BRUIN BASEBALL
Ponderosa High School w 3661 Ponderosa Rd., Shingle Springs, CA 95682 w May 2015
Ponderosa 2015 season in review Senior Emory Thompson among league’s top hitters BY KARL GRUBAUGH Bruin Baseball editor
The 2015 Ponderosa High baseball seasons came to an end on May 4 with a varsity-junior varsity sweep of Cosumnes Oaks. The varsity, behind a terrific effort by senior starting pitcher Jake Hilliker, beat the Wolfpack 4-3. Junior Garrett Grubaugh got the save with a clutch seventhinning relief performance, and senior Emory Thompson went 3-for-4 at the plate and scored two runs. The junior varsity beat Cosumnes Oaks 9-6. The freshmen, who lost to Roseville on May 1, beat Cosumnes Oaks by forfeit. Varsity season highlights w1-13 in Capital Valley Conference play (8th place); 9-18 overall Senior Emory Thompson led the Bruins in three hitting categories, including batting average (.411, ranked fourth in the CVC), slugging percentage (.625, fourth in the CVC) and on-base percentage (.528, third in the CVC). Other offensive statistical leaders for the Bruins included senior Logan McMahon, who led the team in home runs (two, tied for second in the CVC) and RBIs (17, ninth in the CVC) and sophomore Scotty Martin in stolen bases (nine in 10 attempts, tied for seventh in the CVC). On the mound, the Bruins were led by junior Garrett Grubaugh, senior Jared Hefner and Martin, who each had two victories (tied for 10th in the CVC). Grubaugh was 2-0 with a save for Ponderosa in 20⅓ innings; Hefner had a 2-4 record in 31⅓ innings; Martin was 2-3 in 26⅓ See REVIEW, page 2
Bruin Baseball photos/KARL GRUBAUGH
FAST FACTS Graduating Seniors
Eight Ponderosa High varsity players ended their scholastic baseball careers this spring and are headed for college this fall. They are:
wAaron Bezdek – Folsom Lake College wClay Boswell – Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo wJared Hefner – University of Nevada, Reno wJake Hilliker – CSU Monterey Bay wLogan McMahon – Texas Wesleyan wAustin Podrabsky – College of the Siskiyous wEmory Thompson – University of Nevada, Reno wBrandon Wetklow – Folsom Lake College Source: Ponderosa baseball staff
Senior infielder Emory Thompson, above, hits against Will C. Wood High during the Raley Field game in March, which Wood won 8-0. Junior righthander Davis Carlson, left, winds up against the Wildcats. The Ponderosa baseball program raised almost $1,500 in its second annual pair of games on the Sacramento River Cats’ home field, and participating families ended up with discounted River Cats tickets to use, sell or give away.
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Bruin Baseball
May 2015
REVIEW: Ito led Bruins in fielding percentage Continued from page 1 innings, including a complete game. Grubaugh led the team with a 2.07 earned-run average (sixth in the CVC for pitchers with at least 17⅓ innings), and Martin recorded a team-high 25 strikeouts (sixth in the CVC). Junior Logan Ito had a .973 fielding percentage, sixth in the CVC for players with at least 55 chances.
Sophomore outfielder Chris Daniels, left, swings away against Will C. Wood at Raley Field. Varsity coach Robert Taylor, below right, prepares to warm up the Bruins on the River Cats’ home field. Assistant coach Chris Miller, bottom, and the Bruins follow the action against the Wildcats.
JV season highlights w9-5 in Capital Valley Conference play; 17-10 overall Darrec Ditlevsen led the Bruins with a .439 batting average. Nick Ousley was the Bruins’ team leader in three offensive categories – runs scored (18), doubles (nine) and stolen bases (15). Daniel Doe had a teamleading 18 RBIs, and Joe Peabody ranked first for the Bruins with 28 hits. Pitcher Jacob O’Donnell had a team-leading ERA of 1.09. Frosh season highlights w10-4 in Capital Valley Conference play; 20-7 overall Tanner Cleland led the Bruins in batting average (.389). Justin Purdom was the team leader in RBIs (17), runs scored (21), hits (25) and, with BJ Mueller, Jared Beard and Riley Keneller, doubles (each had five). Cody Moore had 13 stolen bases to lead the Bruins, and Keneller had a .527 slugging percentage. Defensively, Andrew Stolsig led the Bruins on the mound with a 1.19 ERA over 35⅓ innings, the most for any pitcher on the squad. Purdom was the team leader, among players who had a minimum of at least 10 chances, with a fielding percentage of .974. Raley Field game once again a highlight for Bruins On March 10, the Bruins played their second-ever pair of games on Raley Field, the home field of the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A affiliate, the Sacramento River Cats. Both teams played Will C. Wood of Vacaville; the varsity lost 8-0, and the JV lost 3-0. Pondo baseball families raised
Bruin Baseball photos/KARL GRUBAUGH
almost $1,500 for the Bruin baseball program by purchasing discounted River Cats tickets they can use during the minorleague team’s season. First-ever baseball crab feed a huge success The first-ever Bruin Baseball Crab Feed, held at the American
Legion Hall in Shingle Springs in February, netted more than $11,000 for the Ponderosa baseball program. The event, which was coordinated by varsity parent LaWanda Loken with assistance from the eight-member parent fundraising committee and many other parent volunteers, featured a silent
auction, a live auction, a cake auction and, of course, the crab feed. More than 200 people purchased tickets; Seattle Mariners executive Kevin Mather was the keynote speaker. Varsity player Logan Ito won a $100 gift certificate to Bases Loaded in Folsom for selling the most crab feed tickets.