SAN DIEGO – Michael Popkins did not want his son to sit on the bench so he taught him to switch-hit.

It's been a wise move for David Popkins, a standout athlete at St. Augustine High who was one of the top hitters in the San Diego Section this baseball season.

“It's twice the work, but it pays off,” David, a natural right-hander, said via e-mail.

Switch-hitting offers the challenge of trying to perform well from both sides of the plate, yet it provides hitters with an edge because most breaking pitches move toward them instead of away. Switch-hitting can help keep a player in the lineup when the coach is thinking about platooning against tough pitchers.

“It is a tremendous advantage for someone to be able to switch hit,” St. Augustine baseball coach Mike Stephenson said in an e-mail. “Generally, young kids get discouraged with switch-hitting when they run into a slump and give up. For David, it has made him that much more dangerous.”

David's baseball journey began in Tierrasanta at age 3. He credits his father with teaching him the game.

“Dad has been huge,” David said. “Coached me since I was in T-ball.”

David tried to keep up with his older brother, who is also a switch-hitter. The two would play in front of their house, using the garage as a backstop.

“He would always kill me, but as I got older I got better,” David said.

A few years after learning about baseball, David began playing football.

“After the first game it was so fun,” he said. “(I) just got lost in it and knew I wanted to do it.”

There was basketball, too.

Of the three sports, David was most devoted to baseball. He joined travel teams and made trips to Florida, New York and North Carolina.

“That was my vacation” since age 9, David said. “I didn't officially go on a vacation until I was 15.”

David began high school as a three-sport athlete, but his packed schedule began to take a toll.

“Sports took up the whole year,” he said. “I remember the first year was football over summer for two months. Then football season, then basketball season, then baseball season, then back to football workouts. I had to finally drop basketball because sports were taking over everything.”

Eliminating basketball allowed David to focus on football and baseball.

After helping St. Augustine win section Division III football championships in 2005 and 2006 as a reserve, David became the starting quarterback last season as a senior. He completed 126 of 228 passes for 1,295 yards and 16 touchdowns as the Saints reached the semifinals.

In baseball, David excelled during his four years on the varsity. He batted .422 (46-for-109) this season with eight home runs and 42 RBI. He compiled a 5-2 pitching record.

“He has a very strong arm and can reach 90 (mph), which is a huge strength,” Stephenson said. “He also has good power from both sides of the plate.”

David, who is 6-3 and weighs 200 pounds, has accepted a baseball scholarship to the University of California Davis.

“I'm really excited to play there,” David said. “They've got a good upcoming program.”

UC Davis coach Rex Peters said David will help the Aggies as a hitter and as a pitcher.

“He's a true utility player in the sense that he can pitch effectively and also hit from both sides of the plate,” Peters told CSTV.com.

St. Augustine football coach Jerry Ralph said he believes David made the right choice.

“I think David is a very talented quarterback but probably made the best decision to focus on his baseball talents, which will take him further,” Ralph said via e-mail.

The switch-hitter from Tierrasanta is moving to a larger stage.

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