Former Irvine Valley baseball player Dane Nakatsuka had a season to remember at Vanguard.
Nakatsuka was recently named all-conference for the Lions, who were ranked in the NAIA most of the season.
He made 44 starts during the regular season with a team second-best .355 average.
Nakatsuka's six doubles, three triples and seven home runs led to his team-leading .554 slugging percentage. The left fielder led the club in hits (59) and runs scored (37), while his 31 RBI tied for second.
Nakatsuka posted 18 multi-games, including one stretch with five straight in conference play against Westmont and Jessup.
He entered the postseason on a 20-game hitting streak.
On the GSAC all-time leaderboard, Nakatsuka finished the regular season sixth in hits and 10th in batting average.
He helped the Lions finish 33-14 overall during the regular season and 15-9 in the Golden State Athletic Conference, good for third place.
Nakatsuka had a two-run, walk-off hit on senior day to lift Vanguard to a 9-8 win over Saint Katherine on Apr. 26.
Vanguard saw its season end in the GSAC tournament with two straight losses. The team finished with a record of 33-16 overall.
Nakatsuka's final 2023 season totals were a .347 average, 61 hits, 38 runs, six doubles, three triples, seven home runs and 31 RBI.
He also added seven stolen bases and had a .421 on base percentage and a .534 slugging percentage.
