Villa Park junior Gavin Grahovac had a genetic head start when it came to baseball.

He grew up in the right environment for it, too.

His father, Mike Grahovac, was an excellent catcher at Chapman University and played in the San Francisco Giants minor league system.

When Mike went into coaching, including at Orange Lutheran and later at Concordia University in Irvine, where he led the team to an NAIA national championship, Gavin was there.

“Gavin was always taking batting practice with us,” Mike said. “I’d throw a ground ball to him when he was 3-years-old and he could field a ground ball.”

Gavin Grahovac, now 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, has grown into an excellent high school baseball player.

Some baseball-focused websites have labeled the best junior player in California. Grahovac, who committed to Texas A&M, is praised for his bat speed, power, overall athleticism and defensive versatility.

He spent most of his youth baseball life as a catcher before moving to shortstop at Villa Park.

“Ever since I was little I wanted to try every position,” Gavin said. “When I got to high school I decided to play wherever they need me to play.”

Villa Park coach Burt Call, an All-CIF baseball player at Capistrano Valley High before becoming a starting outfielder at BYU, said Grahovac is a multi-skilled player.

“He’s got all the tools,” Call said. “Gavin can hit good pitching and he can hit it with power. He’s a complete player.

“What separates him from other players is his competitiveness. He loves to win.”

Gravhovac was the Crestview League MVP last season when, in 28 games, he had 39 hits, six home runs, 10 doubles, two triples and 24 RBIs. His batting average was .411.

Call and Mike Grahovac figure that Gavin’s baseball future will be as a third baseman. For now, shortstop suits him fine.

“I like being the guy in the middle of the field where you can see everything,” he said.

Grahovac made an unofficial visit to Texas A&M during the Thanksgiving break and liked it enough to make it his college destination.

“The people there are amazing and so is the coaching staff,” he said. “It’s something I want to be part of.”

Grahovac is, of course, an MLB Draft prospect.

“We’re hearing a lot of good things about that,” Mike Grahovac said. “He’s just got to keep doing what he’s doing.”

Gavin recognizes the challenges ahead.

“I’m going to see guys who throw the ball harder and hit the ball harder,” he said. “I try to work out every day, get that work in every day.”

He has been doing that for a long time.

NOTES

• The high school baseball season officially begins Saturday. The PBR Preseason Invitational, presented by prepbaseballreport.com, will have pool-play games Saturday at several Southern California locations, including Capistrano Valley, Foothill, Huntington Beach and JSerra high schools and at Hart Park in Orange, which is Orange Lutheran’s home field.

• JSerra hosts a doubleheader against Huntington Beach on March 1 before opening Trinity League play with a three-game series against Orange Lutheran on March 8, 9 and 11.

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• Huntington Beach, Orange Lutheran and Servite will play in the National High School Invitational in North Carolina in April. Orange Lutheran has won the tournament in three of the past four seasons it has been played. Huntington Beach also has won an NHSI title.

• The Southern California half of the Boras Classic is April 19-22 at JSerra and Mater Dei. The host schools and four other Orange County teams — Foothill, Huntington Beach, Servite and Villa Park — are part of this year’s event.