NorCal Issue 209 June 2022 by Sport Stars Magazine

JUNE 2022 VOL. 13 ISSUE 209 NORCAL EDITION

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ith the final outs — or in the case of De La Salle baseball, final runs — of the CIF Regional Baseball and Softball Championships, our first full post-COVID (sort of) season of interscholastic athletics came to a close. It was by no means perfect. I wrote “sort of ” above because COVID definitely still left its imprint on the seasons of many programs. It was especially notable during the winter when some basketball teams were sidelined for more than three weeks after a handful of positive tests. But overall, it all went much smoother than what many of us expected back in August. This issue here wraps up our spring coverage with our All-NorCal postseason honors for baseball and softball. Next issue will be our annual Yearbook Special Edition where we look back at the year as a whole, publish our Year In Photos and reveal our annual Bay Area 75 countdown of the region’s best athletes. We’re also hoping to dust off our SportStories Podcast during the month of July to help look back at some of the best teams and games from the 2021-22 sports year. We’re hoping to involve readers in a vote for what some of those teams and games were. Just off the top of our heads, here’s a few teams that stood out to us this season. ›› Miramonte-Orinda Girls Water Polo: Doesn’t get much better than going 28-0 with North Coast Section Open and CIF Div. I Regional championships. ›› Vanden-Fairfield Football: The Vikings’ run to Sac-Joaquin Section and CIF State Bowl titles (which included an epic comeback finish) in honor of former

teammates and assistant coaches who had passed away, was among the feel-good stories of the season. ›› Serra-San Mateo Football: The Padres, led by one of the coaches who helped lead California high school sports out of the pandemic, had a phenomenal season that concluded with a trip to the CIF Open Division Bowl Championship game. ›› Redwood-Larkspur Girls Volleyball: Who feels like a 30-win season capped with a CIF Div. II State Championship? The Giants did. ›› Salesian-Richmond Girls Basketball: The Pride were among those teams which faced an extended health-protocol hiatus in the middle of the season. They still won a state title. ›› Elk Grove Boys Basketball: Seniors matter. And in the Thundering Herd’s case, it was four seniors who’d grown up as best friends that helped lead the program to a state crown. ›› Oak Ridge-El Dorado Girls Soccer: The Trojans outscored opponents 48-7 en route to an undefeated season with three ties — and a shootout win in the CIF Div. I NorCal final. ›› De La Salle-Concord Boys Golf: This was arguably NorCal’s most dominant boys golf team in quite some time. The Spartans rolled through the postseason to win a state title by 11 strokes. ›› St. Francis-Mountain View Softball: Jess Oakland (you may have recognized her on the cover) and the Lancers fully delivered on the hype. 31-2 with CCS and NorCal titles. So many stories and moments to revisit. We can’t wait to celebrate them one last time. ✪

YOUR TICKET TO CALIFORNIA SPORTS ADMIT ONE; RAIN OR SHINE This Vol. #13, June 2022, Whole No. 209 is published by GoSportzStars Media LLC, PO Box 741, Clayton, CA 94517. SportStars™© 2010-2014 by Caliente! Communications, LLC. All rights reserved. Receive FREE Digital Subscription in your inbox. Subscribe at SportStarsMag.com. To receive sample issues, please send $3 per copy, or $8 total for bulk. Back issues are $4 each. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission of Publisher is strictly prohibited. The staff and management, including Board of Directors, of SportStars™© does not advocate or encourage the use of any product or service advertised herein for illegal purposes. Editorial contributions, photos and letters to the editor are welcome and should be addressed to the Editor. All material should be typed, doublespaced on disk or email and will be handled with reasonable care. For materials return, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope. SportStars™© and STARS!™© Clinics are registered trademarks of Caliente! Communications, LLC.

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11.25.19 Amit Elor, a College Park-Pleasant Hill sophomore at the time, is photographed at Forma Gym in Walnut Creek. We featured her as a rising national talent in women’s wrestling — now two and a half years later, she’s a member of three world championship teams. She will compete in the 72 kilogram freestyle weight class at the U23 World Championships in August, the Senior World Championships in September and the U20 World Championships in October. CHACE BRYSON PHOTO

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NCVA’s Beach Volleyball Season Begins With First Of Three Tournaments On June 26

s the indoor season wraps up over the first week of July with the USA Volleyball Junior National Championships in Las Vegas (for boys) and Indianapolis, the scene is about to move to the beach.

The Northern California Volleyball Association recently announced its Beach Volleyball

tournament schedule. Players will return to the sands in front of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk for three regular season tournaments on June 26, July 30 and Aug. 20. The three tournaments will have four age divisions for boys (11/12, 13/14, 15/16 and 17/18) and six for girls (11/12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17/18). All players must be NCVA members to participate. For those who aren’t, the NCVA is offering a Summer Membership for just $21. Two-player teams can register for $80 per team during pre-registration. The fee rises to $100 once pre-registration closes the week before the tournament. For tournaments that 6

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include national qualifying bids or will determine championships, the entry fees range from $100-140 per team. All players are required to wear a uniform top. For girls, it must cover one’s midsection while standing. Uniform bottoms must include shorts, spandex or leggings. Visit the website NCVA.com/outdoor for registration links, summer membership information and any other beach-related questions. Meanwhile, back to the aforementioned national championships. Several NCVA temas will be representing the region at the USAV Junior National Championships. The girls tournament begins first, running from June 23-July 4. The boys tournament will take place from June 30-July 7. Results for both will be available at USAVolleyball.org. Many of the matches will also be streamed at BallerTV.com, though subscription is required. ✪` Follow Us On Twitter & Instagram, Like Us On Facebook!

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ess Oakland certainly has left her imprint on St. Francis High School softball. Oakland seemingly has been around the school in Mountain View her entire life. Her father, Mike, has been coaching at St. Francis since his daughter was barely old enough to walk. A former Santa Clara University hitting coach, Mike served 10 years as baseball coach for the Lancers before making the move to softball in 2016, giving him the opportunity to eventually coach his daughter. In so many ways, it’s been a special time. For her and the Lancers and their coaches, this season was a wonder to behold. Not only did St. Francis (31-2) win its last 18 games, the Lancers began that streak by winning the first seven games by shutout. After going 10-0 to win the West Catholic Athletic League, they didn’t just win the Central Coast Section Open Division championship, they took it in dramatic fashion 6-5 in nine innings against Archbishop Mitty-San Jose. They crushed it in NorCals, beating St. Francis-Sacramento 8-2, and then won 4-0 over Sheldon-Sacramento, avenging an earlyApril loss to the Huskies. It was all St. Francis again in the Division I championship game, a 6-0 triumph over Clovis. Celebrating her school becoming the first to win a NorCal Division I softball championship was a great feeling to end her run at a place that has always felt like home. “Growing up around St. Francis, I have always felt comfortable there, and felt comfortable around the adults there,” Jess Oakland said. “It was exciting to compete under the St. Francis name, knowing what my dad had done there.” Her team’s accomplishments aside, Oakland’s personal stats this season were astounding: a .578 batting average, 52 hits, 52 runs, 67 RBIs and a .917 fielding percentage at shortstop. Her 21 home runs tied her for ninth in the nation among stats reported on MaxPreps. com, which recognized the Lancers by ranking them 21st in the U.S after the playoffs. They were also the obvious pick for the No. 1 slot in SportStars’ final 2022 NorCal Softball Rankings. Just like Oakland was the obvious pick for SportStars’ NorCal Player of the Year. Oakland has been able to see the nation’s top competition in travel ball. She has played with the Cal Nuggets since she was 12. All of which had her eagerly awaiting the high school postseason expanding past the section playoffs. The inaugural NorCals were put on hold last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but finally became a reality in 2022. “It was really cool that they expanded the playoffs and you could

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see all that talent,” Oakland said. “It was nerve-wracking at first, but then we were able to see their hitters and make adjustments and we settled down.” Her new home will be the University of Minnesota. She found the softball program, the locale and the campus an ideal fit for her. She is planning to major in kinesiology. She is one of six seniors on this spring’s team who will be playing collegiately. The familiarity with each other fostered the team’s great success. “What made it a special season for her was a combination of playing her senior year with a group of girls that she is very close with and has played with for a long time, along with having a lot of success as a team,” Mike Oakland said. “It was the team chemistry,” Jess confirmed. “We had zero drama.”. So once the final out was recorded against Clovis, did Oakland fully realize her long association with St. Francis was over? Nope. “It did not hit me then … It was the Monday afterward when we did not have practice,” she said. Her freshman year, Oakland batted .422 for a team that lost to Mitty in the CCS Open Division finals. As a sophomore, Oakland only played in one game before the 2020 season was called off at the onset of the pandemic. As a junior, she batted .612 and socked 19 home runs as the Lancers went 26-0, with a 12-0 run to the WCAL title and capturing the CCS Open Division championship with a 6-0 win over Notre DameSalinas. Oakland felt bad for the seniors who graduated in 2020 and 2021 and missed a chance to extend their season. The experiences of the past two years provided her with a sense of gratitude. ”It taught me to be grateful for every little thing I was able to do with softball,” she said. While she knows her family will travel to see her play college ball, she won’t have her dad coaching her. “I’ll miss him being my coach and getting on me,” she said. She’s created lasting memories on the softball field she’s known for so long. “I decided I wanted to leave a legacy where people can say, ‘that was the girl who went to St. Francis,’” she said. Indeed, people will be saying that. ✪ — Story By Mike Wood | Photos By Chace Bryson

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f hitters facing Aissa Silva were as selective as she is, her 2022 stat sheet would be a bit more humble. Instead it reads like it’s being shouted by rapper Lil John — 320 strikeouts (YEEEEAH!) This spring, Elk Grove’s junior ace delivered an electric stanza of pitches across 28 appearances, winning 19 of them (OKAY!) and claiming decisive honor as the SportStars NorCal Softball Pitcher of the Year. “This year I showed myself I was stronger than I thought I was, and I could push myself to do more,” Silva said. “My rise ball also definitely saved my life. “It’s really all about spinning the ball and having my team behind me. They scored runs behind me when I needed them to and made amazing plays.” Silva was tough, cagey and downright fearless during Elk Grove’s push to a semifinal appearance in the SacJoaquin Section Div. II softball playoffs. Even in that 3-0 defeat to St. Francis-Sacramento, she surrendered only three hits and struck out nine. Despite playing one of Northern California’s toughest schedules, Silva finished her season with a sparkling 0.54 ERA (OKAY! — That’s the last one we promise), with 22 complete games, 12 shutout and two saves. “Being a lefty with a ton of speed and spin is what makes her so hard to hit,” Elk Grove coach Amanda Buck explained. “She also hits her spots so well and can throw any pitch in the zone or out of the zone if she wants to.” This year, Silva also focused on aiding her own cause. She picked up more at bats than her last two seasons (combined), and hit .357 with 35 hits, 17 runs and 15 extra base hits. “She worked extremely hard in practice and in the cages on her hitting, threw bullpen almost every day to keep her arm healthy and work on spins,” Buck said. “Never seen a kid work as hard as Aissa did this season.” Silva also bagged seven no-hit innings against Davis (two appearances) and tossed a complete game nohitter against Dublin (six innings). She was one walk shy of a perfect game in that 10-0 victory on April 22. “It’s about mentally not letting myself get in my head and just balling out, I guess,” Silva said. “I really believe in the group of girls that we have, and I’m so thankful that I get to play with them.” Silva is one of the few remaining NorCal stars without a college commitment. She’s received several offers, but is admittedly picky, seeking out a competitive environment that can feel like a second home, not just on the softball field. She’s just waiting for that perfect pitch.✪ — Story and photo by Ike Dodson

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Grace Jenkins

Tianna Bell

D’Auna Johnson, left

Every section got to play its first full season of softball with postseason play for the first time since 2019. And the girls were ready. With so many outstanding efforts to choose from, we kept our All-NorCal process simple. No multiple teams. Just one deserving roster made up of 32 of NorCal’s top players. Let us know how we did!

PITCHERS RAIMY GANSBY | VINTAGE-NAPA | SR.: Heritage coach Ron Rivers lauded Gansby as “the real deal” after his loaded lineup had to resort to bunting to score on the Rutgers signee in a 1-0 NCS semifinal win. She had a 0.82 ERA and 192 strikeouts over 93.2 innings. PEJA GOOLD | LINCOLN-STOCKON | SR.: Signed to Tennessee-Chattanooga, Goold led the Trojans to the CIF Div. II NorCal title with an 18-4 record, 0.96 ERA, 311 strikeouts and three no-hitters. TAYLOR RODRIGUEZ | LIVERMORE | SR.: The Dominican University signee went 24-3 with a 1.15 ERA, 327 strikeouts. Led the Cowboys in HR and RBI. AISSA SILVA | ELK GROVE | JR.: Our NorCal Pitcher Of The Year posted a 0.54 ERA with 320 strikeouts while pitching in a Delta League that placed three teams inside the Top 20 of our final NorCal rankings.

catchers MARISSA ANDERSON | FOOTHILL-PLEASANTON | SO.: Officially announced herself as the Falcons’ next big star by hitting .420 with team-bests in hits (34), HR (6) and RBI (24). GRACE JENKINS | ST. FRANCIS-SACRAMENTO | SR.: One-half of a sister battery headed to Connecticut in the fall, she led the team in hits (46), runs (37), RBI (37) and HR (12).

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SYDNEY STEWART | ST. FRANCIS-MOUNTAIN VIEW | SR.: Her .678 on-base percentage would have led the team if she wasn’t teammates with Jess Oakland (see below). The Washington-bound talent had 44 hits, 34 walks, 15 HR and 53 RBI. REINA ZERMENO | SHELDON-SACRAMENTO | SR.: The San Jose State-bound backstop led the SJS Div. I champions with 54 hits, nearly half going for extra bases (26).

infielders TIANNA BELL | HERITAGE-BRENTWOOD | SR.: Four-year varsity star will head to Cal after senior year of hitting .577 and leading NCS Div. I champs in hits (45), runs (39) and HR (9). TAYLOR BIEHL | VISTA DEL LAGO-FOLSOM | SR.: The Arizona-bound talent led the Eagles in just about every major category, including hits (49), runs (48), doubles (14), HR (8) and RBI (33). REMMINGTON HEWITT | EAST NICOLAUS | SR.: Oregon signee was the Northern Section’s Scholar Athlete Of The Year; helped Spartans to 29-win season by hitting .511 with 44 runs, 36 RBI, 18 doubles and 7 HR. OLIVIA DINARDO | ARAGON-SAN MATEO | SR.: Arizona-signee DiNardo hit more than .600 and led Dons in hits (40), runs (36), RBI (38), doubles (14), HR (9). HAYLEE ENGLEBRECHT | DEL ORO-LOOMIS | SR.: University of Nevada signee hit .505 and led the

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Golden Eagles in hits (46), runs (31), doubles (15) and on-base percentage (.559). BRIANNA HUMPHRIES | DIXON | SR.: Will play for San Diego Christian College next season after hitting .580 with 47 hits, 45 runs, 13 HR and 51 RBI in leading Rams to a SJS Div. IV title. D’AUNA JOHNSON | SHELDON-SACRAMENTO | SR.: She’s headed for Cal after driving in a team-best 48 runs for a loaded Huskies lineup. TARYN KERN | ARCHBISHOP MITTY-SAN JOSE | SR.: The Indiana signee banged out a team-best 49 hits while also leading Monarchs in runs (40), doubles (11) and HR (13). LORENZZA MARCACCI | BENICIA | SR.: UNLVbound second baseman was unquestioned team leader for NCS Div. II champs; went 11-for-25 with 11 RBI over seven playoff games. JESS OAKLAND | ST. FRANCIS-MTN VIEW | SR.: A seeming no-brainer for our NorCal Player Of The Year, the Minnesota-bound Oakland went 50-50-50 in runshits-RBI for the second straight year. This year it was 52 hits, 52 runs and 67 RBI — and oh yeah, 21 HR. SAMANTHA REY | NOTRE DAME-SALINAS | JR.: Batted .577 with a CCS-leading 56 hits to go with 37 runs, 8 HR and 30 RBI (all team-bests). JORDAN WOOLERY | CLAYTON VALLEY-CONCORD | SR.: UCLA-bound slugger closed her fouryear Ugly Eagles career by hitting .652 with 45 hits, 33 runs, 8 HR and 40 RBI.

Lorenzza Marcacci

Rose Malen

outfielders DAKOTA KENNEDY | SHELDON-SACRAMENTO | SR.: The Arizona signee was a CalHiSports.com Ms. State Softball finalist after leading Huskies in runs (54), HR (13) and stolen bases (14). LEXI O’GORMAN | ST. FRANCIS-MOUNTAIN VIEW | JR.: Was the ultimate table-setter for the CIF Div. I NorCal champs, the UC San Diego commit had 55 hits, 48 runs scored and struck out just five times in 126 plate appearances. MIA SANTOS | VANDEN-FAIRFIELD | SR.: The Chico State-bound speedster was the spark plug behind Vanden’s 20-1 season, putting up 42 hits, 28 runs and 27 stolen bases. MYIA WEILER | COLLEGE PARK-PLEASANT HILL | JR.: Batted .534 with 39 hits and 30 runs scored in just 22 games played; she’s also a varsity wrestler for the Falcons. MAKAYLA WINCHELL | GRANADA-LIVERMORE | SR.: The Notre Dame-bound star led the NCS with 59 hits while also leading the Matadors in runs (46) and RBI (35).

multi-purpose CAROLINE GRIMES | DEL ORO-LOOMIS | SR.: Big-game pitcher went 15-3 in the circle with a 1.95 ERA and 168 strikeouts. She also batted .405 with 5 HR and 27 RBI for SJS Div. II champs. HOPE JENKINS | ST. FRANCIS-SACRAMENTO | SR.: The other half of the UConn-bound sister tandem, she batted .512 with 8 HR and 31 RBI. She also went 24-5 in the circle with 303 strikeouts. ROSE MALEN | MARIN CATHOLIC-KENTFIELD | SR.: Dominant in the circle, especially down the stretch, the Chapman Univ. signee went 17-4 with a 0.71 ERA, 284 strikeouts and just 13 walks in 157 innings. SADIE LEONARD | REDWOOD-LARKSPUR | SR.: The Williams College-bound hurler posted 11 shutouts and two no-hitters while amassing a 19-5 record with 318 strikeouts. She also had 25 RBI on 24 hits. RANDI ROELLING | CENTRAL CATHOLIC-MODESTO | JR: Her 418 strikeouts led the state among stats reported to MaxPreps, and she paired that with 18 wins and a 0.72 ERA. She also hit .320 with 26 RBI and a team-best 6 HR. KAILANI TATRO | PINOLE VALLEY | JR.: A definite name to watch for 2023, Tatro’s 48 RBI ranked second in the NCS. She also went 23-3 in the circle with 12 shutouts and two no-hitters. RILEY WICKUM | SUTTER | SR.: Arguably the Northern Section’s best all-around player, Wickum led the CIF Div. III champs in hits (47), doubles (16) while going 25-1 with a 0.41 ERA and 303 strikeouts in 154 innings.

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ong before he was a two-time Gatorade State Player of the Year and listed among the nation’s Top 60 prospects for the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, Malcolm Moore was a 6-year-old Sacramemto kid who just wanted to play Little League Baseball on his older brother’s teams. Mike de Nocochea was coaching one of those teams. “The boys were like 10-12 and (Malcolm) was 6-7 and trying to get on the practice field with them,” de Nocochea recalled. “He was already doing some things better than some of the older boys. We called him ‘The Natural’. “When he started kindergarten, he’d wear baseball trainers to school. We’d always love to have a laugh about that.” In subsequent years, Moore would show up to McClatchy High where de Nocochea has led the varsity program for the past 18 years. “He was out there as a sixth grader trying to make our team,” the Lions coach said. “I think I let him practice with us a bit when he was in junior high.” In 2019 he was finally a freshman and promptly displaced a senior catcher to begin a stellar four-year career (with the COVID interruption, of course). Moore just completed a senior season in which he hit .500 with 30 of his 47 hits going for extra bases — that includes the 13 home runs that tied Palo Alto’s Henry Bolte and Stockdale’s Austin Charles for tops in both California and the nation. His 51 RBI ranked second in the state, and his 49 runs scored ranked eighth (fourth in NorCal). His dominant role in leading McClatchy to 29 wins with trips to the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. I title game and the CIF NorCal Div. II semifinals, allowed him to narrowly edge out Bolte for SportStars NorCal Player of the Year honors. “He loves playing the game,” de Nocochea said. “It’s contagious. The part I’ll miss the most is probably the batting practice sessions. It was incredible. Seeing the other kids’ jaws drop as he sent balls all over the place — and then trying to go up there and do it themselves. When you see someone else do it, you think ‘I can do that,’ and you go up there trying to hit with more power.” McClatchy has a rich tradition of baseball on campus, but the Lions’ field didn’t get a fence until this season. Let’s just call it The Fence That Malcolm Built. “His first two years, opponents could scoot back as far as they wanted when he got up to the plate,” de Nocochea said with a bit of a chuckle. “But not anymore.” With a verbal commitment to Stanford since he was a freshman, Moore didn’t face those peripheral concerns coming into his final season with the Lions. He simply put his focus on getting himself and his team better every day. “I’d have him talk to our underclassmen about his focus (at the plate),” de Nocochea said. “Not just in the batter’s box, but between pitches. He won’t chase bad pitches, and when the situation calls to just put it in play to help

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the team, he’d make the adjustment. He just always got better and worked extremely hard.” Whether Moore chooses to chase big league dreams or continue to hone his skills in Palo Alto with the reigning Pac-12 Champions, will likely be decided by where he’s selected in the draft that begins July 17. A list of prospects on MLB.com ranks him 53rd overall. And the coach who’s watched him grow up on the diamonds of the Land Park community of the state capital, will follow along with pride. “It just validates everything that you already know,” de Nocochea said of the feelings he’s experienced already. “For me it gives a sense for what it might have been like coaching someone like Bryce Harper in high school. … To have a guy like that grow up in your backyard, go to his hometown high school, play with his friends and just stay grounded. “It’s been special.” ✪

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att Maguire had no problem spotting the difference in Blake Rogers’ physical appearance when the pitcher arrived back on campus for his senior season. “During the offseason he’d dedicated himself to a workout program,” the St. Francis High-Mountain View baseball coach said. “He was putting in a lot of work, and had added pounds of muscle. He looked like a different kid.” But did he pitch like one? “He’d transferred in to us from Mitty the year before and he never really got his feet under him when he was out there,” Maguire said. “It was the weird COVID season where we were playing a ton of games against many of the same West Catholic Athletic League programs. Tough teams, and he had trouble throwing strikes.” Rogers didn’t just commit to a workout program. He worked with a pitching coach and tweaked some mechanics. He honed in the control of his changeup and added a slider for a third pitch. Things fell into place. By the end of fall ball and heading into winter, he’d accepted an offer to play Big 12 college baseball for Baylor. But the spring season is where he wanted to prove he’d turned that corner. “I felt like I was more prepared than I had ever been,” Rogers said. He wasn’t wrong. Over his first three starts he threw 17 innings and allowed just seven hits and one unearned run while striking out 27 and walking just five. He was 3-0 heading into a March 26 matchup with WCAL juggernaut Valley Christian-San Jose. Rogers spun a complete-game, three-hit shutout of the Warriors. He struck out four and walked none. No more doubts. “Those guys (Valley Christian) have been so good for so long,” Rogers said. “To be able to help my team win in any shape or form against them really matters.” Maguire singled out the same effort. “I know that first start against Valley Chrisitan gave him confidence, and the rest of the team confidence that we could really be good,” the coach said. The Lancers rolled on for 10 more wins before Bellarmine-San Jose snapped their 15-game win streak on April 26. St. Francis would go on another 10-game win streak from May 3-June 2, claiming WCAL and CCS championships along the way. As for Rogers, all he did was finish with a 7-0 record and 0.80 ERA. He allowed just 39 hits and had 95 strikeouts in 70.1 innings. He picked up WCAL Pitcher of the Year honors and now NorCal Pitcher of the Year honors. “It’s truly an honor,” Rogers said from North Carolina where he’s putting in more training with Tread Athletics. “It’s always good to see that hard work is leading to success. You can’t get too high on it, but you have to cherish the good moments.” 2022 was definitely a good moment for Rogers. ✪ — Story By Chace Bryson | Photo By Jean-Paul Toshiro

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THE WORLD’S BEST TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES ARE COMING TO OREGON THIS SUMMER! The World Athletics Championships are coming to the United States for the very first time ever. Be a part of the big moment! Explore free digital and live engagement activities for youth now.

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WorldChampsOregon22.com/MakingTracks

Nic Bronzini

Anthony Martinez

Jake Harvey

Baseball was all the way back this year, and it was glorious. Without going into multiple teams, we simply selected who we thought were Northern California’s 32 most impactful players in 2022. And here they are!

PITCHERS

catchers

MICHAEL BARNETT | COLLEGE PARK-PLEASANT HILL | SR.: Set to continue his career at UCLA, Barnett had a 1.28 ERA while striking out 90 over 65.2 innings.

RYDER HELFRICK | CLAYTON VALLEY-CONCORD | JR.: The Arkansas commit is considered one of the best 2023 catchers in the nation; hit .424 with 36 hits, 29 runs, 12 doubles and 6 triples.

NIC BRONZINI | CALIFORNIA-SAN RAMON | SR.: LSU signee was as good as advertised in his final year on the bump: 9-3 with a 1.51 ERA, 133 strikeouts and just 26 walks in 74.1 innings. TYLER GEBB | FOOTHILL-PLEASANTON | SR.: Finished tied with Colusa’s Ethan Lay (see below) for a national-best 14 pitching wins. Went 14-1 with a 1.82 ERA over 84.2 innings. ETHAN LAY | COLUSA | SR.: Tied for best in the nation with 14 wins (with no losses) and allowed just two earned runs in 85.1 innings (0.16 ERA). Struck out 155; walked 13. BLAKE ROGERS | ST. FRANCIS-MOUNTAIN VIEW | SR.: Baylor-bound WCAL Pitcher of the Year is also our Pitcher of the Year after going 7-0 with a 0.80 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 70.1 innings. BRAEDEN SLOAN | WOODCREEK-ROSEVILLE | SR.: The Timberwolves’ ace is ticketed for USC after going 7-0 with a 0.86 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 40.2 innings pitched.

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ANTHONY MARTINEZ | DE LA SALLE-CONCORD | SR.: Anchored the lineup of NorCal’s No. 1 team, leading the Spartans in hits (39), HR (10) and RBI (44). Ticketed for UC Irvine. MALCOLM MOORE | MCCLATCHY-SACRAMENTO | SR.: SportStars’ NorCal Player of the Year was also the Gatorade State Player of the Year. He hit .500 with 30 of his 47 hits going for extra bases, including 13 HR.

DIEGO CASTELLANOS | LIVE OAK-FAIRFIELD | JR.: The BVAL-Mt. Hamilton MVP batted .488 and led the league-champion Acorns with 41 hits, 33 hits and 11 doubles. CADE CUSHING | DE LA SALLE | SR.: Stalwart third baseman made just four errors over 32 games (.929 field percentage) while also hitting .333 with 35 RBI and a team-best seven doubles. BRADEN FRANK | OAK RIDGE-EL DORADO HILLS | SR.: Sac State signee was a big reason for Trojans’ late-season surge, leading the team with 33 hits, 16 RBI and 13 doubles.

infielders

JAKE HARVEY | WOODCREEK-ROSEVILLE | SR.: The Nevada-bound shortstop led the SJS with 53 hits and his .570 batting average ranked second among batters with at least 60 ABs.

JARREN ADVINCULA | ARCHBISHOP MITTY-SAN JOSE | JR.: San Diego State-committed shortstop was the Monarchs’ offensive spark plug with 38 hits, 33 runs and 16 stolen bases.

TYLER JAMES | VANDEN-FAIRFIELD | SR.: Helped lead Vikings to the SJS Div. III final with team-bests in hits (44), RBI (34), doubles (13) and HR (8).

JACK BASSEER | FOOTHILL-PLEASANTON | SR.: Pepperdine signee helped power the Falcons offense with team-bests in runs (30), RBI (35), doubles (9) and HR (8). MATTEO BLANDINO | ARCHBISHOP MITTY-SAN JOSE | JR.: The slugging first baseman led the CIF NorCal Div. II champs with 39 hits, 41 RBI and 7 HR. He also committed just one error in 33 games.

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JP SMITH | GRANITE BAY | SR.: He’s headed to Sac State after helping lead Grizzlies to an SJS Div. II title by hitting .336 with 36 hits and team-bests in both RBI (28) and doubles (10). KOREY WILLIAMS | ELK GROVE | SR.: Skilled third baseman hit a blistering .439 on a team-best 36 hits while also holding down a .919 fielding percentage over 33 games.

Wyatt King

Jacob Hudson

outfielders HENRY BOLTE | PALO ALTO | SR.: Texas signee is among Baseball America’s Top 50 HS prospects in the country after hitting .441 with 13 HR, 42 RBI and adding 48 stolen bases. RAOUL FABIAN | CALIFORNIA-SAN RAMON | SR.: Long Beach State-bound, Fabian led Grizzlies in hits (39), runs (36) and doubles (11). He also had three assists and zero errors in CF. ROWAN KELLY | BELLARMINE-SAN JOSE | SO.: One of the next stars of the WCAL, Kelly led the Bells in hits (37), runs (31), RBI (25), stolen bases (19), doubles (8) and HR (4). WYATT KING | ST. FRANCIS-MOUNTAIN VIEW | SR.: A legit clutch hitter, the Cal Poly signee was the Lancers best run-producer with 39 RBI. He also had 12 doubles and a team-best 6 HR. EASTON KRESHEL | VALLEY CHRISTIAN-SAN JOSE | SR.: He led the Warriors with 29 runs, 27 RBI and 3 HR. He was also 1-0 with 1.00 ERA in 14 innings of relief work.

multi-purpose DONOVAN CHRISS | DE LA SALLE | SR.: Everyday shortstop batted .400 on 32 hits. He also had three wins, six saves and a 0.70 ERA in 11 big-spot relief appearances. NICK DUGAN | ST. BERNARD’S-EUREKA | SR.: The state’s best small school player in 2022, Dugan heads to Stanford after batting .524 with 7 HR, 41 RBI and going 12-0 with a 0.82 ERA. JACE GILMORE | WHITNEY-ROCKLIN | JR.: The winning pitcher in the SJS Div. I final, holding McClatchy to just three hits. Finished season 11-0 with a 1.55 ERA while also hitting .337 with 23 RBI. JACOB HUDSON | VALLEY CHRISTIAN-SAN JOSE | JR.: Named the WCAL Most Valuable Player, Hudson went 3-2 with four saves in 37.1 innings of work while also leading the team with 37 hits and adding 24 RBI. LUCAS KELLY | SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL-S.F. | SR.: Serving mostly as the Irish’s DH, the Texas A&M signee hit .449 with team-bests in hits (40), runs (37), doubles (14) and HR (7). COOPER LANZ | BUHACH COLONY-ATWATER | SR.: Unizversity of the Pacific signee was Thunder’s best hitter (51 hits, 37 runs, 30 RBI, 15 doubles) and went 8-3 with a 1.33 ERA on the mound. MATT MOSES | DEL CAMPO-FAIR OAKS | JR.: His big season included leading the SJS Div. III champs in hits (47) and runs (42) while also going 6-1 with a 1.96 ERA on the hill. NOLAN STEVENS | FRANKLIN-ELK GROVE | JR.: Mississippi State commit batted .385 with 31 RBI in just 22 games; also went 6-0 on the mound with a 0.55 ERA.

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June 2022

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June 2022

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UP&AWAY When the CIF Track and Field Championships returned for the first time since June 2019, our sister publication, Youth Runner Magazine, was definitely going to be there. These are some of the images captured by Youth Runner’s photographer, Greg Smotherman, from the final day of competition on June 4. MAIN IMAGE: Members of the Serra-Gardena and Golden Valley-Santa Clarita 400 relay teams communicate their baton tosses. TOP IMAGES, FROM LEFT: Alyssa Alumbres of Vista Murietta-Murietta goes full arm extension during the girls long jump final; Salesian-Richmond’s Elias Reed leaps during the boys long jump final; Rocklin senior Kyran Bell prepares to land his long jump attempt; A member of of the McClymondsOakland 400 relay team sprints toward the finish line.

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June 2022

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More Student, Less Student Debt. Find Out How We Put College Within Reach! The Army National Guard is the ultimate learning experience. Think about it: We’ll help you pay for college, train you in a valuable new career, and put you in position to serve your community in times of need. And it is part-time. Where else can you get all that?

Visit NATIONALGUARD.com Programs and Benefits Subject to Change