High School Stat Leaders FINAL for 2013 Season

5/18/13

Division 1: Sacramento City College
Pleasant Grove 6, Davis 3
Elk Grove 9, Franklin 6 

 For the game stories and photos, go to the D1 Playoffs Page.

  5/18/13

Bears Host Cardinal for Supper

The Stanford Cardinal played its first-ever game under the new lights at Cal Berkeley's Evans Diamond last night. For game story and photos, go to College.

 5/17/13

D-1 Playoffs

Division III Playoff Notes:

When the regular season ended, Robinson finished with a .585 average with 15 doubles, six triples and an area-leading 46 runs batted in.

As a team, Whitney (#18 NorCalPreps) is batting an astounding .437 while compiling the area's best record at 27-1. Their lone loss was to Antelope, which took it on the chin last night to Yuba City, 8-3. 

Robinson is probably headed to Sierra next year, the Big-8 Co-Champs in 2013.

5/16/13

Division 1: Sacramento City College
Pleasant Grove 5, Vacaville 2
Davis 2, Jesuit 0

Continue to Game Story and Photos

Continue to Game Story and Photos

by Rick Cabral

Couple of items resound after last night's amazing game between Elk Grove-Woodcreek (and if you haven't gotten there yet, go the read the story first and come back).

After the game, while the Herd players and coaches milled around in the visitor's side bullpen area while rivals Franklin loaded into the dugout, the great sigh of relief was visible everywhere.

Head coach Jeff Carlson, who's seen a lifetime of great moments, probably smiled a bit more than he wanted to let on, because he knew his team was that close to being prematurely eliminated once more. Where most teams have aspirations of winning the section, the Herd's approach more closely resembles expectations, like the New York Yankees of secondary schools.

Since taking on the head job 13 years ago, Carlson's skippered four Division 1 titles and come in second twice more (claiming the Section North banner).  But the last time the Herd took home the whole enchilada, a guy named Obama was running for president.

And the last time they got to the championship round (2010), St. Mary's of Stockton played "hit parade" against a Herd team featuring such greats as Jake Rodriguez and J.D. Davis, when Rowdy Tellez and Dom Nunez were just freshmen.

Woodcreek proved a very tough opponent and their play last night dispelled any notion that the Wolverines belonged back in D2, where they won last year's Section title. Having a guy like Stephen Nogosek on the mound can lift a team that far.

But what struck this scribe (or scribbler, your call) was how mature and confident Tellez and Nunez--and especially Nogo in defeat--showed themselves to be.

Tellez admitting that he'd read Nogosek's motion on the mound as tipping pitches, enabling him to reach out and zing a line drive that nearly de-gloved the third baseman as the ball rocketed into left field. And about his first-inning majestic home run that staked Elk Grove to a 2-0 lead, he deferred any notion that he had carried the team on his back. "There's no 'I' in Team," he reminded.

Or Nunez, when asked if he'd faced anyone faster than Nogo, the rocket-armed righthander, and without blinking shook his head quickly and reminded that while playing on Team USA 18U team last summer, he faced guys who routinely threw in the mid-90s. He broke out smiling over the memory of batting against a Japanese pitcher who topped out at 97 and drew the devotion of several Japanese League teams, forestalling his eventual arrive in the American big leagues.

Glistening eyes and smiles of joy were on those faces last night, for these guys proved  they are some of the best prepsters ever to play on our ballfields.

And even they seemed to be amazed by last night's classic at Union Stadium.

5/15/13

Division 1 Playoffs @ Sacramento City College

DVC's Elk Grove Wins 8-Inning Classic 8-5 Over SFL's Woodcreek

Franklin Trumps Oak Ridge 4-1

Go to High School Playoffs for Game Stories and Photos

Division 6 Action

Woodland Christian and Bradshaw Christian Advance in D6

Woodland Christian (WC, 16-9) advanced in the D6 tournament yesterday winning 5-1 over Rio Vista at Tony Zupo Field in Lodi.  

Shane Norton and Anthony Castaneda had a pair of hits for the Cardinals, while Tyler Maszk knocked in a pair of runs. Castaneda went the distance, allowing just two hits and one run and no walks, while striking out nine. 

Woodland Christian will begin a best two-of-three series with Mariposa starting Friday evening. 

In the other D6 bracket, Bradshaw Christian won its first game against LeGrand 9-1 (Stats have yet to be filed on this contest). The Pride (21-6) begin a best two-of-three series against Ripon Christian on Friday at 7 p.m. in Lodi. 

5/13/13

Division 1 Action 

Elk Grove 9 Vintage 6

(Continue to the High School for game story and photos)

Major League Draft Preview

Over the weekend Baseball America released its Top 100 Draft Prospects, and four locals made the list. Here's a brief summary beginning with their ranking in bold:

63—Dom Nunez, Elk Grove High senior: (.397/31/6/3/3) Rated as the 4^th high school catcher in the country with only one year’s experience, the upside on Nunez is high, despite not hitting .400 in his senior season at Elk Grove. The wear and tear of adjusting to the catcher position could be the main reason. Elk Grove starts the run through the playoffs this evening at home against Vintage of Napa.  

64—Rowdy Tellez, Elk Grove High senior: (.458/33/13/1/6) Considered the third-ranked first baseman in the bunch. An RBI machine with power off the charts. Moves around the first base bag with agility despite big body (like a Ryan Howard body-type one scout said). Has led or been among leaders in home runs since his sophomore season. 

70—Andrew Knapp, Cal Berkeley, junior: (.353/39/15/0/7) The catcher/outfielder is leading Cal Berkeley in hitting with a .353 batting average (as of 5/12/13) while slugging at a .542 average. The junior from Granite Bay High followed in the footsteps of his father, who also played for the Bears. 

72—Chandler Eden, Yuba City High senior: Don’t let Eden’s 4-2 record fool you. It hasn’t for the scouts who’ve tracked him as high as 93 on the radar gun. In 49+ innings, the 6’2” pitcher has allowed 23 hits, while fanning 83 batters to 17 walks. Ranked the 24th top righthander in the country, Eden leads the Honkers into the Division-III playoffs against Antelope on Thursday at McAuliffe Field. 

5/12/13 

Pro Notes
On Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN this evening analyst Orel Hershiser was talking about how former Major Leaguers Greg Vaughn (Kennedy High) was instrumental in the success of tonight's starter, Chicago White Sox lefthander Chris Sale.

Turns out Sale, a player at Florida Gulf Coast University, was playing in the summer woodbat Northwoods League for the LaCrosse Loggers in 2008, but not doing very well. His coach Vaughn suggested he alter his delivery.

He altered the delivery, posted an amazing season in 2010: 11–0 win-loss record, a 2.01 ERA over 17 games and 103 innings, 146 strikeouts while walking just 14. He led the NCAA in strikeouts at the end of the regular season and was awarded the National NCAA Pitcher of the Year in 2010.

In 2010, the White Sox selected the 6’5’’ 170-pound lefty with the 13^th overall pick and signed Sale to a $1.6 million signing bonus. After facing fewer 43 minor league batters, the White Sox brought him up to the parent club, becoming the first member of the 2010 draft class to reach the majors.

"And that led him to a big league career," Hershiser said concluding the anecdote. And Sale was selected to the American League All-Star team last year.

On this night, Sale nearly threw a perfect game, which was ruined by All-Star Mike Trout in the 7th inning. Sale ended up pitching a one-hit shutout. Not bad for a guy who took pitching advice from a home run slugger.

Community College – Super Regionals at Sierra College
Feather River 7, Sierra 1 

Feather River (29-12), champions of the Golden Valley League, and unbeaten in the Super Regionals, won its third consecutive game this morning 7-1 over Sierra to earn a trip to the State Finals.

Sierra’s dreams of winning its second state championship (they won in 2008) were quashed by Golden Eagels pitcher Matt Thomas, who threw a complete game, stingily parceling out five hits and one earned run to a club that hit for a combined .300 average this year.

Losing its first game on Friday meant Sierra would have to come through the loser’s bracket to win four straight games in two days, a tall order. The last team to do it was Santa Rosa in 2005. Sierra got the two needed wins yesterday, but it was clear this morning they were outmatched by a rested, better team in Feather River.

Coach Ryan Evangelho sent ace Andrew Cooper (13-3) to the mound after throwing only four innings on Friday in the 8-4 loss to Cabrillo.  But the state's winningiest pitcher wasn’t on his game today, either.

In the bottom of the first, with two runners on, Eagles catcher Chadwick Kaalekahi ripped a double to plate two runs. Next batter, Brock Asher laced a double, scoring Kaalekahi, and very quickly Feather River led 3-0.

In the second inning, the Eagles replicated the pattern, putting two runners on and third baseman Jake Bray, the team’s leading hitter, doubled to score two runs and make it 5-0.

Bray had an ever better day on defense. He made three scintillating plays around the third base bag, including the dagger to the Wolverines heart in the 5th inning.

First baseman Trevor McVey (Rocklin High) singled and Nick Blaser (Roseville High) followed with a double to right field, placing runners at 3^rd and 2^nd with no outs. Catcher Mikey Nantze laced a bullet down the third base line, but it was caught by Bray who alertly stepped on the bag before McVey retreated in time for the force-out double play. The next hitter Jared Snow hit a hot smash to first base, but he too was retired. Two minutes after Blaser’s double, the Wolverines were trotting back for their gloves, realizing this was not their day.

Clearly it wasn’t on defense, as they made three infield errors today.

Meantime, Eagles pitcher Thomas rolled along, demonstrating good control and location despite lacking a “plus pitch” in his arsenal. He improved to 8-1 for the season.

Sierra’s freshman Devon Golden looked solid in relief of Cooper. In five plus innings, he allowed just three hits and two earned runs while striking out five.

“We lined out with runners in scoring position,” Evangelho said after the game. “That was the story today. To get to that point in the Final Four (State Finals) it takes some luck,” he rationalized. “They (Feather River) played well. Give them credit.”

After the disappointment ebbs, Sierra’s interim coach will be proud of a job well done in taking Sierra to the Super Regionals, finishing 33-9. Rob Willson, on sabattical this spring, will resume his post as head coach next season.

Last year at the Feather River Super Regional, Sierra opened by knocking off #1 seed Feather River, and eventually the Golden Eagles lost on their home turf. So Feather River returned the favor this spring, and it now advances to the state finals in Fresno next weekend. The Golden Eagles have never won a community college state championship in baseball. They last won a Super Regional tournament 10 years ago.

There's still a chance a Big-8 Conference team could win the state championship. Santa Rosa, which tied Sierra for the league title, ran through its Super Regional with three quick victories, earning a trip to Fresno next weekend.

The Big-8 has won the state title the past two years. Cosumnes River did it last year and San Joaquin Delta acommplished the feat in 2011. 

Sacramento State's David Del Grande raced home from third on a wild pitch to score the winning run in a 3-2 game against San Jose State at John Smith Field.

The Hornets opened scoring with a Chris Lewis two-run homer in the first inning, and Tanner Mendonca went eight innings holding the Spartans to five hits and two earned runs.

Brandon Creel, who came in the ninth for Mendonca, was the winner (8-3) with one inning of shutout ball. He is now tied with Brennan Leiteo for the team lead of eight wins. Lewis went 3x4 to lead all Hornets hitters.

The Hornets now are 32-20 and 14-10 in the WAC, tied for third place with Texas State and only a game behind University of Texas, Arlington, which comes to Sacramento for a three-game series beginning on Thursday.

With today's win Sacramento State is now assured of a place in the upcoming WAC tournament.

For decades, Sacramento has been a hotbed of tremendous baseball talent. A few of the locals performing in the Major Leagues at present from the greater Sacramento area* include J.P. Howell, Dustin Pedroia, Derrek Lee, Manny Parra and many more.

Among the hundreds of former professional players who have hailed from around here (and this is not an exhaustive list) include: Dusty Baker, Larry Bowa, Ken and Bob Forsch, Stan Hack, Woody Held, David Hernandez, Derrek Lee, Joe Marty, Butch Metzger, Steve Sax, Greg Vaughn, Fernando Vina and many others.

Numerous MLB managers have come out of Sacramento, including:
Dusty Baker (SF Giants, Chicago Cubs and now Cincinnati Reds)
Larry Bowa (San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies)
Jerry Manuel (Chicago White Sox and New York Mets)
Buck Martinez (Toronto Blue Jays)
Johnny McNamara (6 teams)

Many top-name big league players barnstormed through Sacramento from the teens through the early '60s. Among the barnstormers, none were bigger than Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, who performed as the Bustin' Babes and Larrupin Lous here in Sacramento in 1927 (you can read more about that tour at ThePitchBook.com).

After runnin' the bases here, if you would like to submit material that you believe should be included at BaseballSacramento.com, please send an email to
RAC (at) baseballsacramento (dot) com.

Also be sure to check out the All-Time Top 50 Players from Sacramento in the History section.

Enjoy!

Editor
Rick Cabral

* The "greater Sacramento baseball area" extends west to Woodland, north to Yuba City, east to Grass Valley and south to the San Joaquin County line.