BLACKWELL EMERGES AS A POWER PLAYER.

Byline: Sean Ceglinsky Special to the Daily News

Right field, left, dead center. It hasn't made much of a difference to Eric Blackwell, who has been hitting the ball well to all fields throughout the summer for the Thousand Oaks Big League baseball team.

``Eric has carried us offensively at times,'' said Thousand Oaks manager Ed Kitchen, whose team played Saturday in the Big League World Series championship game in Easley, S.C.

With sluggers like D.J. Smith and Chris Auten in the middle of the lineup, opposing coaches tended to overlook Blackwell more often than not. Big mistake.

The Royal High graduate went on a tear, hitting more than .400 with seven home runs and 25 RBI in Thousand Oaks' first 16 games. He homered in three consecutive games during one stretch, hitting one in the Western Regional semifinals, one in the finals and another in the opener of the World Series.

``He's the most underrated player out there,'' Kitchen said.

It's not as if Blackwell came out of nowhere. He was a three-year starter for Royal, playing third base as a sophomore, in the outfield as a junior and even some at second base as a senior.

He capped off his high school career by hitting .325 with four home runs and 17 RBI in 26 games as a senior, not exactly eye-opening power numbers, but steady nonetheless for someone hitting second, and sometimes third, in the batting order.

``He didn't have the senior season he wanted,'' Royal coach Dan Maye said. ``He wasn't a huge impact player in the minds of most scouts and colleges.''

In fact, Blackwell really didn't find his groove at the plate until the tail end of the regular season. He put together a nine-game hitting streak to close out the season and hit home runs in three of the Highlanders' final four games, including two in the Southern Section playoffs.

The long-ball trend hasn't stopped since.

``I have a clear head now,'' Blackwell said. ``I'm comfortable at the plate. I've been able to track the ball longer and read it a little better. I'm making good solid contact.''

About the only thing holding Blackwell up to this point has been himself.

He was a standout wrestler in high school, a two-time state qualifier and Daily News All-Area first-teamer. The wrestling season coincided with baseball, however, causing Blackwell to miss most of Royal's nonleague schedule. He would arrive just in time for the start of Marmonte League play.

Getting into baseball shape wasn't necessarily difficult, but there were times when the adjustment process would take somewhat longer than anticipated.

``He has attributes you can't teach, good hand-to-eye coordination and balance, great upper-body strength, and he sees the ball real well,'' Maye said. ``He had the quickest bat in our lineup. He could really turn into a fine player with two more years of development.''

Wrestling is a thing of the past. Blackwell is devoting his time and energy toward the diamond these days. And why not, considering the newfound success?

``This is actually the first time I've played just one sport,'' Blackwell said. ``It's nice concentrating on one thing.''

Blackwell didn't receive much interest from colleges following his senior season, unlike his Highlanders teammates, three of whom will be moving on and playing collegiately next season.

His plan is to attend a local junior college, most likely Moorpark, and continue to work diligently toward improving with the hopes that there is a future for him in the sport.

``I know I need to stay focused,'' Blackwell said. ``Baseball is a lifestyle. My mental preparation is all about the sport.''

Sean Ceglinsky, [phone]

sean.ceglinsky(at)dailynews.com