Senior pitcher Sam Reyes from Minarets of O’Neals struck out 15 batters in a Central Section final while junior pitcher Taylor McQuillin has been putting up zeroes for No. 1 Mission Viejo. Photos: Mark Tennis & Courtesy Student Sports.
No-hitters in baseball take center stage this week, including one that came against a team that was ranked third in the state at the time. Softball’s best include ace pitchers from Mission Viejo, Pacifica and M.L. King.
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(Mostly for games played from May 19-23 but including some from this week; thanks to CIF Central Section historian Bob Barnett for continued contributions to this feature and to the state record book.)
BASEBALL
Caeden Barnes (Upland Christian)
A fantastic senior season ended for Caeden due to his team’s 6-5 loss on Tuesday to St. Margaret’s in the CIF Southern Section Division VI playoffs. He went 2-for-2 with a double and triple and finished the season hitting .639 with 11 homers and 49 RBI. In his last start as a pitcher, Barnes tossed a three-hitter with 13 strikeouts in a 1-0 victory over Temecula Prep.
Andrew Bash (Palm Desert)
He definitely lived up to his name by bashing a pair of homers in a 7-3 victory against Loara of Anaheim in the CIFSS D3 playoffs. Bash also brings the heat from the mound. In a different playoff game, he notched a no-hitter when the Aztecs topped Palmdale 8-0.
Jake Bradley (St. Margaret’s, SJ Capistrano)
In a game already referred to regarding a different player, Bradley led the Eagles with five RBI in their 6-5 triumph over Upland Christian in the CIFSS Division VI playoffs.
Jacob Call (Washington, Fremont)
His win-loss record on the mound heading into this week was only 6-4 but his ERA of 0.51 was great. Call pitched last Saturday in the CIF North Coast Section Division II playoffs against always-tough Casa Grande of Petaluma and finished with a one-hitter, struck out 10 and led the Huskies to a 1-0 triumph.
Toby Dunlap (Lutheran, Orange)
He’s already notched another big pitching win for this week against state-ranked Wilson of Long Beach, but last week Dunlap came through with a perfect game when the Lancers blanked Newport Harbor of Newport Beach 7-0. In his perfect game, Dunlap threw just 55 pitches and struck out just two batters. Now that’s playing defense behind the pitcher.
Jack Flaherty (Harvard-Westlake, North Hollywood)
A terrific prep career for Flaherty was completed on Tuesday when Harvard-Westlake was upset 3-1 in the CIFSS Division I playoffs by Edison of Huntington Beach. Flaherty did not pitch but he sure did in the Wolverines’ first playoff outing with a no-hitter against J.W. North of Riverside. Flaherty walked the first batter to prevent it from being a perfect game, but then retired 21 straight batters. He ends his career at 35-3 including 23 straight wins as a pitcher with a 1.19 career ERA. Flaherty, last year’s Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year, has already been named Gatorade State Player of the Year for this season. It’s too soon for that in our opinion with other fabulous candidates in the state such as Alex Jackson (Rancho Bernardo), Jake Gatewood (Clovis) and Brady Aiken (Cathedral Catholic) but Flaherty without question would be a solid choice.
Kyle Franco (Foothill, Pleasanton)
In a 10-0 win over San Leandro in the CIF North Coast Section Division I quarterfinals, Franco had a one-walk no-hitter to lead the Falcons. He also went 3-for-4 at the plate.
Alex Goronda (Santa Monica)
Goronda sent opposing batters to go packing as he finished with a no-hitter and struck out eight in a 5-0 win over West Covina in the CIFSS D3 playoffs.
Ryan Kreidler (Davis)
Top sophomore prospect and son of Bay Area columnist Mark Kreidler raised his batting average to .433 for the season after going 2-for-3 with a double in a 5-2 win over Elk Grove that eliminated the Thundering Herd from the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoffs. Kreidler, who also has 10 doubles and 26 RBI this season, and the rest of his team will now play St. Mary’s of Stockton in the section finals beginning Friday at University of the Pacific.
Dillon Paulson (Santa Fe Christian, Solana Beach)
The CIF San Diego Section season leader for RBI, Paulson went 2-for-2 with a double and four RBI in a 6-2 win last week against Bishop’s of La Jolla. That raised his season total to 43.
Corby Punian (Bellarmine Prep, San Jose)
There were several no-hitters within the last week, but Punian’s was perhaps the best of them all because it came against such a highly-ranked opponent. His no-hitter (which ended on a strikeout) gave Bellarmine a 2-0 win over previous No. 3 in the state St. Francis of Mountain View in the CIF Central Coast Section Division I quarterfinals.
Austin Ragsdale (Bradshaw Christian, Sacramento)
He pitched a five-hitter and struck out 11 during the Pride’s 10-2 triumph over Mariposa County for the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI title. It was Bradshaw’s second section title since 2009. Ragsdale, the team’s ace, earlier won a game against Elk Grove.
Sam Reyes (Minarets, O’Neals)
He didn’t get the win, but Reyes’ pitching for six innings of the CIF Central Section Division VI final against Farmersville was hard to believe. After getting a ground out on the first batter he faced, Reyes struck out 15 of the next 17 batters and the only two that did get on base got there on walks and were immediately picked off. Reyes lost the no-hitter after two hits in a row by Farmersville to lead off the top of the seventh and both runners eventually scored off a different pitcher. Minarets won the game 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh on a triple by Cedar Robertson followed by a sacrifice by Jordan Christian.
Alan Trejo (Warren, Downey)
Helping his team get to 28-4 on the season, Trejo pitched a four-hitter and whiffed seven in a 4-1 triumph against Diamond Bar in the CIFSS Division III playoffs. Trejo also had two hits, including a triple, and drove in two of the four runs. Warren advanced to the quarterfinals for a game against Palm Desert.
Sean Trimble (Temescal Canyon, Lake Elsinore)
Trimble had the opposition trembling when he faced San Gorgonio of San Bernardino in the CIFSS Division II playoffs. Trimble finished with a no-hitter, walked two and struck out in leading the Titans past San Gorgonio 8-0.
Sophomore Kailla Searcy from Paraclete of Lancaster can hit homers over the fence or by the inside-the-park variety. Photo: Courtesy T.D. Wright.
Steffi Best (Palos Verdes, PV Estates)
A sophomore who has committed to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Best was a pest to California of Whittier in a CIF Southern Section Division III playoff game. She was the winning pitcher (improving to 16-3) but at the plate she delivered three hits, including a pair of doubles, and drove in five runs.
Kaylee Carlson (Pacifica, Garden Grove)
She’s been lights out so far for the Mariners in the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs. Carlson, who has signed with North Carolina, pitched her fourth straight shutout in Tuesday with a two-hitter and struck out eight in a 2-0 win over Canyon of Anaheim.
Julia DePonte (Vacaville)
The University of Washington recruit capped a phenomenal season and stellar prep career by hitting a two-run homer in the Bulldogs’ 3-0 win over Pleasant Grove that gave them the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I title and a 29-1-1 final record. DePonte ended up with seven homers on the season and a .516 batting average. She even batted more than .500 as a freshman.
Dani Martin (Calistoga)
The senior catcher collected four hits with a homer and triple in sparking the Wildcats past Livermore Prep 24-6 in the CIF North Coast Section Division V playoffs. Martin also ended with seven RBI.
Taylor McQuillin (Mission Viejo)
The junior pitching whiz struck out 17 in 10 innings and got through a couple of gut-wrenching situations when the Diablos edged Westlake 1-0 in the CIFSS Division II playoffs. McQuillin then pitched a two-hitter with 12 Ks in Tuesday’s less stressful 8-0 romp past Moorpark.
Alexis Osorio (M.L. King, Riverside)
The Alabama commit pitched nine innings of no-hit ball and finished with a one-hitter in 10 innings to lead the Wolves past Cypress 1-0 in Tuesday’s CIFSS Division I semifinals. Osorio also ended with 14 strikeouts.
Arizona Pilgrim (Taft)
With a four-hitter and six strikeouts, Pilgrim finished with her 13th shutout of the season to lead Taft past Liberty of Madera Ranchos 6-0 in the CIF Central Section Division IV title game. Pilgrim, who struck out 13 in the semifinals, ended the season with 30 pitching wins and a 0.76 ERA. Taft also ended 36-2 and ensured that it will finish No. 1 in the final Division IV state rankings.
Chanler Powell (Benicia)
The senior headed to Texas Southern went 2-for-3 when the Panthers defeated Del Campo of Fair Oaks 3-2 to win the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division II title. Powell earlier in the playoffs had two triples and one homer and led Benicia (21-4) in hits, homers and RBI and was second in batting average.
Sydney Romero & Selina Ta’amilo (Vista Murrieta)
Romero clubbed a couple of homers while Ta’amilo pitched the shutout and hit a homer of her own during the Broncos’ 7-0 upset win over Esperanza of Anaheim in the CIFSS Division I playoffs.
Kailla Searcy (Paraclete, Lancaster)
The sophomore standout hammered her 13th and 14th homers of the season – one was a grand slam – and finished with seven RBI to lead the Spirits past Anaheim 13-2 in the CIFSS Division V playoffs. She is also the team’s regular starting pitcher.
Thanks to Paul Muyskens for contributing to this honor roll.
Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports
One Comment
Name is SAM REYES from MINARETS not SAM TORRES