We Wrap Up The 2018 Season With Our All-NorCal Baseball Teams, Led By Player Of The Year Evan Gibbons And Pitcher Of The Year Joshua Seward •
NORCAL BASEBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Evan Gibbons, Franklin-Elk Grove, Sr. (Pictured above)
NORCAL BASEBALL PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Joshua Seward, Archbishop Mitty-San Jose, Sr.
FIRST TEAM ALL-NORCAL BASEBALL
PITCHERS
Joshua Seward | Archbishop Mitty-San Jose | Sr.: Our NorCal Pitcher of the Year dazzled the region’s best league (West Catholic). He went 10-2 with a save and 0.76 ERA in 74 innings.
Patrick Wicklander | Valley Christian-San Jose | Sr.: Arkansas-bound lefty went 7-3 with a 1.70 ERA. He posted 95 strikeouts over 70 innings and had an 18-strikeout no-hitter.
Patrick Wicklander
Cooper Hjerpe | Woodland | Jr.: Oregon St. commit went 8-0 with a 0.78 ERA and led the Sac-Joaquin Section with 128 strikeouts over 53.2 innings.
CATCHERS
Tyler Lozano | St. Mary’s-Stockton | Sr.: Limited to just 15 games, the USC-bound backstop still batted .537 with 16 runs, 22 hits, seven RBI and seven doubles.
Albert Hsiao | Leland-San Jose | Sr.: Missed three weeks due to injury and still batted .409 with 14 RBI. Will head to Washington in the fall.
Cole Elvis | Vacaville | Sr.: Moved behind the plate for his senior season and helped lead Bulldogs to their first SJS Div. I title with 29 hits and 28 RBI in just 24 games.
MIDDLE INFIELDERS
Osiris Johnson | Encinal-Alameda | Sr.: Hit .538 with 43 hits, 29 runs, 22 RBI, 13 doubles and six home runs. He’s CSU Fullerton-bound.
Nick Yorke | Archbishop Mitty | So.: Was awardedWest Catholic Athletic League Player of the Year after batting .494 with 30 runs scored. Twenty of his 39 hits went for extra bases.
Nick Yorke
Joey Daini | Benicia | Sr.: His 44 hits, .459 batting average, nine home runs, 34 runs scored, five triples and 32 RBI were all career-highs as the Panthers finished 19-8.
Nick Proctor | Amador Valley-Pleasanton | Sr.: Sterling season included team-bests in average (.388), hits (33), runs (22), RBI (21), doubles (10) and homers (3).
CORNER INFIELDERS
Christian Almanza | St. Mary’s-Stockton | Sr.: Utah-bound first baseman hit .451 and led the team in runs (35), hits (37) and RBI (35). Twenty of his hits went for extra bases.
Dennis Boatman | Woodcreek-Roseville | Sr.: In 31 games, the UCLA-bound star hit .390 on 39 hits. He added 24 runs, 19 RBI and 16 doubles.
A.J. Miller | Casa Grande-Petaluma | Sr.: Arizona State commit hit .352 on 31 hits and notched team-bests in runs (31), RBI (25) and extra-base hits (18).
OUTFIELDERS
Brett Graber | Capital Christian-Sacramento | Sr.: Led Cougars to the SJS Div. IV title by batting .494 with 38 runs, 44 hits, 41 RBI and 22 stolen bases.
Mason Poisson | Del Campo-Fair Oaks | Jr.: He led SJS Div. II champions in every offensive category, including runs (29), hits (41), RBI (31) and extra-base hits (14).
Nick Vogt | Davis | Jr.: The Santa Barbara-bound offensive machine led SJS Div. I finalists by hitting .432 with 31 runs, 48 hits, 27 RBI and 18 doubles.
Brett Hansen
DH/MULTI-PURPOSE
Nick Cirelli | De La Salle-Concord | Sr.: Spartans DH may be the NCS’ toughest out. In 30 games for the NCS Div. I champs, he hit .500 with 47 hits, 41 RBI, 17 walks and just eight strikeouts in 118 plate appearances.
Brett Hansen | Foothill-Pleasanton | Sr.: Vanderbilt commit finished season 8-1 with a 1.59 ERA. He also hit .500 with 38 hits, 29 RBI and a .606 on base percentage.
Max Nyrop | Alameda | Jr.: He led the NCS Div. II champs by going 9-0 on the mound with a 0.85 ERA and closed season with a scoreless-inning streak of 55. He also hit .345 with 19 runs and 18 RBI.
Evan Gibbons | Franklin-Elk Grove | Sr.: The Sacramento State-commit hit .391 with 34 hits, 24 runs and 26 RBI. On the mound, he was 7-1 with a pair of saves and 94 strikeouts. He was named our NorCal Baseball Player of the Year.
SECOND TEAM ALL-NORCAL BASEBALL
Ryan McLaughlin
PITCHERS
Ryan McLaughlin | Drake-San Anselmo | Sr.: Went 9-2 with two saves and a 0.94 ERA; had 98 strikeouts in 89.2 innings pitched.
Kyle Harrison | De La Salle-Concord | So.: Posted 9-1 record and a 1.17 ERA while striking out 71 in 54 innings; opponents hit just .163 off him.
Jack Hinrichsen | McClatchy-Sacramento | Sr.: Cal-bound arm went 7-4 with a 1.61 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 52.1 innings.
CATCHERS
Cody Brockman | Modesto Christian | Jr.: Mashed the ball en route to .438 average, 41 runs, 29 RBI and 17 doubles.
Ryan Belluomini | Valley Christian-San Jose | Sr.: Hit .327 on 33 hits and his 20 RBI ranked second on the team.
Darren Susac | Jesuit-Carmichael | So.: Batted .462 with team-bests of 36 hits and 22 runs; also threw out 16 of 24 base stealers.
MIDDLE INFIELDERS
Eamonn Lance | Drake-San Anselmo | Jr.: Led Pirates in average (.455), hits (40), runs (29), RBI (34), doubles (12) and homers (11).
Jeffrey Jamison | Del Campo-Fair Oaks | Sr.: Fresno State commit had 28 runs, 34 hits and was 33 stolen bases for SJS champions.
Kevin Fitzgerald | Laguna Creek-Elk Grove | Sr.: Hit .539 with 41 hits, 32 RBI, 13 doubles, six triples and four home runs.
Ryan Jeffries
CORNER INFIELDERS
Ryan Jeffries | St. Francis-Mountain View | Sr.: Santa Clara signee hit .435 with team-bests of 40 hits and 24 runs.
Matt Clayton | Yuba City | Sr.: Nevada-bound slugger batted .600 on 51 hits (22 for extra bases), scored 45 runs and knocked in 38.
DH/OUTFIELDERS
Cole Brigman | Valley Christian-San Jose | Jr.: Led nationally-ranked CCS champs with 41 hits and 31 runs scored.
Michael Dixon | Berkeley | Jr.: San Diego-bound slugger led 22-win Yellowjackets in hits (29), runs (21), RBI (22) and homers (5).
Cameron Allie | Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills | Sr.: Santa Clara commit hit .404 with 24 RBI, led team in hits (38), extra-base hits (13) and stolen bases (15).
Jeremy Lea | Foothill-Pleasanton | Sr.: Spark plug for NCS runner-up hit .410 with 32 runs, 26 RBI and 16 extra-base hits; Univ. of Pacific commit.
MULTI-PURPOSE
Parker Cosby | Escalon | Sr.: Went 11-0 with a 1.52 ERA and eight complete games; hit .457 with 37 runs, 42 hits, 20 RBI and 13 doubles.
Daniel Carrion | Winters | Jr.: Paced 30-win team with .477 average, 40 runs and 40 RBI; went 4-0 with 0.47 ERA in 15 innings pitched.
Bubba Gomez | Fremont Christian | Jr.: Batted .536 with 50 RBI, 62 runs and 23 extra-base hits; went 8-1 with a 0.98 ERA, 131 strikeouts in 64.1 innings.
Jacob Tucker | Christian Brothers-Sacramento | Sr.: Batted .478 with 44 hits, 25 runs and 21 RBI while also going 10-1 with an 0.78 ERA.
Titus Groeneweg | Wood-Vacaville | Sr.: Cal State Fullerton recruit hit .408 average with 20 runs and 16 RBI while going 5-2 with a 1.31 ERA.
Chace Bryson
Chace Bryson is the managing editor of SportStars Magazine. Reach him at Chace@SportStarsMag.com
Eddie Kubo
June 8, 2018 #1 AuthorPatrick Wicklander is a Lefty, not a righty……
Chace Bryson
June 8, 2018 #2 AuthorFixed. Thanks, Adam and Eddie.
Adam O’Neal
June 8, 2018 #3 AuthorFirst teamers Wicklander and Hjerpe are leftys
Paul Elder
June 8, 2018 #4 AuthorHow do you have players on these teams that missed 2 or 3 weeks of the season or don’t play the higher caliber teams in all of California. It seems you rewarded the kids who were injured rather than those who helped their team win the entire season and still put up stellar numbers. You also never publish defensive stats so I take it those are not added to your evaluation.
Chace Bryson
June 8, 2018 #5 AuthorPaul, Just because a player saw two months of action instead of three doesn’t make them any less impactful during the time they COULD play. Elvis missed 10 games but still led the SJS Div. I champs in RBI; Hsiao only got to play in 18 games but still hit over .400 and hit safely in 12 of his last 14 games (with 12 RBI). We do look at defensive numbers, but when we’re trying to keep comments to 1-2 sentences, fielding percentage is one of the first things to get weeded out. Not every team makes fielding numbers available either, so it’s not always an easily comparable stat when evaluating two players. Finally, your remark about those who don’t play high caliber teams… Small and middle school talents can’t always help who they play against. We’ll bet on the lights-out pitcher who can hit .600 any day.
James
June 20, 2018 #6 AuthorI’d take a D1 player batting .300+ over a division 4,5,6 player who bats .600. If you’re using stats to make these selections it’s not fair to the players facing higher caliber pitching and offense every game.
Chace Bryson
June 23, 2018 #7 AuthorWe see your point, James. But it’s equally not fair to discount a Div. 4-6 player for the exact same reasons. They can only play who they can play. All of our small school selections were two-way threats on very good teams for their level. We don’t think they’d hit .600 in the EBAL or WCAL, but we believe they’d hold their own.
Jerry Pollard
July 9, 2018 #8 AuthorHello Bryson, just came across your June issue of the magazine and was surprised by the omission of a player whom you picked as a”player to follow”in an earlier preseason baseball edition. De LaSalle’s catcher Austin Elder was selected as All Bay Area, All Metro and All North Coast Section. He had great stats and led a young inexperience staff to a 2nd place ranking by Max Preps, in their state and national polls. (Read your own article in same edition under “The Spartans of Swat”on what his pitchers and coach think of him) And he was a 3-peat Div. 1 Section Champion. I think you want readership to take your articles seriously, then you should take your research seriously. It’s not a popularity selection, it should based on stats both measurable and immeasurable, like defense AND ability to relate and communicate with his pitchers. You have listed some fine catchers but I think you missed the boat on this Cal State Northridge commit.
Chace Bryson
July 9, 2018 #9 AuthorThat’s well put, Jerry. We obviously think highly of Austin (per the pre-season nod you mentioned), but in making a NorCal (not just East Bay/Bay Area/NCS) list, we have to make SEVERAL tough cuts. These lists are meant to spark conversation, and Austin is more than deserving to be part of that conversation. We hope you’re right, and that Austin proves us wrong. We’d love to highlight his future success on the diamond.