ALL-NORTH COAST SECTION
Player of the Year
KYLE HARRISON, DE LA SALLE
When a big game hung in the balance, De La Salle coach David Jeans handed the ball to junior left-hander Kyle Harrison. He responded every time, dominating opposing hitters and leading the Spartans to yet another North Coast Section Division I championship.
“Kyle is a legitimate number one on the mound,” Jeans said. “He was set up to pitch against some of our toughest opponents, which he handled really well all the way to the end.”
Indeed, Harrison was dominant in the post-season, striking out 10 in a complete-game performance against Monte Vista for a 2-1 victory, and then allowing just two hits and striking out 10 more in a 10-1 win over Heritage for the NCS title. For the year, Harrison went 10-0 for the Spartans, posting a 1.26 ERA against the best opponents on the schedule. De La Salle was victorious in all 12 of his starts.
“Our league was tough, and we faced good pitchers and hitters throughout the year. This year would not have been possible without the love and support from my coaches, family and teammates,” said Harrison, who is verbally committed to UCLA. “The competitive nature at De La Salle allows each and every player to get better. We grind and push each other in order to be ready for games. I just started playing my type of game and started to have fun with it.”
After hardly getting an at-bat in 2018 as a sophomore, Harrison was also inserted as the Spartans’ cleanup hitter during the 2019 season. He had six doubles and 20 RBIs, but one of his biggest hits was a home run against St. Laurence-Illinois in the opening game of the All-Catholic Classic in Las Vegas. Three games later, facing Bishop Gorman for the tournament title, he blanked the host Gaels on two hits during a 9-0 win. The stretch cemented De La Salle’s national status for the year and gave the team an extra boost headed back into EBAL play and the post-season.
“His home run, and that opening win in Las Vegas, gave our kids all the confidence they belonged on that stage,” Jeans said. “Kyle took a huge step forward this year, both at the plate and on the mound.”
Harrison, who has been invited to participate in a three-week Player Development Program by Major League Baseball this summer, also had no problem giving up potential milestones during the season, knowing it was in the best interest of himself and the team. Three times he was pulled from the mound with a no-hitter intact, as his pitch count hovered around 90 on each occasion, except in the case of a three-inning stint against Summit-Oregon. In all three games, including wins over Amador Valley and California, the bullpen kept the shutout intact. In fact, the latter two wins were both combined no-hitters, with Harrison combining to strike out 25 batters over 12 innings in those two games.
“I truly feel protected when my coach pulls me due to pitch count. He cares about our futures and it doesn’t have to be one guy getting the job done. Everyone has a role to play,” Harrison said. “No matter the situation, we all know that someone is going to pick us up, and in those situations, I had faith in my teammate to finish the job.”
In addition to his three outings where he did not allow a hit, Harrison also posted two other one-hit outings. It was all part of a storybook season for the Spartans, who won 28 straight games to finish 30-1 and section champions. And Harrison gets to come back for one more year wearing the green and silver.
“This upcoming summer is a huge one for me, and I am hoping to develop as a player and learn many things that I can bring back to De La Salle,” Harrison concluded.
For his efforts throughout the season, we are pleased to recognize Kyle Harrison as the Prep2Prep North Coast Section Player of the Year.
Other players considered include Kennedy-Fremont’s Dalton Bowling, Heritage’s Ryan Jackson, Drake’s Eamonn Lance and Monte Vista’s Josh White.
Coach of the Year
MICHAEL SEWELL, WASHINGTON
After sharing the Mission Valley Athletic League title with Newark Memorial and Kennedy-Fremont in 2018, there were certainly question marks surrounding Washington as the Huskies headed into the 2019 season, staring a core of underclassmen which would be counted on to lead the team. But despite their relative youth, the Huskies did not back down from a gauntlet of challenges during the regular season, and emerged with not only an outright league title but also their highest win total in the last couple decades.
One of the strengths of the team was a junior-oriented pitching staff, which consisted of Brandon Louie, Austin Balentine and reliever Kyle Bratset. On the receiving end of their throws was another junior, Niko Lombardi, who caught every inning of the 2019 season.
“We focused first on pitching and defense, and our guys accepted the roles they were given and moved forward,” said Washington coach Michael Sewell. “This is a very tight group, the majority of whom hang out together outside of baseball.”
Sewell, along with assistant coaches Pete Cervantez and his Brandon Sewell, definitely got the most out of a team which will be expected to contend for a North Coast Section title in 2020. They realized early on that this year could be a special one, allowing just two runs in their first three games, victories over perennial Division II contender Arroyo, plus EBAL foes Livermore and Granada.
In fact, Washington flexed plenty of muscle outside of league play, going 4-1 for the year against the elite East Bay Athletic League, also beating California and Monte Vista while falling in extra innings to San Ramon Valley. The win over Monte Vista came as part of the Elite Eight Classic at Saint Francis in Mountain View, where the Huskies reached the title game before falling 4-3 to Wilcox-Santa Clara.
“Our guys playing well against EBAL teams was great, and seeing individual players perform at higher than expected levels was awesome,” Sewell added.
The Elite Eight Classic also included a win over eventual NCS Division III finalist Bishop O’Dowd, and a sweep of Newark Memorial in the final week of the regular season clinched the outright league title for Washington. After going extra innings with Newark Memorial again in the first round of the Division II playoffs, the Huskies were eliminated by eventual champion Benicia, in a 5-3 loss. But the final game does little to take away from a 21-win ground-breaking season on the Fremont campus, one which was memorable for another reason for Sewell.
“The standout moment this season is owned by having my oldest son (Brandon) coaching with me. Hearing him talk to the players proved he actually listened to me years ago,” Sewell said. “It is also pretty awesome to be selected from among so many great coaches in the NCS. There are so many people who make this possible, and I have tremendous support from our parents, our principal, athletic director, my wife Carolynn and our team business manager Moira Jacobs. It is truly a team effort.”
For his efforts throughout the season, we are pleased to recognize Michael Sewell as the Prep2Prep North Coast Section Coach of the Year.
Other coaches considered include De La Salle’s David Jeans, Acalanes’ Clint Hoover and Alhambra’s Steve Elliott.
FIRST TEAM ALL-NCS
Kyle Harrison, De La Salle
Position: Pitcher
Year: Junior
The MVP of the EBAL, Harrison was downright unhittable for most of the season, posting a 10-0 record with a 1.26 ERA and striking out 103 batters in 61 innings pitched. Twice, he left the game after six innings with a no-hitter intact, including a 14-strikeout performance against California. He also hit .286 with 20 RBIs.
Eric Reyzelman, De La Salle
Position: Pitcher
Year:Senior
Reyzelman, who will play next year at the University of San Francisco, may have been the number two starter on the Spartans’ staff, but was an ace in his own right. He went 8-0 with a miniscule 0.55 ERA, striking out 74 batters in 50 innings pitched, and also left twice late in the game with a no-hitter intact, with a pair of 12-strikeout performances against St. Mary’s-Stockton and James Logan.
Josh White, Monte Vista
Position: Pitcher
Year: Senior
The won-loss record doesn’t come close to telling the story for the Cal-bound White. The first-team All-EBAL pick went 5-3 with a 0.92 ERA, but all three losses were to De La Salle, a trio of appearances which makes the fact opponents hit just .164 against him even more impressive. He struck out 77 batters in 61 innings, while adding two complete game shutouts and even a save during an early-season win over eventual Division I finalist Heritage.
Eamonn Lance, Drake
Position: Catcher
Year: Senior
The top power hitter in Marin County high school history, Lance capped his career by hitting .390 with 12 home runs and 30 RBIs for the Pirates, including long balls in his last two games, the MCAL tournament title game against Redwood and in his final high school at-bat against Alameda in the section playoffs. He also had 12 stolen bases, drew 21 walks and committed just two errors all season behind the plate. The Santa Clara commit finished his career with 24 home runs, 23 of them in the last two years.
Ryan Jackson, Heritage
Position: Infield
Year: Junior
The BVAL MVP hit .582 with 13 extra-base hits and 28 RBIs, and also posted an on-base percentage of .642. He also went 4-0 with a 0.76 ERA and two saves on the mound, striking out 55 batters in 36 innings pitched as he led the Patriots to a league title and appearance in the NCS Division I title game.
Jack Grant, San Ramon Valley
Position: Infielder
Year: Junior
The UCLA commit and first-team All-EBAL selection hit .407 to pace the Wolves’ lineup, driving in 21 runs, and turned a whopping 14 double plays from the middle of the infield. He had a pair of three-hit games during the year, including one in a key EBAL tournament win over Dublin.
Michael Dixon, Berkeley
Position: Outfielder
Year: Senior
The Player of the Year in the WACC-Foothill, Dixon hit .348 with three home runs and 16 stolen bases for the Yellowjackets, who captured the league’s regular season crown. The University of San Diego commit also displays tremendous range in the outfield.
D’Andre Gaines, Pinole Valley
Position: Outfielder
Year: Senior
The MVP of the TCAL-Rock Division hit .412 for the Spartans with five home runs, 32 runs scored and 30 RBIs. He also walked 24 times for a .556 on-base percentage and made defenses pay with 25 stolen bases. Gaines committed just one error all season in the field.
Nick Kresnak, Acalanes
Position: Utility
Year: Junior
The dual-sport standout and Washington commit was named DAL-Foothill Player of the Year after leading the Dons to an unbeaten run through league play and a 23-win season overall. On the mound, he went 6-2 with a 1.09 ERA, striking out 53 batters in 45 innings, and added to that with a .366 batting average, collecting 19 RBIs to go with 16 stolen bases.
Bubba Gomez, Fremont Christian
Position: Utility
Year: Senior
The Alabama A&M commit and BCL-General MVP hit .446 with five home runs, 19 stolen bases and 37 RBIs to pace the Warriors offensively. He also posted a 1.20 ERA on the mound, striking out 152 batters in 82 innings pitched and throwing two no-hitters. Gomez earned the win in a NCS Division V semifinal victory over Branson and then got the save with three scoreless innings in a title game win over Berean Christian.
Chris Santiago, De La Salle
Position: Designated Hitter
Year: Senior
Santiago was certainly valuable in the field for the Spartans, and could pitch when needed, but the first-team All-EBAL pick really cleaned things up at the plate, where he led the team with 38 RBIs, hitting .407 with three home runs and 13 doubles. He will play next year at Saint Mary’s College.
SECOND TEAM ALL-NCS
Bennett Flynn, Tamalpais
Position: Pitcher
Year: Senior
The MCAL Pitcher of the Year was dominant in 2019, going 6-2 with a 0.58 ERA for the Red-Tailed Hawks, striking out 104 batters in 60 innings. That included an 18-strikeout performance during a win over Terra Linda, and opponents hit a paltry .098 against him. He is committed to Davidson.
Jesse Barron, Dougherty Valley
Position: Pitcher
Year: Senior
Barron finished a strong two-year stretch as the workhorse of the Dougherty Valley staff by posting an 8-3 record with a 1.10 ERA and two saves, with two of those three losses coming against San Ramon Valley. He struck out 97 batters in 76 innings and helped his own cause at the plate, batting .328.
Andrew Meyer, Berean Christian
Position: Pitcher
Year: Senior
The Utah commit and co-Most Valuable Pitcher in the DAL-Valley, Meyer led the Eagles to the NCS Division V title game, posting a 1.01 ERA with six complete games, striking out 111 batters in 76 innings pitched. He also hit .338 with eight extra-base hits and 14 RBIs.
Grant Manning, Dublin
Position: Infielder
Year: Senior
The first-team All-EBAL pick hit .419 with eight doubles for the Gaels and was near flawless in the field, committing just two errors in 127 total chances. He was also a big contributor on the mound, posting a 2.45 ERA over 10 appearances.
Jake Brandel, Monte Vista
Position: Outfielder
Year: Senior
The first-team All-EBAL selection hit .346 with four home runs and a team-high 22 RBIs for the Mustangs, including a pair of long balls against De La Salle ace Kyle Harrison. The UC Davis commit added eight stolen bases and played error-free in the field.
Nate Freeman, Benicia
Position: Utility
Year: Senior
Freeman hit .443 for the NCS Division II champion Panthers, while also posting a 4-1 record with a 1.41 ERA on the mound. He hit safely in the final six games of the season, including three hits in the championship game win over Maria Carrillo. On the hill, Freeman shutout Northgate and Alameda in the post-season, then tossed three scoreless innings against Carrillo to earn the save in the title game.
THIRD TEAM ALL-NCS
PITCHERS
Caleb Ruiz (St. Bernard’s), Wyatt Thompson (Bishop O’Dowd), Brandon Louie (Washington), Jack Snook (Amador Valley), Brody Eglite (Alhambra), Zakai Avidor (Las Lomas), Joey Soberon (Clayton Valley), Sean Flowers (Cardinal Newman), Merek Sears (Arcata)
CATCHERS
Jay Tarkenton (Marin Catholic), Ryan McKinley (Freedom), Matt Sugden (Foothill)
INFIELDERS
Trevor Jackson (Amador Valley), Nick Fusari (De La Salle), Chaz Myers (Heritage), Casey Vogan (Liberty), Kyren Paris (Freedom), Matthias Haas (Bishop O’Dowd), Davis Diaz (Acalanes)
OUTFIELDERS
Bryce Cannon (Maria Carrillo), Brendan Bell (Liberty), Andrew Frame (Tamalpais), Luke Foscalina (Livermore), Ryan Stemplinger (Foothill), Joe Sassi (Piedmont), Tyree Reed (American Canyon)
UTILITY
CJ Van Meter (South Fork), Carson Crawford (Cardinal Newman), Max Nyrop (Alameda), Nick Costello (Dublin), Cooper Vasquez (Encinal), Cameron Saso (McKinleyville), Garrett James (Fort Bragg)
DESIGNATED HITTER
Charles McAdoo (De La Salle), Dustin Ireland (McKinleyville), Trent Free (St. Vincent de Paul)
HONORABLE MENTION:
ACALANES:
Logan Hurd, Tommy Thrasher
ALAMEDA:
KW Quilici, Joe Gibbons
ALHAMBRA:
Dillon Elliott, Payton de Bonneville
AMADOR VALLEY:
Brad Couture, Justin Rasmussen
AMERICAN:
Aaron Pierre
AMERICAN CANYON:
Jordan Fisher
ANALY:
Dalton Goodrum
ANTIOCH:
Jordan Aguallo
ARCATA:
Jaden Gorge
ARROYO:
Cameron Weatherford, Noah Amaral
ATHENIAN:
Brian Tierney
BAY:
Peter Colohan
BENICIA:
Jayshawn Wise, Justin Zimmer
BENTLEY:
Davis McGanney
BEREAN CHRISTIAN:
Cole Duey, Jordan Alexander
BERKELEY:
Ole Iversen
BETHEL:
Mateo Santos, Noah Fiso
BISHOP O'DOWD:
Liam Rizzo, Kai Johnson
BRANSON:
Will Jacobsen, Oliver Sellman
CALIFORNIA:
Josh Giffins, Asher Golden
CALIFORNIA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF:
Jaden Reader
CARDINAL NEWMAN:
Jordan Herrfeldt, Shane Moran, Gianni Cavallo
CASA GRANDE:
Noah Bailey, Joe Lampe, Cole Santander
CASTRO VALLEY:
Justin Hernandez
CLAYTON VALLEY:
Jack Murphy, Cooper Gardner, Eddie Curley
CLOVERDALE:
Dylan Scaramella
COLLEGE PARK:
Connor Sullivan, Joe Aivazian
COLLEGE PREP:
Ryan Chang
CONCORD:
Jonathan Miller, Ryan Murphy
DE ANZA:
Raudel Wilson
DE LA SALLE:
Jared Amigh, Dylan White
DEER VALLEY:
Anthony Manuel
DOUGHERTY VALLEY:
Matt Robillard
DRAKE:
Gabe Leary, Colin Brown
DREW:
Daro Serizawa
DUBLIN:
Koby Seely, Sam Gilliam
EL CERRITO:
Ricky Salas, Niko Parawan
EL MOLINO:
Sam Wilson-Mietz
ENCINAL:
Jon Atases, Tristan Good
EUREKA:
Jackson Giacone, David Vagle
FERNDALE:
Landon Gomes
FOOTHILL:
Niko Mallat, Tommy Scavone
FORT BRAGG:
Jullian Clavelle, Cody Filosi
FORTUNA:
Sheaden Kadle
FREEDOM:
Brian McBroom, Jacob Bartlett
FREMONT CHRISTIAN:
John Sanguinetti, Tyler Woodman
GATEWAY:
Luca Mancasola
GRANADA:
Gavin Napier, Blaze Hill
HAYWARD:
Diego Munoz
HEAD-ROYCE:
Michael Robinson
HEALDSBURG:
Hunter Irons
HERITAGE:
Cristian Machado, Bryce Arana, Tom Rover
INTERNATIONAL:
Holden Smith
JAMES LOGAN:
Gabriel Hursh
JEWISH COMMUNITY:
Adam Cohen
JUSTIN-SIENA:
Luigi Albano-Dito
KELSEYVILLE:
Adrian Villalobos
KENNEDY-FREMONT:
Tyler Aguilar, Fred Aquilina
LAS LOMAS:
Brad Barker, Matt Hershey
LAYTONVILLE:
Liam Maizner
LIBERTY:
Brayden Spears
LICK-WILMERDING:
Alex Mengarelli, Jake Slaughter
LIVERMORE:
Cole Arnold
MAKING WAVES:
Javier Rivera
MARIA CARILLO:
Bryce Veler, Connor Charpiot
MARIN ACADEMY:
Andoni Etcheverry
MARIN CATHOLIC:
Vaughn Mauterer, Max Manning
MCKINLEYVILLE:
Corbin Eichin, Lance Lally
MIDDLETOWN:
William Aden
MIRAMONTE:
Joe Hollerbach, Charlie Mollahan
MISSION SAN JOSE:
Austin Chen
MONTE VISTA:
JL Meyers, Ben Clark
MONTGOMERY:
AJ Westergaard
MOREAU CATHOLIC:
Gerardo Vargas
MT. EDEN:
Jaylen Hadley
NAPA:
Trent Maher
NEWARK MEMORIAL:
Andre Joly, Marcus Alonso
NORTHGATE:
Cooper Birdwell, Luke Saunders
OAKLAND MILITARY:
Phillip Hall
PESCADERO:
Gabe Allen
PETALUMA:
Jack Gallagher, Sam Brown
PIEDMONT:
Kyle Spanier, Owen Levinson
PINER:
Jesus Luna
PINOLE VALLEY:
Scott Siverson, Deven Irwin
PITTSBURG:
George Thompson III
POINT ARENA:
Jared Sundstrom
RANCHO COTATE:
Brandon Proschold
REDWOOD:
Ben Cohen
REDWOOD CHRISTIAN:
Matt Dzoan
SAINT MARY'S:
Lucas Mendoza, Noah Zirkle
SAN DOMENICO:
Patrick Liang
SAN LEANDRO:
Danny Garcia, Antoine Valerio
SAN LORENZO:
Logan Vanhille
SAN MARIN:
Josh Franks
SAN RAFAEL:
Hayden Hattenbach
SAN RAMON VALLEY:
Clay Facteau
SANTA ROSA:
Jack Hamilton
SONOMA ACADEMY:
Jordan Salmonsen
SONOMA VALLEY:
Max Handron, Joe Costanzo
SOUTH FORK:
Cooper Scott, Cody Wyatt
ST. BERNARD'S:
Hunter Davis, Bode Joyner
ST. HELENA:
Caleb Jeske
ST. JOSEPH NOTRE DAME:
Hudson Hennigh
ST. PATRICK-ST. VINCENT:
Stefan Foley
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL:
Tyler Cunha
STUART HALL:
Jake Pirrone
SWETT:
Matt Sparks, Darrion Davis
TAMALPAIS:
Jake Buxton, Tucker Bougie
TERRA LINDA:
Johnny Tarantino
UKIAH:
Chris Walsh, Duncan Kindopp
UNIVERSITY:
Charley Moore
UPPER LAKE:
Diego Velasco
URBAN:
Robert Ciulla
VALLEJO:
James Matthews
VINTAGE:
Ethan Hemmerlin, Eli Wood
WALDORF:
Orpheu Hanwright
WASHINGTON:
Niko Lombardi, Stevie Murata
WINDSOR:
Joseph Soltanizadeh, Tyler Hellums
YGNACIO VALLEY:
Sergio Vazquez
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