ALL-NORTH COAST SECTION
Player of the Year BRETT HANSEN, FOOTHILL
For the past three years, Foothill has enjoyed the presence of 6-foot-4 left-hander Brett Hansen, whose abilities in multiple facets of the sport have led the Falcons to be one of the premier programs in the North Coast Section during his tenure, reaching this year’s Division I title game.
A four-year varsity player, Hansen made a huge impact on the region in the last three seasons, especially during phenomenal junior and senior campaigns. This season, a standout year at the plate and on the mound led Hansen to receive Player of the Year honors in the East Bay Athletic League, and the Vanderbilt commit was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the Major League Baseball amateur draft.
On the mound, the long-armed lefty compiled a 15-2 record over the past two years, including an 8-1 mark this season, and graduates with a career 1.40 ERA. Hansen struck out 71 batters in 57 innings pitched this season, giving him 173 strikeouts in 138 innings over the past three years. This year’s performances included a few phenomenal efforts against some top lineups.
Hansen did not allow an earned run until April 25, a string of eight straight appearances to open the season. That included a dominant 11-strikeout, one-walk effort in a 1-0 win over James Logan, a 10-strikeout performance in a 4-0 win over Granada, and back-to-back scoreless outings against BVAL champion Heritage. Late in the season, facing College Park in the Division I quarterfinals, Hansen put forth another tremendous outing, allowing just two hits and striking out six in a 7-0 victory.
It was not just Hansen’s dominance on the mound which characterized his senior campaign, but rather an all-around game which made him an impact player in every game. In the field, he played first base when not pitching, and displayed near-flawless defensive technique, committing just one error all season in 120 total chances. And at the plate, he was one of the top hitters in the section.
Hansen opened the year on a seven-game hitting streak, with a home run and nine RBIs during that stretch, which prompted Heritage to intentionally walk him three times in the next game. It would become a common theme, as Hansen was walked 21 times during the season, and struck out just five times all year. In addition to his .500 batting average, he sported a .606 on-base percentage and a 1.277 OPS. For the year, Hansen would finish with two home runs, seven doubles, and 29 RBIs. That included a late-season eight-game hitting streak, and he hit safely in the final three playoff games of the year as well, with a three-RBI performance in the quarterfinal win over College Park.
For his efforts throughout the season, we are pleased to recognize Brett Hansen as the Prep2Prep North Coast Section Player of the Year.
Other players considered include Encinal’s Osiris Johnson, De La Salle’s Nick Cirelli, Alameda’s Bryan Woo, and College Park’s Christian Encarnacion-Strand.
Coach of the Year KEN ARNERICH, ALAMEDA
Entering the 2018 season, Ken Arnerich had led the Alameda baseball program to four different North Coast Section championship games. With pitching and defense returning to the diamond, Arnerich knew this year could be a special group. What he could not foresee was the adversity he would face personally, the challenges his team would tackle, and the way in which they would emerge at the top of the heap.
The Hornets started fast in 2018, not tasting defeat until they split a series with Berkeley at the end of April. But that doesn’t even begin to tell the story of their season, or Arnerich’s personal perseverance to lead his team. On March 9, his father passed away, leaving behind his own Bay Area baseball legacy. A McClymonds graduate, Arnerich’s father had once been offered $85,000 and a Cadillac by Branch Rickey to sign a major league contract. Instead, he settled into a short stint with the semi-professional Oakland Oaks, where he became lifelong friends with eventual New York Yankees manager Billy Martin, following his college playing days at Saint Mary’s College.
After losing his father in the early part of the season, Arnerich nearly lost his own life on April 6, when his truck was struck by another car which ran a red light in Oakland while traveling in excess of 50 miles per hour. His truck flipped across five lanes of traffic, and was completely totaled, even all four tires. Just one small part of the truck remained intact, and it happened to be the driver seat, seemingly aided by both a heavy duty lumber rack above the roof and another less tangible factor.
“I know my dad was looking down on me,” Arnerich stated. “I had my seatbelt on, I was able to grasp the wheel, and all the airbags went off. But the truck was completely totaled, except the one spot I was able to stay in. I had major bruising throughout my body, but amazingly, that was all.”
The day of the accident was the only day of the season that Arnerich missed all year, even though his season was about to take another turn for the worse. Three weeks after his accident, his mother also passed away. Like his father, she had established a legacy for youth athletics in Alameda, starting a junior golf program. Arnerich’s parents had been together for 76 years, married for the last 69 of them.
“Baseball was my outlet this year,” Arnerich said. “These kids and families, they made it all very rewarding.”
In an effort that was described by Arnerich as being ‘extra special’, the Alameda baseball parents chipped in with dinners for Arnerich’s family, and brought flowers to the house. For the 16-year head coach, though, they were not only special gestures, but also symbolic of the family bond within the program.
“Every year, these kids have known each other since they were six or seven years old,” Arnerich said. “They all within two miles of each other, and they all play Little League together. But this group was all best friends, on and off the field. It was a very special year.”
As Alameda was rolling along on the field, one thing became very clear. While the Hornets could certainly hit the ball and score when needed, it was nearly impossible for their opponents to do the same. Max Nyrop and Bryan Woo established themselves as one of the section’s top starting pitching tandems, while Tristan Wiley and closer Sam Wettergren were highly effective out of the bullpen, when called upon. But even that strength took a hit, with just weeks remaining in the season.
Wettergren got a late start to the season, after playing a key role on the Hornets’ basketball team which reached the CIF championship. When he did get out on the diamond, he immediately made his impact at third base and out of the bullpen. But his season ended early, when he tore his ACL while playing basketball.
“Sam is the best defensive third baseman I have ever seen,” Arnerich said. “When he hurt his knee, I thought it was going to be tough to win it all. We lost a leader, our closer, and a phenomenal defensive corner infielder.”
The Hornets, however, knew how to rally around a setback, and despite losing to Berkeley in the WACC-Foothill tournament title game, became downright stingy in the post-season. Nyrop had not allowed a run in 41 straight innings, entering the playoffs, and continued his amazing run.
In the first round, Nyrop allowed just four hits in a 7-0 win over Newark Memorial. On many occasions through the season, Nyrop and Woo played a game of dueling shutouts, and they continued that form in the first week of the playoffs. Woo followed Nyrop’s gem with one of his own, allowing one hit and striking out 10 in a 1-0 win over Tamalpais.
One-run victories don’t leave a coaching staff at ease, but the Hornets seemed completely comfortable with that formula in the Division II semifinals, as Nyrop extended the scoreless streak to 55 innings with seven more goose eggs, allowing just three hits in a 1-0 win over last year’s Division III champion, Drake. The cardiac kids then put forth some magic one more time in the championship game.
Maria Carrillo led Alameda by one run heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, before both teams traded rallies, headed to the bottom of the seventh tied at three. Nyrop led off the bottom of the seventh with a single, and advanced all the way to third on a pickoff throwing error. Back-to-back intentional walks loaded the bases, and KW Quilici gave the Hornets and Arnerich their first section title since 2006 with his single to right field.
“These kids, these families, and really the entire Alameda baseball community just made this a very special season,” Arnerich concluded. “This was an amazing run.”
For his efforts and resilience throughout the season, we are pleased to honor Ken Arnerich as the Prep2Prep North Coast Section Coach of the Year.
Other coaches considered include De La Salle’s David Jeans, Redwood Christian’s Jim Cleveland, Foothill’s Angelo Scavone, and Maria Carrillo’s Sam Bruno.
FIRST TEAM ALL-NCS
Ryan Costeiu, De La Salle
Position: Pitcher
Year: Senior
Costeiu went a perfect 10-0 for the Spartans this season, sporting a 1.12 ERA. His final start was a two-hit scoreless outing against Foothill in the Division I title game, which followed a two-hitter against San Ramon Valley in the quarterfinals.
Max Nyrop, Alameda
Position: Pitcher
Year:Junior
The first-team WACC-Foothill selection went 9-0 with a 0.85 ERA for the Hornets. His season concluded with a staggering streak of 55 scoreless innings, which will carry over into his senior year, and that included playoff wins over Newark Memorial and Drake. For good measure, he hit .341 with 18 RBIs.
Alex Williams, Redwood Christian
Position: Pitcher
Year: Senior
The Stanford-bound Williams was the MVP of the BCL-East, and led the Eagles to the Division IV championship, taking the mound in both the semifinal and final, earning the win in the latter contest. For the year, Williams was 10-1 with a 0.50 ERA, striking out 133 batters in 70 innings pitched. At the plate, he hit .500 with two home runs, 18 total extra-base hits, and 27 RBIs.
Osiris Johnson, Encinal
Position: Infield
Year: Senior
The Player of the Year in the WACC-Shoreline, Johnson hit .535 for the Jets, with six home runs, 15 doubles, 16 stolen bases, and 24 RBIs. The CSU-Fullerton commit was also a second-round pick of the Miami Marlins in this year’s draft, as the 53rd overall selection.
Eamonn Lance, Drake
Position: Infielder
Year: Junior
The MCAL Player of the Year possesses power which surprises some, considering his wiry frame. The six-foot, 150-pound middle infielder crushed 11 home runs to go with 12 doubles, 10 stolen bases, 34 RBIs, and a .455 batting average.
Michael Dixon, Berkeley
Position: Infielder
Year: Junior
The well-rounded Dixon was a first-team WACC-Foothill selection, after hitting .358 with five home runs and 22 RBIs for the Yellowjackets. He finished the year with a 1.053 OPS to go with 13 stolen bases, and committed just one error all season.
Brett Hansen, Foothill
Position: Utility
Year: Senior
The Vanderbilt commit and San Francisco Giants’ draft pick was named Player of the Year in the EBAL, going 8-1 with a 1.59 ERA, striking out 71 batters in 57 innings pitched. Hansen also hit .500 with two home runs, seven doubles, and 29 RBIs.
Bryan Woo, Alameda
Position: Utility
Year: Senior
The Cal Poly commit and WACC-Foothill Player of the Year hit .422 with 21 RBIs for the Division II champion Hornets, and also went 8-2 with a 1.48 ERA on the mound. That included a shutout performance over Tamalpais in the section quarterfinals, and a seven-strikeout effort in the title game win over Maria Carrillo.
SECOND TEAM ALL-NCS
Ian Villers, Northgate
Position: Pitcher
Year: Senior
The Pitcher of the Year in the DAL-Foothill, the Cal-bound Villers went 7-1 with a 1.91 ERA, striking out 78 batters in 51 innings pitched. He tossed three one-hitters during the year, including a 13-strikeout performance against Washington-Fremont in early March.
Kyle Harrison, De La Salle
Position: Pitcher
Year: Sophomore
The Prep2Prep NCS Sophomore of the Year shined all season, going 9-1 with a 1.17 ERA, and was named the EBAL’s Most Valuable Pitcher. Harrison had a three-appearance stretch where he did not allow a hit in games against JKF-Fremont, San Ramon Valley, and Jesuit, and then allowed just four hits and one run in back-to-back playoff starts.
Bryson Kinnick, Heritage
Position: Pitcher
Year: Senior
Kinnick was named MVP of the BVAL after going 10-4 with a 1.83 ERA for the league champion Patriots. After earning the win in a season-opening victory over Drake, Kinnick then went five straight appearances before allowing another earned run, capped with a 1-0 win over Foothill, and twice more put together three-game scoreless stretches, including a trio of late-season games that included playoff outings against Liberty and Clayton Valley.
Case Delst, Drake
Position: Catcher
Year: Senior
Delst was a first-team All-MCAL selection, hitting .363 with five home runs, eight doubles, and 25 RBIs. He really shined behind the plate, throwing out 13 of the 15 runners who attempted to steal a base against him, and registering 17 total assists while wearing the mask.
Kyren Paris, Freedom
Position: Infielder
Year: Junior
Paris has been an emerging star for a couple years now, and earned first-team All-BVAL honors this season, leading the Falcons to the Division I semifinals with his .432 batting average, seven doubles, 28 stolen bases, and 31 runs scored.
Matthias Haas, Bishop O’Dowd
Position: Infielder
Year: Junior
Haas was a first-team WACC-Foothill selection for the Dragons, hitting .455 with three home runs, 12 doubles, 15 stolen bases, and 25 runs scored. He finished his season with 12 hits in the last five games, including a home run in the playoff win over Justin-Siena.
Bubba Gomez, Fremont Christian
Position: Utility
Year: Junior
The three-sport standout was named MVP of the BCL-General once again this year, as Gomez hit four home runs, six triples, and 13 doubles to go with his 33 stolen bases, 50 RBIs and 62 runs scored. On the mound, he went 8-1 with a 0.98 ERA, striking out 131 batters in 64 innings pitched, and tossing three no-hitters.
Nico Zeglin, Northgate
Position: Utility
Year: Senior
The first-team DAL-Foothill selection hit .429 with three home runs, seven doubles, and 24 RBIs for the Broncos, while sporting a 1.221 OPS for the year. He also went 4-2 with a 1.91 ERA and three saves, striking out 42 batters in 36 innings pitched.
THIRD TEAM ALL-NCS
PITCHERS
Daniel Colwell (Saint Mary’s), Josh White (Monte Vista), Jack Snook (Amador Valley), Garrison Finck (St. Bernard’s), Jack Loder (Tamalpais), Billy Duby (Miramonte), Jack Cottrell (San Rafael), Dominic Pipkin (Pinole Valley), Devin Dhaliwal (Athenian), Joey Kramer (Rancho Cotate)
CATCHERS
Jake Crittenden (Granada), Jason Moran (Cardinal Newman)
INFIELDERS
AJ Miller (Casa Grande), Tom Gavello (Monte Vista), Ryan Jackson (Heritage), Dylan Joyce (Marin Catholic), Nico Zeglin (Northgate), Cory Steinhauer (Foothill), Bryce Veler (Maria Carrillo), Isaac Friedenberg (Drake), Chris Santiago (De La Salle), Sam Liang (Miramonte)
OUTFIELDERS
Danny Marzo (Petaluma), Aidan Quinn (Heritage), Michael O’Hara (San Ramon Valley), Josh Franks (San Marin), Andrew Frame (Tamalpais), Lucas Allen (Campolindo), Jordan Kim (Alameda), Gerald Nervis (San Leandro)
UTILITY
Connor Charpiot (Maria Carrillo), Ethan Rapaport (St. Vincent de Paul), Carson Gerhardy (Piedmont), Dalton Bowling (Kennedy-Fremont), Ramon Barragan (Fremont Christian), Alec Ritch (Branson), Nolan Dunkle (Justin-Siena), Nick Andrakin (Petaluma), Will Batz (Berean Christian)
HONORABLE MENTION:
ACALANES:
Nick Berry, Jake Delaney, Nick Kresnak
ALAMEDA:
Chris Regan, Tristan Wiley
ALBANY:
Owen Cooper, Surya Chaudhary
ALHAMBRA:
Tyler Boyce, Zach Schuler
AMADOR VALLEY:
Michael Wiborn, Max Heverly, Mitch Benson
ANALY:
Tyler Stasiowski, Jeff Pearson
ANTIOCH:
Josh Cordova, RJ McDowell
ARROYO:
Cameron Weatherford, Jacob Gurule
ATHENIAN:
Bryan Tierney, Justin Armanino
BAY:
Zach Matthews
BENTLEY:
Grant Clark, Jeff Witney
BEREAN CHRISTIAN:
Nate Green, Tyler Werner, Jake Wilson
BERKELEY:
Max Joseph, Justice Paraiso-Caceres
BISHOP O'DOWD:
Luke Ditzler, Thompson Wyatt
BRANSON:
Marco Castillo, Will Jacobsen
CALIFORNIA:
Brett Pardo, Tyler Coulson
CALIFORNIA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF:
Jaden Reader
CAMPOLINDO:
Will Bishop, Ryan McNally
CARDINAL NEWMAN:
Beau Barrington, Dante Cavallo, Ryan Miller
CASA GRANDE:
Broc Burleson, Joe Lampe
CASTRO VALLEY:
Manny Garcia, Skyler Bowersmith
CLAYTON VALLEY:
Nick Oldhan, Telly Hill
CLEAR LAKE:
Cody Rybolt
CLOVERDALE:
James Wirt, Drew Edens
COLLEGE PARK:
Connor Sullivan, Nathan Nicosia
COLLEGE PREP:
Justin Rodriguez
CONCORD:
Josh Anders, Ben Ziebur
DE ANZA:
Keith Whitaker
DE LA SALLE:
Dominic Grupalo, Blake Burke
DEER VALLEY:
AJ Levias, Justin Tamelier
DEL NORTE:
Kole Harper, Luke Hardy
DOUGHERTY VALLEY:
Matt Jew, Jesse Barron
DRAKE:
Colin Brown
DREW:
Jack Grace, Daro Serizawa
DUBLIN:
Nick Costello, Cole McMahon
EL CERRITO:
Ricky Salas, Henry Degnan
EL MOLINO:
Sam Wilson, Wesley Hamner
ENCINAL:
Ricky Marquez, Jeriah Lewis
EUREKA:
David Vagle, Ethan Fischel
FOOTHILL:
Owen Camp, Sam Novitske, Dylan Pottgeiser
FORT BRAGG:
Garrett James, Jason McCord
FREEDOM:
Dario Gomez, Neko Capsiliaris
FREMONT CHRISTIAN:
John Sanguinetti, Tyler Woodman
GATEWAY:
Aaron Pischke
GRANADA:
Troy Wentworth, Nick Bouillerce
HAYWARD:
Alex DeSoto
HEAD-ROYCE:
Nick Fitzhugh
HERCULES:
Miles Russell
HERITAGE:
Jacob Jackson, Oscar Murray, Stephen Murphy
IRVINGTON:
Damian Stone
JAMES LOGAN:
Oscar Lepe, Kimo Fukotuka
JEWISH COMMUNITY:
Jesse Lieberman
JOHN SWETT:
Amir Frazier, Eric Thomas
JUSTIN-SIENA:
Asher Sutter
KELSEYVILLE:
Adrian Villalobos, Jason Gentle
KENNEDY-FREMONT:
Chandler Giles
KENNEDY-RICHMOND:
Keon Ibarra
LAS LOMAS:
Enzo Gravino, Jack Killoran, Dylan Graham
LIBERTY:
Casey Vogan, Justin Prince
LICK-WILMERDING:
James Crutcher, Kieran Yater
LIVERMORE:
Ryan Robinson, Cole Arnold
MAKING WAVES:
Juan Gudina
MARIA CARILLO:
Cade Sheets, Kody Kent
MARIN ACADEMY:
Sam Lyons, Andoni Etcheverry
MARIN CATHOLIC:
Addison Berger, Max Manning, Jay Tarkenton
MCKINLEYVILLE:
Kameron Chance, Tyler Pelascini, Cameron Saso
MIDDLETOWN:
Isaiah Moore, Luke Holt
MIRAMONTE:
Jake Hassard, Adrese Azzani
MISSION SAN JOSE:
Chris Casipit
MONTE VISTA:
Ryan Fleming, Dylan Lawlor
MONTGOMERY:
Cade Barnett
MOREAU CATHOLIC:
Jacob George, David Tellez
MT. EDEN:
Joseph Weiss
NEWARK MEMORIAL:
Jason Malimban
NORTHGATE:
Chris Rogan, Brock Rudy
NOVATO:
Sam Lynam
OAKLAND MILITARY:
Phillip Hall
PETALUMA:
Brad Smith, Porter Slate, Garrett Lewis
PIEDMONT:
EJ Cheung, Dylan Skov
PINER:
Brendan Carpenter
PINOLE VALLEY:
Josh Shanklin, Scottie Siverson
PITTSBURG:
Christian Blevins, Zack Ellsworth
RANCHO COTATE:
Jake Simmons, Justin Thomas
REDWOOD:
Dane Goodman, Josh Cohen
REDWOOD CHRISTIAN:
Luke Luebker, Andrew Saake
RICHMOND:
Roberto Gutierrez
SAINT MARY'S:
Chris Blyskal, Zach D’Esposito
SALESIAN:
Nick Fay, Tony Diaz
SAN DOMENICO:
Max Ray
SAN LEANDRO:
Jimmy Garcia, OJ Aihie
SAN LORENZO:
Christian Torres, Jerrick Romer
SAN MARIN:
Matt Lozovoy, Tyler Abell
SAN RAMON VALLEY:
Connor Linchey, Bryan Spears
SANTA ROSA:
Julian Sanchez-Ince
SONOMA VALLEY:
Jeremy Mackling, Kole Morgan
SOUTH FORK:
Scott Coffelt, CJ Van Meter
ST. BERNARD'S:
Caleb Ruiz, Hunter Davis, Lane Thrap
ST. HELENA:
Caleb Jeske
ST. JOSEPH NOTRE DAME:
Joseph Boyden, David Republicano
ST. PATRICK-ST. VINCENT:
Stefan Foley, Kailon Johnson-Loud
STUART HALL:
Angel Padilla, Nick Hom
TAMALPAIS:
Ben Lightner, Jacob Berg
TERRA LINDA:
Parker Rey
UNIVERSITY:
Nate Kral, James Lui
URBAN:
Robert Ciulla
WALDORF:
Myles Stearns, Gabriel Wong
WASHINGTON:
Derek Marrufo, Ryan Lazzareschi
WINDSOR:
Tyler Hellums
YGNACIO VALLEY:
Sergio Vazquez
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