HIGHLY CHARGED BATTERY ADAMCZYK, NICKEAS MAKE WESTLAKE A FORCE IN PLAYOFFS.

Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer

WESTLAKE VILLAGE - During a break in a recent Westlake High baseball game, an umpire went over to the stands and told his son to keep an eye on the catcher. Mike Nickeas, the son was told, is an example of the ideal catcher.

A few feet away, the bleachers were packed with radar-gun-toting scouts who have become regulars at every game Tyler Adamczyk pitches.

Being the focus of attention is something to which the Warriors' senior battery has grown accustomed. They are among the nation's most closely watched prospects as the June draft approaches.

It's part of being a 6-foot-6 pitcher who throws in the 90s and has lost only one game in a three-year high school varsity career. Or in Nickeas' case, being a quick, agile and exceptionally knowledgeable catcher with a strong arm and productive bat. Both have signed with Division I schools and are rated among Baseball America's top 100 prospects.

Adamczyk and Nickeas have been teammates since early in their youth, which has elevated both players' games. They were the area's only players invited to try out for the USA Junior National Team last summer and made the rounds together at various showcases as well. It's not unusual to find them hanging out together during the rare moments when they aren't playing baseball.

``Going to college, that's going to be the toughest part, learning all new pitchers,'' said Nickeas, who signed with Georgia Tech. ``That's pretty much what the whole pitcher-catcher relationship is, knowing how to talk to them, how far to push them, and what they're thinking. ... Tyler and me, it's pretty much a no-brainer now.''

Adamczyk, who has signed with Cal, concurred.

``We're always on the same page,'' Adamczyk said.

Having played each other's position makes the bond tighter.

``The story goes that I would pitch four or five innings - or however many they'd let you pitch - and he'd catch, then we'd switch,'' Nickeas said. ``That's kind of how it went for a few years. But when he got bigger, they decided he'd be the pitcher and I kept the gear on.''

Adamczyk is one of the Warriors' best hitters for both power and average, but he realized as a sophomore that pitching was his future. The more he learns to use his legs to gain power, the better he gets. Adamczyk earned All-Southern Section honors and was named the Daily News Player of the Year as a junior when he went 8-1 with a 1.38 ERA. He is 5-0 with a 1.34 ERA through 57 2/3 innings this year.

``His fastball, it's wicked,'' said Nickeas, a four-year varsity starter who has caught for professionals such as Barry Zito and Jeff Suppan. ``He's got sick movement on his fastball and that saves him. I've caught some pretty good pitching and Tyler's up there. ... I'm catching a potential first-rounder every day, so I don't think that part's going to be a big adjustment.''

As a child, Nickeas and his father, Mark, attended Westlake High games to watch current Philadelphia Phillies All-Star catcher Mike Lieberthal. There were also several trips to college baseball games, where Nickeas soaked up examples of how to play at a higher level.

``I've never seen anyone work so hard,'' Mark Nickeas said of his son, echoing a sentiment expressed by coaches for years.

``He knows what he has to do to get to the next level - whether it's been from Pony League to high school or to college - and he's always been willing to put in the work. A lot of kids know how much work it takes but aren't willing to make the sacrifice. Instead of going out, he'll be in the garage hitting off the tee.''

From an early age, Nickeas practiced blocking balls with his dad at home. There were also drills in which Mark simulated throwing a ball and Mike would pretend to block it and get into position to throw as quickly as possible. The result is a quickness that has Nickeas throwing out or picking off an average of more than a runner a game.

He has taken hitting lessons for the past 10 years and is batting a team- high .429, has a slugging percentage close to 1.000 and is tied with Adamczyk for the team lead in home runs with seven. But defense is what comes naturally and excites Nickeas the most.

``They call them the tools of ignorance, but I like to call 'em the tools of intelligence,'' said Nickeas, who thrives on calling the right pitch or outsmarting baserunners.

``The thing about Michael is he really, really loves the position,'' Mark Nickeas said. ``He thoroughly enjoys the mental part of it.''

Today they are more focused on getting Westlake its first Southern Section baseball title. When the Warriors slumped early in the season, Adamczyk and Nickeas were the ones who challenged their teammates to improve.

Adamczyk's competitivness was evident on the final day of the regular season, when Westlake needed a victory to clinch a second consecutive Marmonte League title. Adamczyk asked to start even though he suffered two hairline fractures in his foot a week earlier and coaches feared he would not be able to push off the rubber. He pitched a complete-game two-hit shutout.

Once the Warriors - who enter the Southern Section playoffs as the No. 1 seed in Division III - returned to playing like one of the area's elite, Adamczyk and Nickeas were eager to share the credit with their teammates. But don't even bother asking about their own stats.

``My little motto is nothing different, nothing special,'' Nickeas said.

But soon things will be different.

``It's been a long road with him,'' Nickeas said. ``Hopefully it's a path that's splitting but will be reconnected somewhere down the road.''

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3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) TYLER ADAMCZYK

He leads the Westlake Warriors as a hitter and pitcher

(2 -- color) Westlake catcher Mike Nickeas, center, has teamed with batterymate Tyler Adamczyk to lead the Warriors to Marmonte League title.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

(3) Westlake's Tyler Adamczyk, left, and Mike Nickeas form one of area's best batteries.

Dean Musgrove/Staff Photographer