When Dylan Cohen steps into the batter’s box, opposing pitchers take notice. They know where to pitch him and what kind of pitches to throw. Getting him out, however, is something few are able to do. Going into Wednesday’s game at Hamilton, Cohen led the City Section with a .628 batting average and ranked second in on base percentage at .667. In 43 at-bats, he had amassed 27 hits, 16 RBIs, two home runs, a whopping .953 slugging percentage and only four strikeouts. Such eye-popping numbers are why college and pro scouts have had the Palisades High senior on their radar ever since he came within two feet of hitting a home run down the left field line at Dodger Stadium as a sophomore in the 2003 City Invitational championship game. And though he received scholarship offers from dozens of schools, Cohen has committed to the University of San Diego, where he hopes to break into the starting lineup as a freshman next spring. ‘One of the reasons I chose them is because they were really interested in me,’ says Cohen, who also considered Loyola Marymount, Fresno State, UC Davis and UCLA, among others. ‘And when I drove down to visit the campus and meet the coaches and players, it just felt like it would be a good fit for me.’ As capable as he is at the plate, Cohen is equally skilled on the diamond’even while playing one of the most demanding positions. He has a rocket arm, cat-like reflexes and a venus fly trap for a glove. Those attributes have earned him All-League and All-City honors at short stop, as well as an invitation to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ junior elite team’an all-star squad consisting of the top high school players in Southern California. ‘I take as much pride in my defense as I do my hitting,’ Cohen says. ‘It’s fun playing where I do because I get to make a lot of plays. I want the ball hit to me.’ Another reason Cohen chose San Diego was the assurance from Toreros head coach Rich Hill that he would compete for a spot at second or third base right away. ‘I definitely wanted to go to a Division I school, which San Diego is, and I wanted to have an opportunity to play as a freshman,’ Cohen says. ‘That doesn’t mean it’s going to happen’but I’ll have a chance to prove myself and that’s all you can ask.’ If anyone is convinced Cohen has the ability to succeed at the next level it is Pali co-coach Kelly Loftus. ‘Absolutely he does. I mean, Dylan’s swinging the stick better than .600 right now and he’s hitting the ball hard eight out of 10 times. I’m talking about line drives no more than 15 feet above the ground. He’s just smoking them. And he can hit to every field, too. He has a chance to make an impact at San Diego his first year and that’s pretty special.’ A gifted athlete, Cohen is also a two-year starting quarterback and All City punter/kicker for the Dolphins’ football team, but admits he’ll stick to baseball in college. ‘San Diego recruited me for baseball so that’s what I’m going there for,’ Cohen says. ‘I’ve enjoyed playing football at Palisades, but right now I’m focused on baseball.’ San Diego has a 22-17-1 record this season and is 8-7 in West Coast Conference games. Despite playing the nation’s 12th toughest schedule, the Toreros won 35 games in 2004, third most in school history, including 15 of their last 17. ‘I’m excited to be part of that program,’ Cohen says. ‘I’m looking forward to it. But this is my senior year and there’s still a lot I want to do here.’ Like playing another game in Dodger Stadium, for instance.
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