Kiriakos: A POWERful Addition

Palm Springs, CA—David Kiriakos pestered his pal Frankie Torres throughout the seasons’ first two weeks with phone calls, checking up on whether or not the POWER clean-up hitter had talked to Andrew Starke about adding his Riverside City College teammate to the roster. Working out on his own, Kiriakos did all he could to stay in ball-playing shape from the end of Riverside’s season to when he finally got the phone call from Starke. Amidst an eleven-game win streak, Kiriakos picked out his jersey (number 43) and joined the ballclub.

A slim 170 lbs, the 5’11” junior reeks of athleticism. “He can fly. I’ll tell ya that,” Torres said as he laughed in praise of his teammate, “He’s an athlete.” When asked whether he was excited to play with Kiriakos once again, the right-fielder answered quickly, “Yeah. Oh yeah.” Though Kiriakos generally keeps to himself, players love having him on their side of the field, due—in part—to his keen eye and patient approach at the plate. Through four starts, the Kinesiology major is hitting .500 (not a typo—yep—the big five-oh-oh). He’s also racked up three walks and been plunked thrice, totaling his on-base percentage at .619, an unthinkable number for anyone not named Barry Bonds. A lifelong leadoff hitter, Kiriakos works the count, employing a patient and relentless approach. “I’ll make [the opposing pitcher] throw a lot of pitches so [my teammates] will see what he’s throwing,” Kiriakos explained. By forcing the man standing sixty-feet-six-inches away from him to tap into his arsenal early on in the game, Kiriakos gives teammates a chance to prepare for whatever weapons he might employ: heaters, change-ups, sinkers, sliders, curve-balls, and the like. Those long at-bats give him a leg up as well, giving him greater insight for his next AB.

A smart hitter, Kiriakos has taken to swapping suggestions and advice with his teammates, deciphering what the opponent is throwing and predicting what will rocket towards the plate during his next trip to the batter’s box. Kiriakos takes teammates advice on the other side of the field as well, working closely with Evan Boyd and Curtis Gomez as the trio of middle infielders try to solidify their defense as they continue their hot-hitting. That teamwork and supporting nature was at its best on Sunday, when Kiriakos and Gomez decided to help each other out, swapping between shortstop and second every three innings to give one another a chance to get their reps in at their secondary positions. While manning the four and six spots defensively, the pair of middle infielders combined to go 3-for-7, scoring five runs as the POWER clubbed the San Francisco Seals, 11-3.

While working with new teammates and joining a new team, Kiriakos doesn’t worry about butterflies or the “new” experience. “I’ve been playing baseball my whole life, so I felt comfortable as soon as I got there.” With a leather mitt, freshly painted foul lines, and a dirtied jersey, Kiriakos is right where he belongs, right where he’s always been.