For the first time all year, James Vazquez was feeling a little bit uneasy on a baseball field.

In front of countless college and professional scouts, the Crystal Lake South standout tried to stay composed at the Northwest Suburban Baseball Tournament Saturday.

"When we were all in deep shortstop during warmups, it was pretty nerve-racking at first," Vazquez said. "After a while, I got the hang of it."

Vazquez had made onlookers across the area take notice by the end of his junior season, when he proved to be one of the best infielders in the FVC.

The all-conference second baseman's solo shot off Prairie Ridge star right-hander T.J. Swank gave South an early lead in what would be a season-ending loss to the eventual 4A state champions in the sectional semifinals.

Seizing opportunity

This summer, Vazquez is hoping to leave a similar impression and secure an opportunity to play at the next level.

He no doubt opened some eyes with his performance last weekend at the Stevenson High School showcase, which featured all-star teams from eight of the biggest conferences in the north, northwest and western suburbs of Chicago.

Vazquez went 1-for-2 with a single and made a couple slick plays in the field in the FVC's 11-7 loss to the West Suburban Conference Saturday.

"It wasn't my first showcase," Vazquez said, "but it was my first time playing in something like this with so many great players. There are a lot of great players here."

"Hopefully, I can get recognized by a lot of great colleges," he said. "That's the main thing."

In addition, the incoming senior is adjusting to a position change. Vazquez is set to replace star Ryan Kelley as the team's shortstop and No. 3 hitter.

New position

"We're looking for him to move over and fill Ryan's shoes," CLS coach Brian Bogda said. "Those are some big shoes to fill, but he's a similar type of player. He's a great fielder and has a good stick. We're hoping to get the most out of him."

"Basically, the biggest difference is the throw," said Vazquez, who played at short and third base Saturday. "Everything else, like fielding, I treat the same."

Vazquez and Kelley are reunited this summer on the Crystal Lake Bombers travel team.

Gators Tim Ambrose, Tony Pauls and Danny Walsh also are on the Bombers' roster. Others from the FVC are Alex Cooke, Nick Hammonds, Sean Kaveney and Kendall Konrath from Cary-Grove, Nate Prokuski from Huntley and Michael Rung from Jacobs.