P2P NCS Boys Baseball Honors
De La Salle's Cullen Kafka is the NCS Player of the Year.

ALL-NORTH COAST SECTION

Player of the Year
CULLEN KAFKA, DE LA SALLE


By NATE SMITH
Prep2Prep

To dethrone the defending Division I champions, someone was going to have to go through not only De La Salle, but ace pitcher Cullen Kafka. That didn’t happen, as Kafka dominated opposing hitters, and led the Spartans to back-to-back section titles.

The Oregon bound hurler displayed strong velocity, with an ability to pitch in the low 90’s and locate the fastball where he wanted, to go with an above-average slider that kept hitters on their toes all season. For the year, Kafka posted an 11-1 record with a 1.15 ERA, but those numbers are far from telling the entire story.

In the playoffs, De La Salle used its ace in three of its four playoff games, including both games during the second week of action. After allowing just three hits while striking out 12 in a first-round win over Granada – who had beaten the Spartans twice during the regular season – Kafka pitched the Spartans past both College Park and Monte Vista.

Due to a strong showing from the offense, the 6-foot-3 right-hander needed to throw just four innings in a 9-1 win over College Park, once again allowing just three hits while striking out six. Having thrown just 55 pitches, Kafka then came back again in the championship game against the Mustangs, throwing the first six innings before reaching his weekly limit. This time, he struck out eight and scattered six hits, leaving the Spartans in a position to capture the section championship.

“(Cullen) was a rock all year for us,” said De La Salle coach David Jeans. “Our guys knew they had a great chance to win a game with him on the mound.”

His performances late in the season came on the heels of a tremendous regular season, one which resulted in Kafka receiving MVP honors for the East Bay Athletic League. His early performances included a five-hit, eight-strikeout win over eventual Sac-Joaquin champion Elk Grove, a one-hit performance against Sac-Joaquin semifinalist St. Mary’s-Stockton, and a pair of dominant wins over San Ramon Valley, who won the EBAL tournament.

Kafka pitched two of his four complete games in the wins over San Ramon Valley, striking out 23 batters in the two games combined. For the season, he struck out an eye-popping 98 batters in 73 innings pitched, while issuing just 17 free passes. His control on the mound reflected his role on the team.

“He is probably the most polished pitcher that I have ever coached,” Jeans said. “But the best thing about Cullen is his steady personality. He never put himself above the team.”

For his performances on the mound, and leading his team to its second straight NCS Division I title, Cullen Kafka is our 2017 Prep2Prep Player of the Year.

Other players considered include Spencer Torkelson of Casa Grande and Nick Roth of Drake


Coach of the Year
ERIC ANDERSON, ARROYO

Eric Anderson is Prep2Prep's NCS Coach of the Year.

By NATE SMITH
Prep2Prep

Having built a perennial power among the WACC-Foothill Division teams, Eric Anderson took his Arroyo team to the next level this season, knocking off Casa Grande in the Division II title game for the program’s first-ever North Coast Section title.

After winning the regular season Foothill Division title for the third straight year, the Dons received the third seed in the Division II playoff bracket. From there, Arroyo rode the age-old adage of defense and pitching to the section title, shutting out Concord, Alameda, and Tamalpais to reach the championship game. There, the Dons handled the pressure of big stage, scoring six runs despite just five hits to prevail over the top-seeded Gauchos and hang the first banner in program history.

“This was a very experienced team, with eight seniors among our nine starters,” Anderson said. “We had three goals at the start of the season, to win the Elite Eight tournament, win the WACC-Foothill for the third straight year, and to win NCS.”

Having not advanced past the quarterfinals since an appearance in the 2008 3A East Bay title game, the Dons entered this season certainly among the favorites for another league title, but also off the radar among section title contenders. That changed after Arroyo erased a 0-2 start with a 1-0 win over last year’s Division II champion, Livermore. That win sparked a 12-game unbeaten streak, which included a pair of wins over Alameda and ended with a split against Berkeley.

Following the loss to Berkeley in the second game of the series, the Dons got themselves even higher on the section and region radar, winning the Elite Eight Tournament at Saint Francis, taking down eventual Sac-Joaquin Division I semifinalist St. Mary’s-Stockton in the title game.

After a surprising loss to Bishop O’Dowd, Arroyo showed its mettle with a four-game winning streak to secure the WACC-Foothill regular season title. The Dons did not capture the league tournament title, falling to Alameda for the first time in three games, but they won the bigger prize in the next meeting with Alameda a week later, taking down the Hornets for the third time in the year to advance to the section semifinals.

“We had a lot of confidence down the stretch, especially after beating St. Mary’s at the Elite Eight,” Anderson said. “We were really ready for that fourth game against Alameda, and the St. Mary’s game gave us a lot of confidence in the championship against Casa Grande.”

With a 22-6-1 overall record this year, Anderson is ready to hit another milestone, presumably early next season. He now has 191 wins as head coach for the Dons, in just 11 years at the helm. Arroyo has now reached the 20-win plateau three times during his tenure, and has posted winning records in 10 of his 11 seasons. But none of them had ended with the thrill of a dogpile on the mound in the final game, until this year.

“Playing in this program for the past four years was a challenge, because we don’t have days off. We put all our efforts into each practice to make sure we were prepared for each game,” said Arroyo catcher Bryan Rosario. “Coach Anderson reviewed each team with me and each hitter we were going to face, and always knew what needed to be called to keep us one step ahead. I will always remember playing with this awesome group of guys and being able to be coached by the best coaching staff possible.”

For ascending his program to the elite among the section, Eric Anderson is our 2017 Prep2Prep Coach of the Year.

Other coaches considered for this award include De La Salle’s David Jeans, Drake’s Will Mosley, Miramonte’s Vince Dell’Aquila, and Ferndale’s Justin Andersen.



FIRST TEAM ALL-NCS

Cullen Kafka, De La Salle
Position: Pitcher
Year: Senior

The Oregon-bound Kafka dazzled all season, posting an 11-1 record with a 1.15 ERA, and 98 strikeouts in 73 innings pitched. The Spartans won all three of the playoff games he started.


James Biles, Clayton Valley
Position: Pitcher
Year: Senior

The top pitcher in the DAL-Foothill, Biles had a dominant senior season, going 11-0 with a 0.49 ERA for the Ugly Eagles. Nine of his 13 starts went the distance, including seven complete-game shutouts and a no-hitter against Tokay in March.


Ryan McLaughlin, Drake
Position: Pitcher
Year: Senior

Named the Most Valuable Pitcher in the MCAL, McLaughlin posted a sparkling 9-1 record with a 0.45 ERA for the Pirates, including a complete game eight-strikeout performance against Miramonte for the NCS Division III title. The one earned run he allowed against Miramonte was the only one in his last eight starts.


Chris Troye, Heritage
Position: Catcher
Year: Senior

The first-team BVAL selection is headed to UC Santa Barbara next season, and is regarded as one of the top defensive catchers in the state. Troye did drive in 15 runs at the plate, and slugged a pair of mammoth home runs this season, including one that hit a school building in a playoff win over Amador Valley. But the Baseball Factory/Under Armour All-American is more known for his defensive prowess, and he had 15 assists this season behind the dish.


Bryan Rosario, Arroyo
Position: Catcher
Year: Senior

Named the MVP of the WACC-Foothill, Rosario helped lead the Dons to the NCS Division II title this season, hitting .409 with two home runs, and committing just two errors all year in the field.


Brad Norton, Amador Valley
Position: Infielder
Year: Senior

Norton earned first-team EBAL honors after batting .407 with three triples and 23 runs scored. The University of Nevada-Reno commit also stole nine bases and hit safely in the final seven games of the season.


Casey Armusewicz, Marin Catholic
Position: Infielder
Year: Senior

The MVP of the MCAL, Armusewicz hit .397 for the Wildcats while also turning seven doubles plays from his shortstop position. He also committed just one error in his last 23 games, including flawless handling of all 10 chances in a 19-inning marathon against Drake.


Osiris Johnson, Encinal
Position: Infielder
Year: Junior

The Cal State Fullerton commit was named MVP of the WACC-Shoreline this year, leading the Jets with a .481 batting average with five home runs and 18 total extra-base hits. He also stole 20 bases, had 27 RBI, and 33 runs scored, while turning eight double plays.


Kevin Snyder, Clayton Valley
Position: Infielder
Year: Senior

The MVP in the DAL-Foothill, the senior second baseman destroyed opposing pitching, batting .456 with 31 total hits and nine stolen bases. He also turned 14 double plays from his middle infield position.


Spencer Torkelson, Casa Grande
Position: Outfielder
Year: Senior

The Arizona State-bound Torkelson obliterated opposing pitching for the fourth straight year on the varsity level, batting .481 with seven home runs, 43 RBI, and 41 runs scored. The dual-sport standout also walked 27 times for an amazing .612 on-base percentage and 1.547 OPS.


Brett Tressen, San Ramon Valley
Position: Outfielder
Year: Senior

The Saint Mary’s-bound Tressen was a first-team EBAL selection after hitting .359 with two home runs, 12 total extra-base hits, and 25 runs scored for the league champion Wolves.


Ryan Cole, De La Salle
Position: Outfielder
Year: Senior

The first-team EBAL selection is headed for Notre Dame next season, and showed why this year with a .393 batting average and flawless play in the outfield. He also drew 15 walks and stole 10 bases.


Brett Hansen
Position: Utility
Year: Junior

The Stanford commit and co-MVP of the EBAL went 7-1 with a 1.38 ERA, striking out 76 batters in 61 innings pitched, and holding opposing hitters to a .197 batting average. He also hit .321 with 26 RBI, and did not commit an error in the games where he was playing first base.


Nick Roth, Drake
Position: Utility
Year: Senior

Roth earned first-team MCAL honors at two different positions, as both a pitcher and an infielder. On the mound, the senior went 9-3 with a 0.78 ERA, striking out 92 batters in 81 innings pitched, with seven complete games. At the plate, he hit .348 with 17 RBI and 13 stolen bases for the MCAL and NCS Division III champs.


Gianni Bloom, Saint Mary’s
Position: Designated Hitter
Year: Senior

Bloom earned MVP honors for the TCAL-Rock Division after leading the Panthers with six home runs, to go with his .378 batting average and 27 RBI. He also walked 19 times and stole 11 bases.



SECOND TEAM ALL-NCS

Tim Tague, Miramonte
Position: Pitcher
Year: Senior

The co-MVP in the DAL-Valley, Tague is an all-section pick in football and baseball after leading the Matadors with a 13-0 record on the mound, sporting a 0.81 ERA, as Miramonte won its first 27 games and reached the Division III championship. He also hit .368 at the plate.


Brian Tan, Arroyo
Position: Pitcher
Year: Senior

Tan, a first-team WACC-Foothill selection, got it done on the mound and at the plate for Arroyo this season, but especially down the stretch. He did not allow an earned run in his last five appearances on the mound, including a complete game two-hit shutout over Tamalpais in the Division II semifinals. Tan finished the year 8-2 with a 1.01 ERA and 60 strikeouts. He also hit .365 with 16 RBI.


Antonio Triest-Escobar, Berkeley
Position: Pitcher
Year: Senior

Triest-Escobar was unbeatable on the mound for the Yellowjackets, compiling a 9-0 record with a 1.10 ERA, including a victory over Acalanes in the first round of the Division I playoffs. The first-team WACC-Foothill selection notched 57 strikeouts in 57 innings pitched.


Carson Bridges, St. Joseph Notre Dame
Position: Catcher
Year: Senior

The MVP in the BCL-East, Bridges hit .494 to lead the Pilots to the Division IV championship, including a three-hit performance in the title game. The academically-prestigious Claremont-Mudd-Scripps commit also had 30 RBI and 28 stolen bases.


Michael Gallagher, James Logan
Position: Catcher
Year: Senior

Gallagher was named MVP of the Mission Valley Athletic League, hitting .473 with 14 doubles and 23 RBI for the league champion Colts.


Chris Rogan, Northgate
Position: Infielder
Year: Junior

The first-team DAL-Foothill selection, who has been receiving interest from numerous Pac-12 schools, hit .405 with nine doubles and two home runs to lead the Broncos. That included 13 hits during a torrid six-game stretch late in the season.


Sam Novitske, Foothill
Position: Infielder
Year: Junior

Novitske earned first-team EBAL honors after leading the Falcons with 31 hits, batting .369 with seven doubles and a team-high 16 walks. He also led the team with 16 stolen bases and turned six double plays.


Cody Stevenson, Kennedy-Fremont
Position: Infielder
Year: Senior

The San Jose State commit once again received first-team All-MVAL honors after hitting .389 with 17 stolen bases and 36 runs scored. He also drew 28 walks for a .589 on-base percentage, and turned 12 double plays.


Ryan Jenkins, Saint Mary’s
Position: Infielder
Year: Senior

The four-year varsity player led the Panthers with a .479 batting average, stealing 28 bases and scoring 40 times. He also walked 24 times for a .631 on-base percentage, and displayed some pop with two home runs.


Jack Murphy, Monte Vista
Position: Outfielder
Year: Senior

The Saint Mary’s College commit hit .354 with three home runs, driving in 29 runs for the Mustangs. His home run in the championship game against De La Salle sent the game into extra innings.


Danny Marzo, Petaluma
Position: Outfielder
Year: Junior

The first-team SCL selection was a difficult out in every at-bat, hitting .479 with 44 total hits and 12 stolen bases. Even more impressive was the fact he struck out just twice all season long. For good measure, he posted a 2.53 ERA in 12 appearances on the mound, notching 41 strikeouts.


Khalid Johnson, De La Salle
Position: Outfielder
Year: Senior

The Portland-bound Johnson was a first-team EBAL selection who hit .330 with 12 extra-base hits, along with a team-high 18 walks and 16 stolen bases.


Seth Salter, Freedom
Position: Utility
Year: Senior

The BVAL MVP, Salter led the Falcons on the mound and at the plate, hitting .383 and leading the team in hits, RBI, and extra-base hits. He also stole nine bases, and on the mound went 7-3 with a 1.14 ERA, including a win over Foothill in the first round of the Division I playoffs.


Jack Newman, Analy
Position: Utility
Year: Senior

The SCL MVP led the Tigers to the Division III semifinals, posting a 2.14 ERA on the mound while also batting .407 at the plate. He is an all-section pick in both football and baseball.


Trace Tammaro, De La Salle
Position: Designated Hitter
Year: Junior

Tammaro swung a powerful bat for the Spartans this season, slugging six home runs, while hitting .333 with a team-high 26 RBI for the Division I champions. The first-team EBAL selection was also walked a team-high 18 times and posted a 1.196 OPS.



THIRD TEAM ALL-NCS

PITCHERS

Carson Snyder (Sonoma Valley), Logan Barrick (Kelseyville), Devin Kirby (Ukiah), Chris Joaquim (Casa Grande), Josh Candau (Acalanes), Clark Eder (California), Alex Williams (Redwood Christian)


CATCHERS

Marc Goulart (Moreau Catholic), Jared Wilson (Amador Valley), Jason Moran (Cardinal Newman)


INFIELDERS

AJ Miller (Casa Grande), Bryan Woo (Alameda), Boston Hubbard (Monte Vista), Logan Cole (Livermore), Keaton Bates (Analy), Christian Encarnacion-Strand (College Park), Bill Ralston (Clayton Valley), Jake Cosgrove (Heritage)


OUTFIELDERS

John Green (Casa Grande), Anthony Gaskins (Berkeley), Nikoh Mitchell (Hayward), Jared Hirigoyen (Terra Linda), Tyler Chesney (St. Patrick-St. Vincent), London Penland (Castro Valley)


UTILITY

Hunter Hennigh (St. Joseph Notre Dame), Garrison Finck (St. Bernard’s), Ethan Fischel (Eureka), Sam Liang (Miramonte), Dalton Bowling (Kennedy-Fremont), Bubba Gomez (Fremont Christian), Will Blackburn (Monte Vista)




HONORABLE MENTION:

ACALANES: Daniel Kim, Nick Berry, Tyler Ewing
ALAMEDA: Josh Meadows, Max Nyrop, Sam Wettergren
ALBANY: Cody Sim, Owen Cooper
ALHAMBRA: Cole Gifford, Jordyn Eglite
AMADOR VALLEY: Mitch Benson, Nick Proctor, George Briggs
AMERICAN: Matteo Bontempo
ANALY: Mason Snodgrass, Jeff Pearson
ANTIOCH: Koby Williams, RJ McDowell
ARCATA: Austin Kadle
ARROYO: Adrian Padilla, Josh Romero
ATHENIAN: Timmy Tierney
BENTLEY: Jeff Witney
BEREAN CHRISTIAN: Will Batz
BERKELEY: Michael Dixon, Max Burdock
BISHOP O'DOWD: Kaine Montez
BRANSON: Henrik Reinertsen
CALIFORNIA: Cody Nisbet, Zach Chalmers
CALIFORNIA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF: Bryan Alvarado-Salazar
CAMPOLINDO: Michael Hooper, Matt Mead
CARDINAL NEWMAN: Beau Barrington, Vinny Tosti
CASA GRANDE: Max Cerini, Hance Smith
CASTRO VALLEY: Joe Carvalho, Cole Coffey
CLAYTON VALLEY: Doug Bermudez, Matt Freeman, Justin Roper
COLLEGE PARK: Braeden Gowdy, Kellen Kozlowski, Ian MacIver
CONCORD: Ryan Parisi, Ryan Babin, Josh Gutierrez
DE ANZA: Jordan Lew-Gibbons
DE LA SALLE: Gio Mijares, Gabe Giosso, Austin Elder
DEER VALLEY: Neftaly Perez
DEL NORTA: Ryan Janeiro
DOUGHERTY VALLEY: Matt Jew, Jesse Barron
DRAKE: Jensen Yamane, Owen Hamilton, Eamonn Lance
DUBLIN: Zach Rivera, Sam Gilliam
EL CERRITO: Mychael Jamison, Sawyer Whitney, Ricky Salas
EL MOLINO: Garret Crane
ENCINAL: Henry Canalin, Sandeep Mahl
EUREKA: Malachi Pratton, Aiden Morris
FERNDALE: Nate Hansen, Landon Gomes
FOOTHILL: Jeremy Lea, Adam Jue
FORT BRAGG: Lucas Triplett
FORTUNA: Church Crenshaw
FREEDOM: Kyle Wise, Neko Capsiliaris, Kevin Lonergan
FREMONT CHRISTIAN: Chris Roessler, Anthony Lemas
GATEWAY: Aaron Pischke, Jr.
GRANADA: Tyler Stultz, AJ McMillan, Cameron Geyer
HAYWARD: Moises Gomez, Raymond Davis
HEAD-ROYCE: Cole Bamberger
HEALDSBURG: Levi Yeley
HERITAGE: Walker Brinkman, Gio Diaz
HOOPA VALLEY: Tuffy Anzora
INTERNATIONAL: Max Sivolella
IRVINGTON: Cal Bridges, Tim Stevenson, Tristan Hess
JAMES LOGAN: Jeffrey Elizarrey, Christian Horton
JUSTIN-SIENA: Addison Hadsell-Holzcamp
KELSEYVILLE: Kyle Ellis
KENNEDY-FREMONT: Fred Aquilina
KENNEDY-RICHMOND: Matthew York
LAS LOMAS: Jack McCullar
LIBERTY: Josh Shifflett, Keith Hale
LICK-WILMERDING: Jared Wong
LIVERMORE: Clayton Westrope, Ben Kerling
LIVERMORE VALLEY CHARTER: Chase Voller
MARIN ACADEMY: Alexander Gow, Timmy Stabler
MARIA CARILLO: Raymond Rabago, Dominic Riggio, Patrick Gavin
MARIN CATHOLIC: Taylor Bentley, Jack Harris
MCKINLEYVILLE: Tyler Pelascini
MIRAMONTE: Casey McGonigle, Nick Foster, Nolan Brown
MONTE VISTA: Turner Olson, Josh White, Andrew Howard
MONTGOMERY: Nick Smith
MOREAU CATHOLIC: Alex Pham, Jacob George
MT. EDEN: Miguel Delfin, Arnold Hernandez
NEWARK MEMORIAL: Destin Nava
NORTHGATE: Nico Zeglin, Kevin Clancy, Nick Krauth
PETALUMA: Logan Douglas, Danny Marzo, Kempton Brandis
PIEDMONT: Carson Gerhardy, Matthias Haggerty
PINER: Jalen Baker
PINOLE VALLEY: Dominic Pipkin, Daniel Sanchez, Robert Swanson
PITTSBURG: Christian Blevins, Trey Turner
RANCHO COTATE: Tanielu Guerrero
REDWOOD: Dane Goodman, Nicolas Belgum
REDWOOD CHRISTIAN: Robert Busch
RINCON VALLEY CHRISTIAN: Nick Guiseponi
SAINT MARY'S: Miles Williams, Spencer Helvig
SALESIAN: Esteban Castle
SAN LEANDRO: Alex Perreira
SAN LORENZO: Jerick Romer, Aaron Johnson
SAN MARIN: Jake Schmidt
SAN RAFAEL: Angelo Zorn
SAN RAMON VALLEY: Jack Watson, Michael Theisen, Jake Bennett
SANTA ROSA: Brandon Griffin
SONOMA ACADEMY: Chance Colbert
SONOMA VALLEY: Colton Mertens, Shane O’Malley
SOUTH FORK: Scott Coffelt
ST. JOSEPH NOTRE DAME: David Republicano
ST. BERNARD'S: Breyden Casucci, Lane Thrap
ST. PATRICK-ST. VINCENT: Fred Seto, Tavian Henderson
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL: Ethan Rapoport, Michael Davis
STUART HALL: Owen Hackel, Achilles Arnold
SWETT: Zach Parella, Mikey Thompkins
TAMALPAIS: Ryan Leake, Nick Kennison, Will Muir
TENNYSON: Shane Garrett
TOMALES: Tony Romo
UKIAH: Joe Brazil, Karter Koch
UNIVERSITY: Charley Moore, Max Fisher
UPPER LAKE: Dre Santos
URBAN: Taghi Amundson, Alex Hoskins-Frame
WALDORF: Myles Stearns
WASHINGTON: Jake Serpa, Sam Braun
WINDSOR: Patrick Tappin, Tanner Kane
YGNACIO VALLEY: Eliezer Zurita-Haber