Two of this week’s featured stat stars are Randi Farricker of Glendora softball & Sam Mundt of Modesto Central Catholic baseball. Photos: Aaron Castrejon/glendoracitynews.com & Andy Alfaro/The Modesto Bee.
We’re including coaching legend Sam Blalock with his 900th win as part of this week’s package. Other highlights (or lowlights depending on point of view) are from a 36-27 softball game plus a nine-RBI week from Compton Centennial’s Matt Llanos, four straight games with homers from San Diego Clairemont’s Michael Jarvis and Analise De La Rosa of Port of L.A. softball with six RBI and 14 strikeouts in same outing. This week’s installment also includes a few performances from two weeks ago.
Note: Writeups this week also from Paul Muyskens & CIF Central Section historian Bob Barnett. We also will collect totals from MaxPreps, newspapers, tweets and from those sent in to us. We also will compile single-game highs from this post throughout the season and of course we use our weekly State Stat Stars collection as an aid for the Cal-Hi Sports State Record Book. That is the only state record book anyone has ever done and we have published it seven times with full copyright protection. To report totals to us for this feature and for the record book, email markjtennis@gmail.com or call 209-608-1317. You can also text to 209-608-1317.
We hope you like this free post on CalHiSports.com. Please help us out today by becoming a member of our Gold Club so you can see all of our great content. For more on special offer to get signed up for $9.99 for three months that started several weeks ago, CLICK HERE.
To see this week’s NorCal/SoCal Players of the Week, CLICK HERE.
900TH WIN FOR BLALOCK
California’s list of baseball coaches with 900 wins or more went from two members to three after legendary San Diego Section coach Sam Blalock from Rancho Bernardo earned his 900th earlier this week.
Blalock’s team defeated Eastlake of Chula Vista 13-2 in the Classic Division of the annual Lions tourney in San Diego behind the pitching of 2015 State Freshman of the Year Joey Magrisi along with five RBIs from Tora Otsuka.
Rancho Bernardo’s Sam Blalock could be on his way to 1,000 career wins after he collected No. 900 this week. Photo: PomeradoNews.com.
According to the Cal-Hi Sports State Record Book, the only others with 900 or more are all-time leader John Stevenson of El Segundo (he died in 2011) and Guy Anderson from Cordova of Rancho Cordova (stopped coaching last season). Blalock has coached since 1975 when he began his career at Mt. Carmel of San Diego.
“Honestly, it’s just another number,” Blalock told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “It means a lot more to other people. To me, it’s just baseball.”
Oakland A’s executive vice president of baseball operations Billy Beane, one of nine first-round MLB draft picks who have played for Blalock, also spoke to the Union-Tribune.
“It’s kind of scary,” Beane said. “Sam and I have been friends for more than 40 years. It reminds me of how young he was at Mt. Carmel. And really, he’s still a kid at heart. I think working with kids is what keeps him young.”
BASEBALL
Jordan Berg (El Camino Real, Woodland Hills)
During the Conquistadors’ City Section championship season last year, he may have been the No. 2 pitcher but he is looking like a staff ace this season as he struck out five and pitched a complete-game shutout during a 3-0 win over Poly of Sun Valley.
Kenny Brawner (Moorpark)
Pitching the Musketeers’ fifth shutout on the year, this left-hander allowed just one hit during a 3-0 win over Royal of Simi Valley. On the year, Brawner improved to 3-0 with 19 scoreless innings and 21 strikeouts while not walking a batter.
Ben Fariss (Valencia)
Both at the plate and on the mound this junior is off to a hot start to the season. In game two weeks back, he went 4 for 4 with five runs batted in during a 12-3 win over Agoura while also picking up the win in a 3-2 win over Agoura. At the time, Fariss was 2-0 on the mound and had not allowed an earned run over 18 innings pitched.
Trevor Franklin (Mira Costa, Manhattan Beach)
With no room for error, this Pepperdine-bound pitcher let his defense work behind him as he walked just one and struck out two during a no-hit performance in a 1-0 win over Culver City.
Gage Gardner (Littlerock)
In a 29-0 win last week vs. California City, Gardner went 5-for-5 with four runs scored and five RBI. He also had a double and triple. He didn’t pitch in that game, but in a second game against California City he struck out 15 batters and went 2-for-4 in a 19-2 blowout.
Michael Jarvis (Clairemont, San Diego)
The senior infielder homered in four straight games last week and has been batting around .500 for the season. Included in the streak was a 3-for-3 outing with four runs scored with one homer, one triple and one double in a 8-7 win vs. Mt. Miguel of Spring Valley. The other homers came against Castle Park, Tri-City Christian and Canyon Crest Academy.
Alex Lagrutta (Exeter)
In a game from two weeks ago, Lagrutta had a career high of seven RBIs in going 3-for-5 at the plate, including a home run, in a 30-0 romp past Granite Hills of Porterville.
Matt Llanos (Centennial, Compton)
He’s been on an RBI tear the last two weeks. After the senior first baseman/pitcher collected nine RBI in three games last week, he’s already had a five-RBI game to start this week. Llanos went 4-for-5 with five RBI in a 20-1 romp past Los Angeles Crenshaw and this week the five-RBI outing was in a 12-3 victory vs. Dominguez of Compton.
Jorge Martinez (Montgomery, San Diego)
He was one of the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Athletes of the Week for not allowing an earned run in his first 14 innings pitched this season. Martinez’s pitching helped Montgomery win the annual Foothiller-Aztec tourney title. He also had a 1-0 record with 15 strikeouts in those 14 innings.
Hart’s Robert Reeves reacts after hitting a triple in last year’s CIFSS Division I title game. Photo: Craig Takata/OCSidelines.com.
Jared Milch (Terra Nova, Pacifica)
Despite allowing a run, Milch did not allow a hit as he pitched a no-hitter in a 6-1 win over Capuchino of San Bruno.
Sam Mundt (Central Catholic, Modesto)
Younger brother of University of Oregon football tight end Johnny Mundt, Sam gave up football but does play baseball. In game two weeks ago, he hit two home runs and drove in four runs when the Raiders defeated Douglas of Minden, Nevada by a football like final score of 14-10.
Jason Munsch (Westmont, Campbell)
It was a good week for pitchers in the Bay Area that have their last name start with the letter M as he improved to 4-0 on the year, struck out nine and didn’t allow a run during a 3-0 win by the Warriors over Pioneer of San Jose.
Robert Reeves (Hart, Newhall)
Following up his 5 for 5 performance from the week before, this senior catcher went 3-for-3 during a 5-2 win over Newbury Park to extend his streak of getting a hit to 12 straight at bats before recording an out later in the week. This was an entry for stat stars from two weeks ago, but Reeves should be a player to watch throughout the season.
Victor Vogt (Soquel)
This junior infielder is off to a hot start for the Knights. In two games last week, he was a combined 5-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBI as Soquel lost 10-9 to St. Francis CCC of Watsonville and then won 5-0 over Harbor of Santa Cruz. In Vogt’s first 25 at-bats for the season, he was reported with a .773 batting average.
SOFTBALL
Mia Camuso (Shasta, Redding)
Despite the Oregon recruit and returning all-state player hitting two home runs and getting six runs batted in, the Wolves lost to Antelope 10-8 at the Stephanie LeDoux Tournament.
Analise De La Roca (Port of Los Angeles, San Pedro)
It looks like the Polar Bears will have another girl stepping up into the role of big-time stat star after the graduation of several players from last season. De La Roca had a monster game against Legacy of South Gate last week with two homers and six RBI as a batter plus a two-hitter and 14 strikeouts in the circle. Later in the week, Analise pitched a one-hitter and struck out 17 in a 1-0 victory over Knight of Palmdale.
Ryan Denart (Los Alamitos)
Leading the Griffins to the Tournament of Champions championship in Arizona two weeks ago, this Maryland-commit went 4-0 with 39 strikeouts at the tournament while allowing just one run. The most she struck out in one game was 15 against Glendale Cactus of Arizona.
Regan Dias (Central Valley, Shasta Lake)
Following up her 16-8 season as a freshman, she went 3-0 last week to earn MVP honors at the Etna tournament. In her three starts, Dias struck out 38 batters with a complete game shutout and 14 strikeouts in the 2-0 win over Hoopa Valley of Hoopa in the finals.
Mia Camuso will be looking to complete a record-breaking career before heading to the University of Oregon. Photo: Twitter.com.
Randi Farricker (Glendora)
The senior infielder has led the Tartans to an 11-1 start and is among the reported state leaders with seven homers. Farricker had a 4-for-4 game with three RBI last week in a 10-4 triumph vs. Calvary Chapel of Downey and later on hit her sixth homer and went 2-for-3 with three RBI in a 9-0 win vs. Ontario Christian. She recently had a five-RBI, two-homer game vs. Edgewood of West Covina.
Sarah Fukushima (Sheldon, Sacramento)
Making the most of her two hits, she hit two home runs and drove in five runs when the state-ranked Huskies defeated St. Mary’s of Stockton 12-7 in a game played two weeks ago.
Victoria Guzman (Lincoln, San Jose)
Picking up her eighth win of the season without a loss, she gave up just three hits while striking out 16 in a 3-0 win over Oak Grove of San Jose.
Hailey Jensen (Brea Olinda, Brea)
Swinging a hot bat at the Mark Takkinen Memorial Classic, this North Carolina-bound slugger hit a three-run home run and finished with six runs batted in during a 10-2 win over Los Altos of Hacienda Heights.
Natalie Lugo (South Hills, West Covina)
Allowing just two hits and striking out 11, the Huskies defeated Great Oak of Temecula 1-0 behind their Florida-bound ace. Great Oak is a quality opponent that has a win over Grand Terrace this season. Anytime Natalie throws, South Hills can win.
Mia Moore (Oxford Academy, Cypress)
While she didn’t shutdown La Quinta of Westminster from the circle. Moore helped make sure she would get the win as she hit three doubles and drove in five runs during the Patriots’ 13-8 win.
Serafine Parrish (Dana Hills, Dana Point)
The Dolphins won their fifth straight game after starting the season 1-2 as Parrish allowed just two hits while striking out 14 in a 2-0 win over Marina of Huntington Beach.
Emily Salazar (Valencia, Placentia)
Going 4 for 4 with four extra base hits, she hit two doubles and two home runs while driving in four runs during a 15-3 win over Montebello.
Jenny Sanchez (Point Arena)
In one of those unfortunate games we almost hate to mention, Sanchez scored five times and had five RBI in a 36-27 win over Elsie Allen of Santa Rosa. Teammate Esetelle Burkhardt also scored five times and had three RBI. Point Arena only had nine hits in getting its 36 runs. The Pirates benefitted from being walked an amazing 25 times.
Vanessa Taukeiaho (Etiwanda)
The super slugger entered spring break with 11 homers to reportedly lead the state and has led the Eagles to a 17-0 record and top five FAB 50 national ranking. On March 15, she blasted a pair of homers in a 14-5 triumph over Hemet and later that day added another in a 9-1 demolition of Redlands Citrus Valley.
Lexi Villalobos (San Ramon Valley, Danville)
One of the top players in the East Bay Athletic League, Lexi had a big week that began with her going 4-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI when the Wolves beat Northgate of Walnut Creek 6-0. She then went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and one RBI in a 20-0 romp past Washington of Fremont.
Kristin Worley (Savanna, Anaheim)
She may not be headed to a big-time school like some of the others on this list but she is headed to Chico State where she will cause havoc on the base paths. In an outing from two weeks ago, Worley went 2 for 2, scored three runs and stole four bases during a 5-0 win against Goodyear Estrella Hills of Arizona.
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
