California knows how to party, and Jack Haferkamp is nearly as good at hitting a baseball.
The two collide whenever Haferkamp reaches the Santa Fe Christian High batter’s box. His walk-up song, “California Love,” seldom fails to bring energy to the senior center fielder, with the gathering poised to see what’s next for one of the country’s top prep players.
Never mind that Haferkamp tried to switch the ditty that has accompanied him since his sophomore season. Instead of changing his tune, he got blowback as if being buzzed by a high-and-tight pitch.
“They said everyone loves that song and it’s your song,” Haferkamp, 18, said. “So I’ve been riding it out for three years.”
Haferkamp, and the SFC Eagles (15-4, 6-0 Coastal League), are flying high after a slow start, entering a week in which they have three games against rival Maranatha Christian.
Fresh from winning the Lions Tournament and compiling a 10-game winning streak, SFC hopes the coming stretch includes a deep playoff run.
“We want to win the CIF and state titles and it’s coming along really well right now,” Haferkamp said.
The speedy and powerful Haferkamp possesses tools that make baseball scouts salivate. He hits for power and average, runs the bases with a passion, and his arm, while not registered with the National Rifle Association, is known to gun down aggressive runners.
It’s blissful that Haferkamp has numerous attributes. The question is what he might do once the curtain falls on the Eagles’ season.
Haferkamp has a scholarship to play at UC Santa Barbara in his back pocket, and front-and-center is July’s major league draft when his name will be called.
So does he stay on the shores of the Pacific or start his longtime aspiration of being a professional player in some small town?
“I tried not to think too much about it early on because that could lead to failure,” Haferkamp said. “But with the draft coming up, obviously, I’m thinking about it.”
It’s hard to ignore the siren of the majors with scouts clogging the grandstands at many of Haferkamp’s games.
“I’m blessed they came out to see me because my dream growing up was to play pro ball,” Haferkamp said. “I’m in a lucky position.”
Good fortune is but a small component in Haferkamp’s success. Lance Roenicke, SFC’s baseball coach, points to Haferkamp’s distribution of blood, sweat and maybe a few tears to reach his lofty status.
“All the credit to him because he has put himself in this position with his incredible work ethic,” Roenicke said. “He’s opened up the door of possibly getting drafted and he’s earned it.”
But with baseball being baseball, it always reminds players that it is really in charge. There’s never been someone who hasn’t experienced a slump or a game or two they would like to heave back like an undersized fish.
The catch was that the baseball blues snagged Haferkamp, a Carlsbad resident, when the season was fresh. He struggled a bit, a lesson consumed by everyone holding the right end of a bat.
“I had never failed that much in my high school career,” Haferkamp said. “But the big league scouts knew I could play and they want to see how you handle failure because it is such a big part of baseball, the mental part. They want to see how you handle it.”
Roenicke said Haferkamp’s maturity, and being a leader to his teammates, didn’t falter when the hits weren’t falling. Both of them knew the worm always turns and that’s just what happened.
“I’m playing good now, everything is starting to click and I’m ready to do some damage to help the team win everything that we can,” said Haferkamp, who’s hitting .377 with three home runs, 19 RBI and 17 stolen bases. “The year didn’t start off very well for me but I knew it was going to change.”
That proved easier than shaking, shaking his walk-up song. Just remember, it’s all good from Diego to the Bay and that includes Haferkamp and SFC.
Contact Jay Paris at [email protected] and follow him @jparis_sports
