These last few years at College Park have seen a resurgence in athletics, but the latest advancements to the baseball program have been a testament to its success.
In the two seasons following the NCS title team of 2008, the Falcons went a combined 23-24-1 and they had a tough time posting victories.
But now, well, the talent indicates the polar opposite.
A star studded 2015 class is leading the way for the Falcons. The junior class can often be compared to and is quite similar to the 2013 class at Granada last season. That class produced a No. 2 national ranking by MaxPreps during the season, but they fell in the NCS semifinals and finished 16th nationally.
Led by pitcher Joe DeMers, a Washington commit and also a basketball star, the gifted athlete has made his presence known at the school in Pleasant Hill. DeMers had a 1.00 ERA last season but also batted .373 as he became the focal point of the Falcons' success.
Chris Brown, another talented pitcher to go alongside DeMers, compiled a 3.60 ERA in 35 innings pitched last season. Brown and DeMers create a formidable duo on the mound. Brown is committed to play at UC Davis.
Adding to the abundance of talent in the junior class is Stanford commit, outfielder Nick Oar. In his sophomore season, Oar hit .432 with 21 RBIs, but wasn’t the whole show for College Park offensively last season.
Trevor Larnach adds to the deep and talented outfield. Larnach got on base in over half his plate appearances, finishing with a .524 average and .608 on-base percentage.
Larnach and Oar had the best seasons among this year’s outfielders, but that doesn’t mean they are the only ones to keep an eye on. Stanford commit Jeffrey Mitchell will be looking to improve on the .256 average he posted during his sophomore season.
The list goes on and on for the junior class striving for greatness. But junior Willie Maciver adds to the class, hitting .351 with 13 RBI as a sophomore.
Not much has been lost either. Most of the key players from last season are returning in what appears to be a team poised for a championship run.
Last season concluded with a tough loss (12-11) to Casa Grande in the NCS Division 2 semifinals. The loss was a thrilling 13-inning matchup, but that cost them a trip to the NCS championship and a chance to beat Campolindo.
This season should be different, however. Campolindo lost many key players, but is returning some as well. The talent indicates a championship caliber team, but the road there will be tough in the competitive Division II bracket.
TEAMS TO WATCH
Amador Valley: Making a Cinderella run and winning the NCS championship, never discount the Dons from glory. Last season they turned magic into reality after defeating nationally ranked Granada in the semis, and completed the ultimate season sweep of favored De La Salle in the championship. That team included current Hawaii player Michael Echavia, both a star pitcher and outfielder for the Dons last year. Also lost to graduation is current Long Beach State catcher Daniel Jackson, a power hitter that totaled 4 home runs last season. Those are two of the always mentioned names lost to graduation, but they are returning a lot as well. St. Mary’s signee Austin Piscotty should rebound offensively after a struggling junior season. They are also coached under one of the top head coaches in the region, Lou Cesario. In the previous 4 seasons, Cesario has led the Dons to 2 section titles.
California: Poised for a great season, the Grizzlies still have more work to do. They are still deserving of a top ten spot, however. Fresno State outfielder commit Nick Allman should be one of the leaders, batting .281 last year with 2 home runs. Shortstop Cameron Santos, a Chico State commit, is another star for the Grizzlies. Santos finished with 22 stolen bases and a .352 average in 2013. Third baseman Austin Chauvin should bounce back and have a breakout senior campaign, following a season which he batted just .200. Senior AJ Velasquez should contribute to the offense along with junior Zac Guardino. But if Cal wants to be considered a contender, its pitching must improve as the season goes on, as they graduated all of the starters from a year ago.
Campolindo: The 4-straight defending champions are hoping to advance the streak to five, but many obstacles lie ahead, including an overly talented College Park squad. Cal bound pitcher Trevor Ladrech will be leading the way for the Cougars and will be tagged along by another Cal signee in infielder Denis Karas. If they want that elusive fifth straight section championship, more production will be needed after losing a stellar 2013 class to graduation. College Park appears to be its most formidable foe.
Clayton Valley: Following a trip to the NCS Division 2 semifinals, which they fell to Campolindo, the Ugly Eagles are poised for revenge. Among the top three teams in Division 2, they are led by Division One college commits in outfielder Grant Meylan (Santa Clara) and pitcher/first baseman Garrett Nelson (Long Beach State). Meylan had a breakout junior campaign, batting .526, getting on base 64 percent of the time. Nelson finished with 18 RBI’s, batting .388. and totaling 11 stolen bases. In order to advance further than last season, they will need to get by Campolindo and College Park, but a talented Livermore squad has a chance of being in its way as well. They split the season series with College Park last season.
College Park: Led by a star studded 2015 class, everything is falling in place for the Falcons. Washington commit, junior pitcher Joe DeMers, is ready for the big-time. DeMers finished with a 1.00 ERA last season in 63 innings, while also becoming a force at the plate as he batted .373. Stanford 2015 outfielder commit Nick Oar adds to the loaded junior class, and he batted .432 with 11 extra-base hits in 2013. Don’t forget about juniors Trevor Larnach and Willie Maciver either. Larnach hit .524 while Maciver was a .351 hitter. The Diablo Valley Athletic League isn’t as much of a lock as it seems for them, however, with Clayton Valley becoming a legitimate contender this season. Division 2 is the same, with Campolindo being another fierce competitor.
De La Salle: The favorites to win the East Bay Athletic League and NCS this season, the Spartans contain all the pieces necessary for a deep postseason run. They are led by Cal Poly outfield signee Ben Polshuk, who drove in 19 runs last season alongside 4 homeruns. Polshuk also totaled 9 stolen bases. Senior first baseman Chris Williams will also be a heavy contributor. Williams batted .424 last season with 28 RBI’s, holding an offer from Fresno State in baseball and Montana in football at quarterback. Junior Myles Coston is another addition to the offense, having hit.327 in his sophomore season. A strong pitching staff, led by junior Justin Hooper and senior Kyle Lally are bound to have tremendous seasons as well. Hooper maintained a 1.53 ERA last season. If De La Salle wants to claim the section title, they can’t get drawn away by the postseason blues, which have deterred its title hopes.
Freedom: Destined to claim the Bay Valley Athletic League title, many obstacles remain in the way, but that’s not to say that they aren’t among the favorites. Catcher Shea Sbranti, an Arizona signee, is the heralded star for the Falcons. Batting .303 last season with 17 RBI’s, Sbranti is ready to lead Freedom to the big time. Senior TJ Briggs adds to the offense as well, following a season which he hit .311. In 58 innings pitched last year, Briggs compiled a 3.03 ERA and will be the team’s ace this season. So far this season, Freedom is 2-1, having lost to Washington-Fremont, a game in which the Falcons were deemed to be the favorite. Standing in their way is Deer Valley and Heritage, two other school’s vying for the league title. Although being upset by Washington, Freedom whould continue to improve, and they will rebound and can make a deep playoff run.
Heritage: Although a tough 10-1 loss to Casa Grande, the Patriots still have the pieces for a deep postseason run this season and in the future seasons. San Mateo College bound pitcher Roger Kruse will look to lead them to a league title, but they will have Freedom and Deer Valley to contend with. Kruse had a 0.76 ERA last season and is tagged along by senior Brady Navarro, who finished with a 3.17 ERA. Sophomore Kevin Milam is looking to be the face of the future. Milam batted .295 while also holding a 2.14 ERA during his freshman season. Kruse compares the 2016 class for Heritage to the star studded 2013 Granada class, which was at one point ranked number two nationally by MaxPreps last season. Adding to Milam in the loaded 2016 class is Jake Cruce, Bubba Dentoni, Dominic Espino and Austin Manning. Once the experience and the more comfortable the younger players get, the better the team will get as the season continues.
Livermore: Despite the past few seasons not producing winning records, the Cowboys are primed to take I to the next level: a top four spot in the East Bay Athletic League. They are led by Oregon State commit Daniel Slominski, a heralded prospect on varsity since his freshman season. Slominski made his presence at both first base and pitcher, batting .315 and having a 3.77 ERA. Junior Ryan Ruley, a UC Santa Barbara commit, has also made his mark both offensively at shortstop and at pitcher. He hit .288 with 8 doubles during his sophomore season. Ruley also pitched 3 scoreless innings in a victory over Excel Academy in the team’s first scrimmage of 2014. Sophomore Dominic Foscalina is another addition to the offense, providing much needed power. Foscalina went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI’s in the game against Excel Academy. A strong pitching staff alongside Ruley and Slominski is appearing to be the case also. Senior Cameron Self, who recently received an offer from Midland University in Nebraska, is a talented and emerging lefty, Newcomer, junior lefty Thomas Triantos adds to the rotation. Triantos reaches the upper 80’s with his fastball and should continue to increase his velocity. Senior Zach Fuller is another piece in the deep pitching staff. Fuller pitched 4 scoreless innings in the victory over Excel Academy.
San Ramon Valley: Just a year after a disappointing 10-14 season (4-10 in EBAL), the talent level is intact for a bounce back season. Senior talent is of the upmost strengths for the Wolves, led by Stanford first base commit Matt Winaker. He generated a .338 average last season and will look to improve upon that. Santa Clara bound Matt Smithwick adds to Winaker’s talents. Smithwick hit 5 home runs in 2013 while batting .339. Juniors Nick Poirier and Ryan Weisenberg both hit .280 during their sophomore campaigns. Don’t think that the offensive qualities are all the Wolves have to offer either. Senior pitcher Alex Barden will likely become one of the top pitchers in EBAL following a season which he finished with a 1.69 ERA. Seniors Connor Neumann and Alex Trautner will be key in the pitching success alongside Barden. With the goal being a league title, they will need to improve and get past a might De La Salle squad.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Joe DeMers, College Park, P/SS, Junior - A Washington commit, played for the USA U18 Baseball team, went 10-0 with a 1.00 ERA in his sophomore season, also hit .373 with 2 HR’s.
Matt Ladrech, Campolindo, P, Senior - NCS champion, ranked among the top 25 recruits in NorCal for 2014 by NorCalPreps
Grant Meylan, Clayton Valley, 1B/P, Senior - .526 avg., .640 OBP, Long Beach State signee
Channing Nesbitt, Bishop O/Dowd, P, Senior - Low 90’s fastball, Washington commit, had a Tampa Bay Rays scout watching him in the 2-1 loss to Foothill on Monday
Ben Polshuk, De La Salle, OF, Senior - Cal Poly signee - Batted 319 with 4 HR’s last year alongside 9 stolen bases
Cameron Santos, California, SS, Senior-Chico State bound shortstop - .352 avg., 6 doubles, 22 stolen bases last year
Shea Sbranti, Freedom, C, Senior - Arizona bound catcher, .303 avg., 17 RBI, 2 HR in 2013
Daniel Slominski, Livermore, 1B/P, Senior - .315 avg., 2 HR, 12 stolen bases, 3.77 ERA in 52 IP last year, Oregon State signee
Casey Soltis, Granada, OF, Senior - Oregon signee, Top 10 prospects in Northern California in the class of 2014 according to NorCalPreps (Rivals), hit .316 with 18 RBI’s and 2 HR last year, went 2-for-4 with a triple in the team’s first game of the season (2-1 victory over Castro Valley), Offensive Player of the Day at the Area Code Games, led the Matadors to its first league title since 1992, had a number two national ranking at one point
Chris Williams, De La Salle, OF, Senior - Offer from Fresno State in baseball, offer from Montana at quarterback in football, .424 avg., 3 HR, 28 RBI’s in 2013. Played in Area Code Games.
