Jun. 27—The MLB Combine debut came and went, giving Caleb Lomavita a chance to leave his mark.
The versatile Saint Louis graduate did that on the first day of the combine, ranking fifth overall with a 105.7 mph maximum exit velocity on a single batted ball. The Cal signee was not among the Top 250 prospects, but had a higher exit velocity than Tommy White (No. 103 ) and Ryan Spikes (No. 197 ).
Then, Day Two—Saturday—arrived. Lomavita went 2-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base. Once the combine is over, he will leave Cary, N.C., site of the USA Baseball National Training Complex, and fly back to Arizona to play more baseball.
“They paid for him to go, ” Saint Louis coach George Gusman said.
The MLB Draft will begin on July 11 and has 20 rounds. That’s up from last year’s scant five rounds, and down from the 40 rounds of the 2019 MLB Draft.
With all of its metrics, baseball was overdue for a draft combine compared to other major sports. The appeal of Lomavita, a tireless worker who plays catcher, pitcher, both corner infield positions and the outfield, drew attention from quite a few teams.
“I just talked to his dad the other day, and I talked to Dan Cox of the Atlanta Braves. He’s holding his own and doing good. It’s just a matter of time before the draft comes around. He’s been preparing and playing, so good for him, ” Gusman said.
Gusman recalled teams that had representation in the islands recently.
“The (New York ) Mets had somebody come down during the season. The (Toronto ) Blue Jays were here. The (Texas ) Rangers went to Hilo before the season started. The Braves. There are a number of MLB organizations that came, so you never know. If they think highly of you, they might not say anything, ” Gusman said.
At 5 feet, 11 inches and 180 pounds, Lomavita was a power-hitting force as the Crusaders captured the Interscholastic League of Honolulu crown. Gusman has seen the ripple effect of a senior who led by example.
“He’d catch when we had him catch, and the next day, I’d ask, ‘Are you tired ?’ And he would say, ‘No, I went to lift later.’ Or, ‘I went running when I went home.’ You won’t find too many like that and, fortunately, I have a lot like him (at Saint Louis ), ” Gusman said. “They’re self-driven. They lift. They run. He’s at the top of the list of guys who do it that way. Talented and skilled, but an extremely hard worker.”
Lomavita graduated with a 3.93 grade-point average.
“If all this doesn’t work out, he’s signed with California. We’re excited for him. He’s just a great, great young man from a great family, ” Gusman added. “He’s represented himself and our school tremendously.”
He was 4-0 with a 1.70 ERA with 30 strikeouts in nearly 29 innings on the mound for Saint Louis. He also batted.410 with eight RBIs and 10 runs scored. He had a.759 slugging average and.469 on-base percentage.—For more Hawaii high school sports, visit the.