, it’s a lifestyle, perhaps a future career, for Evan Larsen.

But before, back when he was a kid, going to the diamond simply meant a fun way to pass the time with friends. It’s still fun, but there are big league dreams attached.

Before he turned 12, there was a certain carefree way of approaching the game.

Would you believe a skateboarding accident paved the way toward a passionate feeling about baseball?

One day Larsen fell off his skateboard and baseball would never be the same. Skateboarding was definitely a thing of the past after he broke his left arm.

He took a week off from school. He just sat and watched baseball. The passion started to build, and intensify when he realized his love for pitching.

But it’s sort of funny, that now there is more of a seriousness to his game, Larsen does his best to keep it simple amid the hype building around him.

“I do what I usually do,” Larsen said. “Even though there’s hype you have to play the same game that you play. Not let it get to your head. Just keep playing how you play.”

CdM Coach John Emme calls Larsen one of the more dominant high school pitchers in Orange County. And there’s proof to that with a 2-0 start that included a no-hitter and a complete-game shutout.

The junior right-hander’s no-hitter came with six strikeouts and one walk in a 2-0 win over San Juan Hills on March 5.

Maybe some now wish Larsen never fell off that skateboard.

“He’s consistently at 87-88 mph,” Emme said. “He has command of all his pitches. He’s a bulldog. When Evan gets angry, he gets better. He’s maintained his composure.”

It might be difficult to notice if Larsen is truly angry. He has more of a poker face when on the mound. So far everything seems to be turning up aces for CdM’s ace.

The Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week delivered a complete-game shutout with four strikeouts in a 2-0 victory against Tustin on Wednesday.

Playing on the next level has become a reality for Larsen, who has an offer from Cal State Fullerton, known as one of the top baseball programs in the nation.

The kid has come a long way from his All-Star days for Costa Mesa American Little League. Yet he’s appeared to have grown fast. Just last year, he was 6-feet, doing his best to endure an 0-10 start with the Sea Kings.

This year he has shot up to 6-foot-3. Some cross-fit training has also helped with his pitching speed, going from the low 80s to the high 80s in less than a year, his father, Eric, said.

These are exciting times for the Larsens, as they see the hard work paying off for Evan, who still might grow taller. He has an uncle who is 6-6.

“It’s pretty scary that he towers over all of us at home,” Eric Larsen said.

Father knew to reward son after the no-hitter last week, as they went for a steak dinner at Duke’s on the Huntington Beach Pier.

Eric Larsen, who usually announces at home games, is excited for the Sea Kings, who have started the season 4-1 and a runner-up finish in the Newport Elks Tournament Foothill Division.

Evan Larsen wants CdM Baseball to earn more success. He says he wants a CIF ring.

“He’s got a fire that burns within that no one really notices,” Eric Larsen said. “He’s cool and calm and collective, 90% of the time. He can be goofy at times away from the game. But he’s beyond his years when he’s on the mound.”

Evan Larsen grew up in Costa Mesa, where he still lives, near Costa Mesa High School. He followed in his older sister’s footsteps after leaving Sonora Elementary in Costa Mesa for Eastbluff in the Corona del Mar community.

“I have friends everywhere,” Evan Larsen says of living in Costa Mesa, but attending CdM. “It’s fine with me.”

Helping the Sea Kings improve this season has also been fine with Evan Larsen. The winning so far has made for fun relationships with his teammates. The winning has also provided more confidence in his pitching.

He says he likes to watch Thomas Eshelman, the right-handed ace for Cal State Fullerton. The two have met.

Evan Larsen says he also enjoys watching Matt Harvey of the New York Mets, another tall righty.

Maybe it will be Evan Larsen someday on that mound in the big leagues. If that happens, a skateboarding accident won’t really be the reason, just part of the story. It will be more about hard work.

Evan Larsen appears willing to put in the work.

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Evan Larsen

Born: May 26, 1998

Hometown: Costa Mesa

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 200 pounds

Sport: Baseball

Year: Junior

Coach: John Emme

Favorite food: In N Out

Favorite movie: 21 Jump Street

Favorite athletic moment: “Throwing a no-hitter [against San Juan Hills].”

Week in review: Larsen threw a no-hitter, striking out six and walking one in the Sea Kings’ home opener, a 2-0 win over San Juan Hills in the Foothill Division of the Newport Elks Tournament on March 5.