COEUR d'ALENE - When Mitch Bevacqua first stepped onto the baseball field at Lake City High, he had to prove himself to some fans in the bleachers that he truly belonged at shortstop as a freshman.

Four years later, he's trying to prove himself again - with a lot more at stake.

Bevacqua, a 6-foot, 175-pound senior shortstop, verbally committed to the University of Washington as a junior, then followed up by signing with the school in February.

Over the past two weeks, Bevacqua has also had pro baseball scouts at games, gathering video for teams for the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft held June 6-8.

"I didn't really pay attention to it and just went out there and played," Bevacqua said. "It was a great experience with the scouts coming to the games. I felt like a rock star and it was awesome having them ask me questions and taking videos of me fielding and hitting. It was definitely a cool experience."

The scouts have told him that if he wants to play in the professional ranks, he'll likely have to switch positions in the infield.

"They're saying I'll be a second baseman because of my power," said Bevacqua, who hit his first home run of the season last week. "They want me to go pro instead of playing in college because they see more of a pro in me because I swing freely, instead of college when they have you bunt in certain situations."

Bevacqua still plans to attend Washington.

"I'm leaning toward college because I don't think I'm mature enough to be out there on my own," Bevacqua said. "In college, they're going to teach me all the aspects of playing the game right, so an education before baseball is kind of what I'm thinking."

Bevacqua added he's received some advice from Lakeland High standout and former Major League infielder Josh Phelps, who played for Toronto, Cleveland, Tampa Bay, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh and St. Louis.

"I've heard him say to do what you want to do and don't listen to what others say to do," Bevacqua said. "If you listen to what others think, you won't get what you want. It's going to be a hard decision when it comes."

Oregon, Oregon State and Arizona State were also interested in Bevacqua.

"Washington started coming down to talk to me when I played (summer baseball) with Baseball Northwest," Bevacqua said. "I visited the school and liked it and their educational programs. On my second visit, the coach brought me to his office and offered me a 77-percent scholarship - and I don't think anyone could back away from that and that's why I committed so early. I didn't want to take the chance of not going to such a prestigious school with a great education and pass on it."

This summer, Bevacqua will play for the Bellingham Bells, a team in the wood-bat West Coast League that competes against teams in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. He is listed as an outfielder on the Bells' roster.

Bevacqua could also entertain going pro, depending on when he is drafted.

"It really comes down to the money and the round," Bevacqua said. "In college, you get to fly on airplanes, but in rookie leagues, they ride on a charter bus for 14 hours. You don't get the same kind of stuff you do in college, but it comes down to the money."

"They (the pros) are going to get a raw athlete," Lake City High baseball coach Travis Georgius said. "He's got the skills and if you just let him play, he's a good player."

His first three years at Lake City, Bevacqua was coached by his uncle - Al, who played baseball at Lakeland High, North Idaho College and Mercyhurst College in Erie, Penn. At first, Mitch was nervous about stepping on the field for his uncle.

"It was nerve-racking at times because he's related to me," Bevacqua said. "And some people didn't think it was right that I was starting as a freshman and that it was just because my uncle was the coach. But I think I proved them wrong and that I was just as good as anyone else out there and didn't let the parents get into my head about it. I just went out and played and didn't worry about what other people were saying."

One of his biggest skeptics at first was his uncle Al.

"It's a tough position to take on as a freshman," Al said. "And I guess the rest is history and he proved his uncle wrong."

Lake City went 15-10 and 6-6 in the 5A Inland Empire League his freshman season and are 7-12 heading into today's home game against Sandpoint at 4 p.m.

"It was a great year," Al said. "Mitch stepped into a role and I had him bat late in the lineup. I knew he could hit and the talent was there. It was fun to watch him grow and really put my mind at ease. And he did it all on his own. He took that responsibility and it was awesome to see because he just kept getting better."

Mitch learned to play baseball at the young age of 2 from his grandpa - Tony, who coached at NIC.

"It's been great having him around," Bevacqua said. "He had me hitting when I was 2 years old and has been the one showing me how to play the game the right way because he's been around it for so long. He's taught me everything he knows and he's a great guy."

It worked.

"I just had to pull through and just do what I had to do out there and not worry about what people say," Bevacqua said. "He (Al) knew I was as good as anyone out there and that's why he put me out there."

Should he get a phone call from one particular team during the draft - that might make the decision to turn pro easier.

"If I went to college, I'd be there for three years and could get to the AA level a little faster," Bevacqua said. "With my grandpa, if it's the Red Sox - it's almost an automatic 'let's go.'"

Tony is a big Red Sox fan, Mitch explained.

Last summer, Bevacqua competed in area code baseball games at Long Beach State.

"It was the best experience of my life," Bevacqua said. "You've got to try out and they only take the best of the best. There were pro scouts and colleges that were watching your games."

Bevacqua played on the Kansas City Royals area code team along with third baseman Joe Martarano of Fruitland High, who is a potential first-round pick in the upcoming draft.

"You're playing against the best guys around," Bevacqua said. "It's a showcase of what you can do."

Bevacqua - a three-sport standout at Lake City - injured his ankle during the Timberwolves' homecoming football game against Sandpoint in early October and missed most of the rest of the season with a high ankle sprain. He also missed the basketball season.

"It was hard to sit out," Bevacqua said. "I tried to come back against Madison (in the state semifinals), but I knew I couldn't do it, but I wanted to try it. It was depressing because I really didn't know what to do because I was so used to playing three sports. But it allowed me to start working out more and more and I just had to get through it. That's how life is sometimes."

"My dad (also named Tony) has always been more of a football guy," Bevacqua said. "He doesn't know that much about baseball, but he's always pushed me to get better. He's always told me that school is first and sports are second. He's been a big influence on my life and without him, I don't know where I'd be."

Georgius also coached Bevacqua when he played American Legion baseball as a freshman and sophomore. He took over as Lake City's varsity baseball coach this year.

"His maturity has been the biggest thing," Georgius said. "When I coached him before, there were a lot of aspects of his game he was raw at. It's actually been good to see him this year and seeing him try new things. One of the biggest things I've seen from him is his ability to keep learning."

Georgius played at Lewis-Clark State after graduating from Coeur d'Alene High.

"With Mitch, it's really been preparing him for what to expect that first year," Georgius said. "Especially going to a school like Washington. It's kind of a meat market and tough as a freshman."

As a sophomore, injuries limited Georgius' playing time with the Warriors.

"That was one of the scarier moments of my career," Georgius said. "I thought, 'oh no, I'm done' because there's at least three guys behind me waiting to take my spot. I've told him to have the confidence to know what you're capable of and going out and busting your butt every day that first year."

That shouldn't be a problem for Bevacqua.

"Most people think I'm lazy because I don't like working out in front of other people," Bevacqua said. "Most people think I'm naturally good, but I'm hitting every night. Some think I'm lazy because I'm so laid back, but I work out all the time."

Last Tuesday, after playing a doubleheader against childhood friend Levi Pereira and the Coeur d'Alene Vikings, Bevacqua travelled to Spokane and watched his future Washington teammates take on Gonzaga - where Pereira has signed to play next year.

"He thought they were going to win, but I knew UW was going to come down and beat them," Bevacqua said. "He was just talking because he thought Gonzaga was everything."

Washington won that night, then won again the next day in Spokane to sweep the two-game series.

Bevacqua is working on Georgius to allow him to move to the mound at some point this season.

"He's been asking every day if he can pitch," Georgius said. "But he probably won't. He's our shortstop. But if we've got a guy that wants to throw that bad and we know he's going to shut it down, we may bring him on the bump."

"If it wasn't for baseball, I don't know what I'd be doing," Bevacqua said. "I'd either be running track or trying to get better at football. I don't know what I'd honestly do without baseball."

"I couldn't be more proud of him," Al said. "And that's one of the toughest parts about (not coaching) this year is finishing the journey with him in high school. He's not only my nephew, but he's one of my best friends. He's such a good kid and even if he wasn't my nephew, I'm going to miss the heck out of him."