Former Irvine Valley baseball player Dane Nakatsuka absolutely shined at NAIA Vanguard University this past season.
The outfielder, who played in 2019 at IVC and then during the shortened COVID 2020 season and in the 2021 Orange Empire Conference year, was one of the Lions best players and helped Vanguard reach the 2022 NAIA Baseball Opening Round, presented by Avista last month at Harris Field at the College of Idaho.
Vanguard finished with a record of 44-15 overall and 23-9 in the Golden State Athletic Conference.
Nakatsuka batted .340 on the season with a .448 on base percentage and a .479 slugging percentage.
He went 49 for 144 at the plate with 42 runs, 10 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 30 RBI, 21 walks and 15 stolen bases on the year.
Nakatsuka had 17 multi-hit games and six games where he registered three hits.
He went 3 for 4 with a home run, two doubles and three RBI in a 9-6 victory over Oregon Tech on Feb. 11 and the 3 for 5 with three runs, a walk, a home run and a career-high six RBI in a Vanguard win over Embry-Riddle the following week.
Nakatsuka finished strong for Irvine Valley in the 2021 season, despite missing the start of the year with an injury.
Nakatsuka, out of Capistrano Valley High, batted .333 in the 15 games he played for Irvine Valley with seven runs scored, 10 RBI and two stolen bases.
Nakatsuka helped the Lasers finished tied for fourth in a deep and tough Orange Empire Conference with a record of 9-9.
The Lasers finished with a record of 12-14-1 overall.
But, IVC went 11-3-1 during a stretch during 2021 with Nakatsuka adding to the Laser wins.
In the 15 games and 33 at bats he had after battling back after injury in 2021, Nakatsuka hit .333 with four doubles, one triple and 10 RBI. He ended with a .515 slugging percentage.
