Since helping power Stanford to a 46-12 overall record under first-year manager David Esquer, the Atherton native and 2016 graduate of Sacred Heart Prep has settled in to the heart of the batting order for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, which Thursday became the first team on the Cape to clinch a playoff berth with a league-best 20-10 record.

To add to his banner season, Daschbach — who is batting .299 while tied for fourth in the league with five home runs — was named to the Cape Cod All-Star team last week. That’s quite the prestigious honor for someone who grew up revering the most prestigious summer collegiate wood-bat league in the nation.

“I’ve seen movies, I’ve seen TV shows about the Cape Cod League ever since I was young,” Daschbach said. “So, it’s been a dream of mine ever since I was a kid.”

The past few months have been a whirlwind of competition for Daschbach.

Heading into the NCAA postseason, Stanford was poised to do big things. The Cardinal, after claiming their first Pac-12 championship since 2004, finished the regular season ranked No. 5 in the nation. Then with Sunken Diamond playing host to a regional tournament, Stanford earned the No. 1 seed in the four-team field.

And while Stanford won its tourney opener 4-3 over Wright State, the extra-inning victory — which saw Daschbach score the winning run on a walk-off double by Christian Robinson in the 13th — took its toll. The Cardinal never recovered from the marathon win, losing twice to Cal State Fullerton over the next two days to see their season end in disappointment.

“It was definitely a tough pill to swallow,” Daschbach said. “My dad actually went on strike. He refused to watch any of the (NCAA playoff) games.”

It was a different Pac-12 team, Oregon State, that went on to win the College World Series, thanks in large part to freshman right-hander Kevin Abel’s two-hit shutout against Arkansas in the championship-game finale. Stanford had faced Abel in the regular season — it was the only game of a three-game series the Cardinal took from Oregon State — with Daschbach going 1 for 3 with a single and two strikeouts against the freshman phenom.

“I thought he had some of the best raw pitching ability we saw all year,” Daschbach said.

Daschbach’s sophomore year at Stanford was marked by a monster power performance. He hit .287 with 17 homers (fifth in the Pac-12) and 63 RBIs (third).

Then, while playing first base, the sophomore went viral with one of the great defensive plays throughout college baseball this season. In charging a popup down the first-base line, he collided with Washington State batter Robert Teel. The collision caused Daschbach’s glove to go flying off his hand, but the 6-3, 220-pounud former high school tight end barreled through Teel to persevere for a barehanded catch that had old-time Bay Area baseball fans evoking the name of Kevin Mitchell in comparison.

In two seasons at Stanford, Daschbach has led a charmed collegiate baseball career. He had the honor, as a freshman, of playing under former Cardinal manager Mark Marquess for his farewell season after 41 years of running the program. This year, Daschbach was integral to the new regime of former Cal coach David Esquer — a Stanford graduate who had played under Marquess — as the new manager opened his Cardinal career with 10-game winning streak.

“It was an extremely special year,” Daschbach said. “Just for Esquer to come in and have the season he had, it was just a testament to how great a coach he is.”

Now, Daschbach is soaking in all the baseball he can on the Cape. He isn’t the only local standout playing there. Former Serra slugger Hunter Bishop — who just wrapped up his sophomore year at Arizona State — is in his second summer with the Brewster Whitecaps; Bishop won championship series MVP honors last year in powering Brewster to the Cape Cod League title. Friday night, with Brewster defeating Daschbach’s Red Sox 7-3, Bishop went 2 for 3 with his team-leading 16th RBI.

With the Cape Cod League All-Star Game slated for Sunday, Daschbach will have his family in attendance. His father Mark, mother Liz and sister Sarah — a former volleyball standout at Sacred Heart Prep and Princeton University — will all be on hand.

And after the All-Star break, Daschbach and the Y-D Red Sox are looking to wrap up the East Division championship. They currently hold a 3 1/2 game lead over second-place Chatham with 10 regular-season games to go.

“Hopefully it will happen pretty soon,” Daschbach said. “Right now we’re playing good baseball and we’re having a lot of fun.”