STOCK MAKES LEAP TO USC AGOURA BASEBALL STAR, 16, SKIPS SENIOR YEAR.

Byline: HEATHER GRIPP Staff Writer

Robert Stock, one of the nation's premier high school baseball players, ended speculation about how high he would be selected in next spring's professional baseball draft by deciding to forgo his senior year at Agoura High and enroll at USC.

He is expected to play for the Trojans when their season begins in January and he won't be draft eligible until 2009.

Stock enrolled at USC on Wednesday and attended his first classes Thursday. He was admitted into USC as the only athlete in its Resident Honors Program, a program that allows 30 elite students a year to begin college a year early. Stock received a waiver from the NCAA granting him eligibility to play at USC.

``It all happened so quick,'' said his mother, Randi Stock. ``One moment we're talking about the draft, and how we always wanted a swimming pool and Robert said he'd buy us one when he got drafted. No pool now. All along we'd be thinking next year would be the year he's drafted.''

Stock, 16, has been in the national spotlight for years and was named Baseball America's 2005 Youth Player of the Year. He was expected to be drafted in the first round next June.

``People talked to us about having played in college and they said it's not worth a million dollar dollars to pass up that experience,'' Randi Stock said. ``That's a once in a lifetime experience you can't get back. I think Robert decided that's more important to him now than millions of dollars.''

The opportunity to work with new USC head coach and former major-league catcher Chad Kreuter was cited as a primary reason for Stock, an aspiring catcher, attending USC.

``It's a brillant move on his part,'' Kreuter said. ``The percentage of catchers who sign out of high school and get to the big leagues is very, very small. And that's including just being in the big leagues for one day, not a long career. The flip side is the college guys, more than 50 percent of them make it to the big leagues.

``At 17 he's not ready for the grind of minor league baseball. And that's what it is, it's a grind. ... When he's draft eligible again he'll only be 19, there are high school kids that old.''

Had stock enrolled in college next fall he wouldn't be draft eligible until 2010.

Despite a series of injuries, Stock batted .456 with six home runs and 25 RBIs and went 4-2 with 57 strikeouts in 47 innings during his junior season to lead Agoura to its first Southern Section final.

Kreuter said Stock will contend for the Trojans starting catching job and be used as a relief pitcher.

``He's plenty good enough,'' Kreuter said. ``We're going to try to give him a little time to get adjusted. We'll have plenty of time to work with him in the fall. I'm not so much worried about his hitting.

"He's hit at every level he's been at and we expect him to contune to hit. The big thing we're going to focus on is polishing up his skills behing the plate.

``He's going to be a force to be recokoned with, if not this year, soon.''

USC opens its season Jan. 30 at home against Cal Poly.

Stock's last performance as a high school player was earlier this month at the Aflac All-American game for the nation's top incoming seniors. He was the West's starting pitcher and added a home run to center field.

The decision to leave Agoura, where his brother Richard is a sophomore catcher, was so last minute that his mother said she'll bring him home this weekend to go shopping after sending him to the dorms with ``just two sheets and a tooth brush.''

``It's bitter sweet,'' she said. ``Usually you get all excited about college and get to go shopping and say good bye to everyone.

This was sort of a last minute thing. It's hard to believe he's in college already.''

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