P2P CCS Boys Baseball Honors
Westmont's Hunter Schilperoort is the Prep2Prep CCS player of the year.

ALL-CENTRAL COAST SECTION

Player of the Year
HUNTER SCHILPEROORT, WESTMONT


By NATE SMITH
Prep2Prep

It was only fitting after the year he had, that Hunter Schilperoort got to celebrate a Central Coast Section Division I baseball championship with his teammates. The senior got it done on the mound, in the field, and at the plate, leading the Warriors to a dominant run through the post-season.

Schilperoort took the ball in the first round and again in the semifinals, and was virtually untouchable in both outings.

“He wants the ball in big games, and he wants to be up at the plate in key situations,” said Westmont coach Tony Pianto. “He has a tremendous love for the game, and is just an amazing competitor and team leader.”

In his first post-season outing on the mound, Schilperoort was completely unhittable. He struck out seven in a complete-game no-hitter against Santa Clara, needing to throw just five innings due to the mercy rule 10-0 victory. A week later, facing MBL-Pacific champion Alisal, the senior once again turned out the lights on an opposing offense, striking out nine and holding the Trojans to two hits in a complete-game 4-0 shutout victory.

Despite being unable to pitch in the championship game against Los Altos, Schilperoort once again made an impact, like he had done all season. He drew a pair of walks and scored twice in the 8-1 title-clinching victory over the Eagles, and once again played a flawless first base, handling all seven chances in the win.

“People forget how good of a first baseman he is,” Pianto said. “He was a three-year starter for us there, and he will get noticed next year, and will continue his success at the next level.”

In fact, Schilperoort committed just one error all season while playing first base, and none while pitching. In the last two years, he committed just three total errors despite taking the infield for every game. And that doesn’t begin to describe his impact at the plate or on the mound.

Schilperoort batted .449 this season with three home runs, 13 doubles, 27 RBI, and 24 runs scored. That came on the heels of a .434 with three home runs during his junior campaign. He also drew 34 walks in the last two years, and had a total OPS above 1.208 in each of the last two seasons.

Meanwhile, he went from a very good pitcher as a junior to a purely dominant one as a senior. After going 5-2 with a 1.50 ERA in the 2016 season, Schilperoort improved to 9-2 with a 0.79 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 79 innings pitched this year.

One of his two losses came when the Warriors allowed a pair of unearned runs in a 2-1 loss to co-champ Leigh. In two outings against Leland and its prolific lineup, Schilperoort did not allow a run in 12 innings of work. He outdueled SCCAL pitcher of the year Matt Robustelli in a non-league shutout win over the Cougars, and shut out co-champ Willow Glen. In four outings against the top three teams in the BVAL’s rugged Mt. Hamilton Division, Schilperoort did not allow an earned run.

“He was phenomenal on the mound this season,” Pianto said. “His career 1.00 ERA at the varsity level and 175 strikeouts are both program records.”

For his overall performance this season, and leading his team to a section title, Hunter Schilperoort is the 2017 Prep2Prep Central Coast Section Player of the Year.


Coach of the Year
JOHN DIATTE, VALLEY CHRISTIAN

By NATE SMITH
Prep2Prep

After back-to-back 22-win campaigns in 2014 and 2015 were followed by a 16-win year in 2016, coach John Diatte and Valley Christian wasted no time getting back to their previous status, once again winning 22 games and also capturing the CCS Open Division title in the 2017 season.

The road to the title did not come easy for the Warriors in the 2017 campaign, especially with a challenging path laid out by Diatte. One-run losses to open the year against Lincoln and Los Gatos were followed by blowout wins over San Benito and Leigh, a pair of eventual league champions. After a tournament loss to Mitty, the non-league slate got even tougher, and the Warriors responded, beating eventual Sac-Joaquin champion Elk Grove.

WCAL play started with two losses and a tie, but Valley Christian once again responded, winning three straight and four of its next five. The Warriors were yet to hit their stride, though, evidenced by a second loss to Sacred Heart Cathedral and non-league losses to Leland and Westmont. With the success of its season hanging in the balance, Valley Christian buckled down over the last month of the regular season, winning its own tournament in three games before sweeping the final five games in WCAL action, allowing the Warriors to edge Bellarmine, Sacred Heart Cathedral, and Saint Francis by a half-game for the regular-season title.

The winning streak was extended to 10 games when the Warriors took down Riordan and Saint Ignatius in the first two rounds of the league tournament, but a loss to Saint Francis prevented a sweep of the regular season and tournament titles.

The loss ended up meaning little in the bigger picture, however, and neither did the 13 seed that Valley Christian received in the Open Division tournament. The Warriors thumped four seed Willow Glen in the first round, before going on a tense run through the rest of the field, winning three straight games by one run to claim the top prize in the Central Coast Section.

A 1-0 win over Santa Cruz was followed by a 3-2 win over Mitty, a game in which the Warriors held off a seventh inning rally from the Monarchs, and produced their first win over Mitty in four tries this year. After that was a rematch with Serra, and a four-run fourth inning held up for Valley Christian, but only after escaping a bases-loaded jam in the final frame for the 4-3 victory and the Warriors’ first section title in five years.

For guiding his team through a difficult schedule, the toughest league in the section, and the toughest playoff bracket, John Diatte is the 2017 Prep2Prep Central Coast Section Coach of the Year.



FIRST TEAM ALL-CCS

Patrick Wicklander, Valley Christian
Position: Pitcher
Year: Junior

The 6-foot-2 left-hander was dominant, and earned Co-Pitcher of the Year honors in the WCAL after going 8-1 with a 1.92 ERA this year. Wicklander struck out 94 batters in 80 innings pitched, including a season-high 13 in a win over San Benito and 11 in eight shutout innings against St. Ignatius. The Dallas Baptist commit also won both playoff games he started, taking down Willow Glen and Mitty.


Sean Prozell, Carlmont
Position: Pitcher
Year: Senior

The Player of the Year in the PAL-Bay, Prozell did not pick up a loss on the mound until the Open Division playoffs, when the Scots fell to Serra. The senior posted an 11-1 record with a 0.79 ERA, notching 93 strikeouts in 79 innings pitched, including a season-high 11 in wins over Sequoia and Riordan. He was no slouch at the plate, either, batting .367 with three home runs and 34 RBI.


Sam Stoutenborough, Palma
Position: Pitcher
Year: Junior

The Cal commit dominated with a high-80s fastball and plenty of movement, going 9-1 with a 0.61 ERA to earn Player of the Year honors in the MBL-Gabilan. He notched 75 strikeouts in 68 innings pitched, and struck out six in a complete game shutout to beat Leland in the Open Division playoffs. At the plate, Stoutenborough hit .373 with 27 RBI.


Albert Hsiao, Leland
Position: Catcher
Year: Junior

The UC Davis commit was named Junior of the Year for the BVAL-Mt. Hamilton, after tearing up the pitching he faced, batting .506 with seven home runs and 29 RBI. He was also tough to run on, throwing out 47 percent of would-be base stealers.


Ricky Martinez, Saint Francis
Position: Infielder
Year: Junior

The Baylor commit hit .405 in WCAL play, and .337 overall, with a home run and nine doubles. That included three hits and an RBI in the Lancers’ WCAL championship game win over Valley Christian. Martinez also turned 10 double plays from his shortstop position.


Kyle Johnson, Leigh
Position: Infielder
Year: Senior

Johnson was named MVP of the BVAL-Mt. Hamilton after batting .477 with four home runs, 12 doubles, and 30 runs scored. The 6-foot-5 lefty slugger was also flawless in the field, handling all 211 chances at first base without an error, and registering 10 assists. He is walking on at UC Santa Barbara.


Andrew Meggs, Leland
Position: Infielder
Year: Senior

The Creighton-bound Meggs hit .481 with three home runs and 31 RBI this season, and did not commit an error in the first 23 games of the year. The first-team BVAL-Mt. Hamilton selection was also used out of the bullpen on the mound, collecting four saves and striking out 16 batters in 16 innings pitched.


Tanner Murray, San Lorenzo Valley
Position: Infielder
Year: Senior

The MVP of the SCCAL, Murray hit a cool .457 with three home runs, 18 RBI, and 13 stolen bases. The athletic shortstop and three-sport standout had 13 multi-hit games, which included match-ups against Schilperoort and Bellarmine’s Wes Harper, as the Cougars made it into the Open Division for the playoffs.


Connor Mack, Bellarmine
Position: Outfielder
Year: Senior

The Cal-bound Mack was named Player of the Year for the WCAL, batting .357 with two home runs, 12 doubles, and 13 stolen bases. He did not commit a single error in the outfield over the last two months of the season, and turned his game up during league play, batting .405 with eight doubles during WCAL action.


Jack Peterson, Serra
Position: Outfielder
Year: Senior

Peterson played a variety of roles for the Padres, but was recognized as a first-team outfielder by the WCAL. He hit .384 this season, including a .432 average during WCAL play, and committed just two errors in 81 chances in the field. Peterson also had 10 multi-hit games, including two hits each in an Open Division semifinal win over Palma and in the final against Valley Christian.


Jake Pao, Leigh
Position: Outfielder
Year: Senior

Pao earned first-team BVAL-Mt. Hamilton honors after hitting .424 with 10 extra-base hits, 21 RBI, and 25 runs scored. He was on fire late in the year, collecting 16 hits in the last two weeks of the season, and doubling twice in an Open Division playoff win over Capuchino. Pao also did not commit a single error in the field this season.


Griff McGarry, Menlo
Position: Utility
Year: Senior

The MVP of the PAL-Ocean is headed to Virginia next season, after leading the Knights to a CCS Division II title. He hit .446 with 11 stolen bases and 20 runs scored, with a .561 on-base percentage. On the mound, McGarry went 8-1 in 12 starts with a 1.14 ERA, and struck out 96 batters in 57 innings pitched.


Hunter Schilperoort, Westmont
Position: Utility
Year: Senior

Just talking about pitching, Schilperoort was untouchable at times, and did not allow a run in his final three starts, on his way to a 9-2 record with a 0.79 ERA. He struck out 86 batters in 79 innings pitched, and won both of his starts in the Division I playoffs with complete game shutouts, including a no-hitter against Santa Clara. At the plate, he hit .449 with three home runs and 27 RBI.


Jackson Collins, Monte Vista Christian
Position: Designated Hitter
Year: Senior

The big slugger for the Mustangs earned first-team MBL-Gabilan honors after batting .452 with five home runs and 30 RBI. He finished the season on a tear, with eight hits and 13 RBI in the last four games.



SECOND TEAM ALL-CCS

Alex Reelfs, Los Altos
Position: Pitcher
Year: Junior

Reelfs was the go-to guy on the mound for the Eagles, and he responded by going 10-3 with a 1.11 ERA, including two no-hitters and four complete game shutouts. In wins over Gunn and Wilcox, he faced just two batters above the minimum, and finished the season with 72 strikeouts. He was a first-team SCVAL-De Anza selection.


Ryan Wilcox, Los Gatos
Position: Pitcher
Year: Senior

The Co-MVP of the SCVAL-De Anza league, Wilcox posted an impressive 8-1 record with a 0.78 ERA, including three complete game shutouts. He held opposing hitters to a .181 batting average, had a season-high 12 strikeouts against Wilcox, and beat Saint Francis in his only playoff start.


Kyle Joye, Saint Francis
Position: Pitcher
Year: Senior

The first-team All-WCAL pitcher was used as both a starter and reliever for the Lancers, displaying his versatility in the WCAL playoffs, when he tossed a scoreless seventh inning to get the win against Bellarmine in the semifinals, then came back the next day and pitched a complete game victory over Valley Christian. For the year, he was 6-1 with a 0.76 ERA and a save.


Danny Carnazzo, Palma
Position: Catcher
Year: Senior

The first-team MBL-Gabilan selection got it done behind the dish and at the plate this year, batting .402 with 15 extra-base hits, including two home runs. Carnazzo hit safely in 11 of Palma’s final 12 games this year, and finished the season with 28 runs scored and 22 RBI, while also committing just three.


Todd Jackson, Bellarmine
Position: Catcher
Year: Senior

The University of San Diego commit and first-team WCAL selection hit .390 for the season, and .400 in league play. He added 20 RBI, and threw out 50 percent of would-be base stealers.


Ethan Stern, Palo Alto
Position: Infielder
Year: Senior

The Co-MVP of the SCVAL-De Anza, Stern hit .392 with a team-high 22 RBI. He also stole 10 bases and turned 11 double plays from the middle of the infield.


Tommy Cruz, Mountain View
Position: Infielder
Year: Senior

The first-team SCVAL-De Anza selection hit a blistering .492 this season, to go with 14 stolen bases and 21 runs scored. That included a nine-game hitting streak during the middle of the year.


Nick Marinconz, Valley Christian
Position: Infielder
Year: Sophomore

The standout sophomore earned All-WCAL honors, leading the league with a .414 batting average for all games played, to go with 14 extra-base hits, and 48 hits total for the season. He also had eight stolen bases, and just four errors all year playing in the infield.


Drew Williams, San Benito
Position: Infielder
Year: Senior

The first-team MBL-Gabilan athlete is headed to UC Santa Barbara next season, after leading the Balers to the quarterfinals of the Open Division. Williams had six RBI in San Benito’s first-round Open Division over San Lorenzo Valley, and performed in the biggest games, including a pair of big run-scoring hits in an early-season win over Palma.


Tre Babauta, Mt. Pleasant
Position: Outfielder
Year: Senior

The speedy outfielder led the section with a .597 batting average, to go with 30 stolen bases. He hit safely in 10 straight games and 12 of the Cardinals’ final 13 games, and had 13 extra-base hits. Babauta was named MVP of the BVAL-West Valley.


Forrest Hays, Aptos
Position: Outfielder
Year: Junior

The first-team SCCAL selection hit .500 for the Mariners, along with a team-high 23 RBI. He also stole eight bases and put up a 2.77 ERA in 11 appearances on the mound.


Laurence Palmer, Bellarmine
Position: Outfielder
Year: Senior

The first-team WCAL selection hit .354 with a team-high 16 stolen bases for the Bells. Palmer was also perfect in 27 chances in the outfield, including two assists, with an arm that has displayed throws to the plate at over 80 mph.


Ruben Gomez, Alisal
Position: Utility
Year: Senior

The MVP of the MBL-Pacific, Gomez led the way at the plate, in the field, and on the mound for the Trojans, who won their first league title since 1995 and advanced to the Division I semifinals. A slick fielding middle infielder, Gomez also led the team in hitting, and in the league title game against Alvarez, tossed a complete-game six-hitter for the win. In the section quarterfinals, against Milpitas, Gomez got the win on the mound and went 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBI and two runs scored.


Jordan Brandenburg, Carlmont
Position: Utility
Year: Junior

The do-everything junior took his skills behind the dish this year for the PAL-Bay champion Scots, but can play nearly anywhere on the field. The first-team all-league selection hit .341 with three home runs and 29 RBI, while also throwing out an astounding 55 percent of would-be base stealers.


Grady Ryan, Oak Grove
Position: Designated Hitter
Year: Senior

The dual-sport standout earns All-CCS honors in both football and baseball this year, after being named MVP of the BVAL-Santa Teresa. Ryan hit a whopping .568 with 46 total hits and 16 stolen bases. He also showcased his arm, going 5-2 with a 1.93 ERA, striking out 51 batters in 36 innings pitched.



THIRD TEAM ALL-CCS

PITCHERS

Aiden Yarwood (Capuchino), Tyler Triano (San Benito), Kanoa Pagan (Leigh), Wes Harper (Bellarmine), Gio Gonzalez (Watsonville), Dominic Monozon (San Mateo)


CATCHERS

Tyler Rando (Willow Glen), Kasi Pohahau (Sequoia), Mack Cheli (Saint Francis)


INFIELDERS

Anthony DeSantis (Palma), RJ Teijeiro (Saint Francis), Louis Gaitley (Saint Ignatius), Marty Cole (Sacred Heart Cathedral), Max Jung-Goldberg (Palo Alto), Patrick Caulfield (Serra)


OUTFIELDERS

Dominic Flocchini (Leland), Josh Harris (San Benito), Vinny Bologna (Carlmont), Johnny Vazquez (El Camino), Daniel Ydens (Saint Francis), Bryan Rau (Mountain View)


UTILITY

Dominic Flocchini (Leland), Josh Harris (San Benito), Vinny Bologna (Carlmont), Johnny Vazquez (El Camino), Daniel Ydens (Saint Francis), Bryan Rau (Mountain View)




HONORABLE MENTION:

ALISAL: JC Maravillo, Raul Garnica
ALMA HEIGHTS CHRISTIAN: Luke Philpott
ALVAREZ: Fabian Herrera, Ivan Rocha, Marc Flores
ANDREW HILL: Gabriel Valdillez
APTOS: Jake Keaschall, Tate Stone-Hinds
ARAGON: Samir Hussain, Elliot Biagini
ARCHBISHOP MITTY: Luke Tillmann, Haydn King, Nick Yorke
ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN: Donnie Bendo, Eric Rocha
BELLARMINE: Joe Ammirato, Connor Henriques
BRANHAM: Jordan Modesto
BURLINGAME: Mitch DeMartini
CAPUCHINO: Trey Zahursky, Jacob Vriarte
CARLMONT: Mitchell Plane, Zane VanArsdel
CARMEL: Dylan Houpt, Ben Weber
CHRISTOPHER: Bryan Heck, Andrew Kachel
CRYSTAL SPRINGS UPLAND: Josh Goodwine, Matt Mizota
CUPERTINO: Tim Dinh
DEL MAR: Shawn Flanagan
EL CAMINO: Uriel Pietro, Tomas Pagan
EVERGREEN VALLEY: Leo Zuniga
FREMONT: Nick Tognoli
GILROY: Tommy Castro
GREENFIELD: Tony Castro
GUNDERSON: Matthew Atencio, Robert Ruiz
GUNN: David Clarke
HALF MOON BAY: Ryan Yerby, AJ Morrell
HARBOR: Jack Biddle
HARKER: Varun Haltore
HILLSDALE: Jaxon Skidmore
HOMESTEAD: Brendan Kane
INDEPENDENCE: Kyle Derning
JAMES LICK: Joseph Servin
JEFFERSON: Armon Olaee, Andrew Chen
JEWISH COMMUNITY: Jesse Lieberman
KEHILLAH JEWISH: Ben Winer
KING CITY: Clay Barbree
KIPP COLLEGEIATE: Shaun Robles
LELAND: Hunter Christensen
LEIGH: Robbie Hamchuk, Mitch Dowd, Giancarlo Lonardo
LINCOLN: Robert Najar
LIVE OAK: Andrew Lopez, DJ Washington
LOS ALTOS: Ben Parker
LOS GATOS: Troy Gilmore, Will Youngblood, Tyler Williams
LYNBROOK: Zackary Bower, Andrew Destin
MENLO: Chandler Yu, Ben Somorjai, Justin Ka
MENLO-ATHERTON: Nick Prainito
MID-PENNINSULA: Ben Aguiar
MILLS: Austin LaDuca, Alan Alaraj
MILPITAS: Anthony Tyli
MONTA VISTA: Allen Iwamoto
MONTE VISTA CHRISTIAN: Dylan McPhillips
MONTEREY: Jack Bailey
MOUNTAIN VIEW: Grant Gambetta
MT. PLEASANT: Steve Soto, Enrique Gonzalez
NORTH MONTEREY COUNTY: AJ Valdez
NORTH SALINAS: Timothy Burkhardt
OAK GROVE: Allen Brown
OVERFELT: Julian Alejo
PACIFIC GROVE: Kevahn Ebron, Trevor Heyn
PAJARO VALLEY: Davian Quintana
PALMA : Dominic Scattini, Eziah Cortez
PALO ALTO: Ryan Chang, Niki Lillios, Ben Cleasby, Aron Ecoff
PIEDMONT HILLS: Colin McGivers, Josh Beck
PINEWOOD: Jackson Haun, Bo Fick
PIONEER: Sean Rooney
PROSPECT: Matthew Grassi
SACRED HEART CATHEDREAL: Frank Marcon, Matt Palomino, Erik Ochoa
SACRED HEART PREP: Cole Spina, Schafer Kramer, Jack Molumphy
SAINT FRANCIS: Josh Lauck, JT Folan, Emilio Nogales, Garrett McCarthy
SALINAS: Cooper Smith, Nathan Martorella
SAN BENITO: Diego Fisher, Davonte Butler, Mason Marquez
SAN JOSE: Gio Rosales
SAN LORENZO VALLEY: Matt Robustelli, Ian Blair
SAN MATEO: Kevin Jacobs, Tommy Ozawa
SANTA CLARA: Paco Vehikite
SANTA CRUZ: Glenallen Hill, Jr.
SANTA TERESA: Justin Bowers
SARATOGA: Nathan Peng
SCOTTS VALLEY: Ryan Gallegos
SEASIDE: Tristian Beza, Daniel Sayre
SEQUOIA: Chris Cook, Kyle Pruhsmeier
SERRA: Mitchell Scott, Thomas McCarthy, Cameron Barstad
SILVER CREEK: Ghi Barretto, Marcus Aranda
SOBRATO: Brian Martin
SOLEDAD: Adrian Lopez, Isaac Lopez
SOQUEL: Devon Robinson
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO: Carlos Solis
ST. FRANCIS CCC: Derek Estrada, Chase Watkins, Ruben Ibarra
ST. IGNATIUS: Pepe Diaz, Jairo Alas
TERRA NOVA: Brett Karalius
THE KING'S ACADEMY: Tyler Farnham
TRINITY CHRISTIAN: Chris Wright
VALLEY CHRISTIAN: Zach Zamborelli, Anthony Flores
WATSONVILLE: James Gomez, Jr., Ryan Rivera
WESTMONT: Ethan Go, Adam Brockett, Austin Tremelling
WESTMOOR: Caleb Choi
WILCOX: Tiaga Sato
WILLOW GLEN: Michael Denis, Jacob Alvarez, Davis Miller, Joey Costantino
WOODSIDE: Tim Goode
YERBA BUENA: Marcos Montelongo