All-State Baseball: Super Elite

No. 1 MLB Draft pick and Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year Mickey Moniak has been selected alongside 29 others in being among this year’s All-State Super Elite first team. This is the 36th straight year of the Cal-Hi Sports all-state teams in baseball, a feat we’re proud to continue from what remains the baseball capital of the world.

For the all-state second and third teams, CLICK HERE.
For the all-state underclass teams, CLICK HERE.
For the all-state small & medium school teams, CLICK HERE.
For Gold Club post of our all-time all-state first team baseball archive back to 1992 (with second team back to 2003), CLICK HERE.

Note: We’ll have an inside look at this year’s all-state baseball teams after all of the teams are chosen, including names of players we really wanted to pick but couldn’t. That post plus more unique California high school sports content is for Gold Club members only. To join our team today, CLICK HERE.

Congratulations to these players who’ve been named first team overall for the 36th annual Cal-Hi Sports all-state baseball honors program:

CATCHERS

Alex Isola (Jesuit, Carmichael) Sr.
Despite missing part of the season with an injury, Isola ended up leading the Marauders’ offense. He hit .483 with 31 runs batted in, five doubles and four home runs during a season that saw them ranked in the state Top 20 for much of it. Signed to play next year at Utah, he was also a Sacramento Bee All-Metro first team selection and is considered to be a very good defensive catcher.

Andy Thomas (Murrieta Mesa, Murrieta) Sr.
After the Rams won the CIF Southern Section Division I title and finished fourth in the final state rankings, Thomas emerged as their top honors candidate. A three-year varsity performer with a .336 career batting average, Thomas was on the All-CIFSS Division I team and was on the All-Inland Empire area team as chosen by the Riverside Press-Enterprise. He also threw out 21 of 31 attempting to steal against him. Thomas will play next at Baylor.

PITCHERS

Andrew Brown (Granite Hills, El Cajon) Sr.
With the help of some impressive performances in the postseason, he was named by East County Sports as its player of the year as the Eagles captured the CIF San Diego Section Division I championship. Pitching a complete game shutout in the section semifinals over Torrey Pines of San Diego and then two shutdown innings of relief in the final, he ended the year 9-3 with a 1.37 ERA. Brown will be yet another player from San Diego suiting up for the Phillies since he was picked in the 13th round by them and has signed. He is currently a teammate with Mickey Moniak of La Costa Canyon in the Gulf Coast League.

Trevor Franklin (Mira Costa, Manhattan Beach) Sr.
Trevor’s overall stats aren’t quite as impressive as a few other first team all-state picks, but the Pepperdine-bound standout had some huge outings vs. big-time competition. In addition to throwing a no-hitter in a head-to-head matchup with fellow all-state pitcher Nolan Martinez, Franklin also shut down Davis in the title game of the Boras Classic and had 10 strikeouts in handing Redondo of Redondo Beach its only home and league loss of the season. Franklin went 8-2 in all with a 1.59 ERA covering 75 innings.

Kevin Gowdy (Santa Barbara) Sr.
Yet another Californian that was committed to UCLA but has signed a pro contract, Gowdy was the 42nd overall pick (second round) by the Philadelphia Phillies. He went 4-1 with a 1.24 ERA while striking out 93 in 56.2 innings for the Dons and showcased his fastball that was into the 90s while also throwing a slider. Gowdy could end up playing most of his pro career in a rotation along with fellow all state first teamer Mickey Moniak, who was also selected and signed by the Phillies.

Jared Horn (Vintage, Napa) Sr.
This multi-sport standout will switch his focus once he gets to Cal on baseball. Horn will head to Berkeley after passing on signing with the Milwaukee Brewers, who selected him during the MLB Draft. Named earlier this season as our Northern California Player of the Week, he takes home this season-long honor from us after going 9-2 with a 0.67 ERA. Horn also struck out 124 batters while walking just 17. He also batted .345 with four homers, two triples and eight doubles.

Nick Lodolo (Damien, La Verne) Sr.
The Spartans captured the Baseline League championship and had a deep run in the CIFSS Division II playoffs behind their 6-foot-5 left-hander. On the year, he went 8-2 with a 1.97 ERA while striking out 83 in 65 innings. Selected with the last pick before the start of the second round in the MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates, he will not sign a pro contract despite a reported offer of $1.75 million and will head to play in college at TCU. Lodolo also has already been named the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin Player of the Year.

Matt Manning (Sheldon, Sacramento) Sr.
While he wasn’t the first high schooler from California to hear his name called during the MLB Draft, Manning did not have to wait long since he was the ninth pick overall by the Detroit Tigers. Nearly giving up the sport after his freshman year, he had 77 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings this year while going 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA as the Huskies reached the section playoffs for the first time in program history. Passing up playing baseball and basketball at Loyola Marymount, he has signed a big deal with the Tigers to start his pro baseball career.

Nolan Martinez (Culver City) Sr.
With a fastball that hits up to 93 MPH, he was committed to San Diego State but has signed with the New York Yankees after being selected in the third round of the MLB Draft. On the season, Martinez was 8-2 with a 0.49 ERA and had 81 strikeouts in 56 2/3 innings. While known for his arm, he also hit .292 with seven doubles and four triples.

Collin Quinn (JSerra, San Juan Capistrano) Sr.
Nearly going undefeated on the mound this season, Quinn won his first 12 decisions before losing in the CIFSS Division I semifinals to finish the season 12-1 with a 0.82 ERA. Not known for his blazing speed, his unique side-arm motion caused chaos for hitters all season long as he struck out 68 batters in 85.2 innings with just 11 walks. Named by OC Sidelines as its Pitcher of the Year, Quinn will also be headed to the Pac-12 where he will play for Washington State.

INFIELD

Jake Baer (El Camino Real, Woodland Hills) Sr.
Named the CIF L.A. City Section Division I MVP, he led the Conquistadors’ offense and also was on the L.A. Daily News All-Area squad. Baer, who will be headed next to play in the West Coast Conference at Loyola Marymount, hit .321 with 10 doubles, four homers and 27 RBI. He also only made three errors all season.

Hunter Greene (Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks) Jr.
We certainly could have picked Hunter in the multi-purpose category but felt we had to list him as an infielder since we had a low number of pure infielders for this year’s first team. Greene, last year’s State Sophomore of the Year and probably considered the runner-up to State Junior of the Year Royce Lewis, made the L.A. Times and L.A. Daily News honor squads. At the plate, he hit .419 with five homers, nine doubles and 20 RBI. On the mound, he had a 1.63 ERA with 68 strikeouts.

Ryan Kreidler (Davis) Sr.
Named to the Sacramento Bee first team, Kreidler has been a mainstay for the Blue Devils since his freshman season. He showed he was healthy this season as he hit .346 with 11 doubles and 27 runs batted in for team that won the NorCal portion of the Boras Classic. Selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 35th round of the MLB Draft, Kreidler will be headed to play next season at UCLA. He was also a standout in the classroom with a 4.2 GPA and his dad, Mark, is a well known writer and radio personality in the Sacramento area.

Royce Lewis (JSerra, San Juan Capistrano) Jr.
Next season’s favorite to be our Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year, Lewis was a finalist for the honor this season and was named as our Junior of the Year after being named the Trinity League MVP for the second season in a row. Hitting .429 with four home runs and 21 runs batted in for a team that was No. 1 in the state at one point in the season and played in the CIFSS Division I semifinals, Lewis was also named player of the year by OC Sidelines, OC Varsity and the Los Angeles Times.

Shane Martinez (J.W. North, Riverside) Sr.
Chosen as the Riverside Press-Enterprise Player of the Year, Martinez hit .404 with six doubles and 25 runs batted in to lead the Huskies’ lineup and helped them capture the Inland Valley League championship. He also contributing on the mound, going 4-1 with a 1.73 ERA and striking out 27 batters in 28.1 innings pitched. Selected in the 39thround of the MLB Draft, he is currently playing with fellow all-state first teamer Matt Fraizer with the Wenatchee AppleSox before they both head to the University of Arizona.

Kevin Milam (Heritage, Brentwood) Sr.
While his standout position is likely on the mound, Milam did more than just pitch and being on our infield is where he works out best. Milam hit .468 with 25 runs batted in for one of the top teams this season in the NCS behind De La Salle of Concord. Following up a junior year that saw him go 9-1 on the mound, he did even better this season as he went 11-0 with a 0.76 ERA while striking out 78 in 73.1 innings. He is signed to play in college at Saint Mary’s.

Spencer Steer (Millikan, Long Beach) Sr.
The Long Beach Press-Telegram Dream Team Player of the Year completed a four-year varsity career for the Rams with an impressive 117 hits in 113 games. As a senior, Steer helped Millikan to its first outright league title in eight years with a .438 average and 31 runs scored. He also pitched 31 1/3 innings with a 1.12 ERA. Steer was chosen in the 29th round of the MLB Draft by the Cleveland Indians and also is a recruit for the University of Oregon.

OUTFIELD

Hunter Bishop (Serra, San Mateo) Sr.
Transferring from St. Francis of Mountain View to Serra after his sophomore year and focusing on baseball instead of football looks like a wise choice as Bishop made most of his full senior season. He was named the WCAL co-player of the year with Mr. Baseball State POY finalist Jeremy Ydens. Bishop batted .426, drove in 23 runs and scored 29 runs to earn a spot on the San Jose Mercury News first team. Originally committed to Washington for football, he will now be headed to Arizona State to play baseball next season.

Dominic Fletcher (Cypress) Sr.
Following up a junior year that saw him named to the All-Orange County first team, Fletcher was named as the OC Register Player of the Year after leading the Centurions to an undefeated record in Empire League play. Despite being pitched around, he still managed to hit .365 with 27 runs batted in and 29 runs scored. Unlike most of the other first team honorees, he will be headed to play next season in the SEC for the University of Arkansas.

Matt Fraizer (Clovis North, Fresno) Sr.
An athletic force in the leadoff spot for the Broncos, Fraiser hit .392 to help the team reach the CIF Central Section Division I championship game before it lost to Buchanan of Clovis. He also helped Clovis North beat the Bears once, which was the only loss the nation’s No. 1 team suffered during the season. Fraizer was selected in the 38th round of the MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics, but will not sign and will be headed to play in the Pac-12 at Arizona.

Calvin Mitchell (Rancho Bernardo, San Diego) Jr.
He’s currently making all the rounds as a junior on the summer showcase circuit and is regarded as a prime prospect for the 2017 MLB Draft. We felt Mitchell had to be first team with the other juniors due to being the state leader in home runs with 12. He also batted .371 with six doubles, three triples and 41 RBI. Mitchell already has been named to the All-CIF San Diego Section first team.

Mickey Moniak (La Costa Canyon, Carlsbad) Sr.
Not only was he the No. 1 player in the state and named as our Cal-Hi Sports Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year, but he also was the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies after a standout career with the Mavericks. Also named by Gatorade as its state player of the year, Moniak hit .476 with 12 triples, seven home runs and 46 runs batted in. His 12 triples this season was one off of the state record.

Blake Rutherford (Chaminade, West Hills) Sr.
One of the top hitters in the state, Rutherford hit .577 with 13 doubles and four home runs for the Eagles during their Mission League championship season. Named as a finalist for Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year, this UCLA commit was the 18thpick in the MLB Draft and has signed with the New York Yankees. Before his senior season, Rutherford played on the USA 18-under national team and had a game-winning home run while winning a gold medal.

Jarron Silva (St. Mary’s, Stockton) Sr.
The Rams didn’t get to the CIF SJS D1 finals for the first time in five years, but they were close and Silva got hot at the end of the season. He batted .462 with 17 extra-base hits in league games and in the section playoffs. The Stockton Record’s All-Area Player of the Year and a UCLA recruit, Silva had a .370 average overall with 13 doubles, five triples, one homer and 25 RBI. He also had 15 steals, a .480 on-base mark and seemed to catch everything on defense.

MULTI-PURPOSE

Dylan Carlson (Elk Grove) Sr.
Ending his high school career with a win in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship game, the son of Elk Grove head coach Jeff Carlson finished 6-0 with a 1.44 ERA while also hitting .406 with 40 runs batted in. Among the state leaders with nine home runs, he was a finalist for our Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year award and he was named by the Sacramento Bee as its player of the year. Originally committed to Cal State Fullerton, Carlson was picked 33rd overall by the St. Louis Cardinals in the MLB Draft and signed with the team with a bonus of more than $1 million dollars.

Hagen Danner (Huntington Beach) Jr.
Since helping lead Ocean View to a Little League World Series title, Danner has continued to shine as he has played for USA Baseball and committed to UCLA as a freshman with a potential to be drafted in the first round of the MLB Draft next year. Hitting .423 on the season with 29 runs batted in and six home runs, he also stood out on the mound and also played catcher. He will also be playing this weekend in the Under Armour All-America game at Chicago’s Wrigley Field.

Grant Gambrell (Buchanan, Clovis) Sr.
When Gambrell’s team finished the season as the top team in the state and nation after winning the CIF Central Section Division I championship, he was on the mound pitching the shutout. Gambrell also ended 12-0 on the mound with a 0.69 ERA. Named as a finalist for our Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year, he also hit .363 with five home runs and 35 runs batted in. He will be playing next year in the Pac-12 for Oregon State University.

Connor Redmond (De La Salle, Concord) Sr.
Headed to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to pitch, the Spartans needed him in their everyday lineup, which is why he ended up as their starting third baseman during their CIF NCS Division I championship season. Named as the East Bay Times Player of the Year, Redmond hit .432 with 19 runs batted in while also picking up three saves with a 1.99 ERA. He was also selected as the East Bay Athletic League Most Valuable Player.

Sean Reynolds (Redondo Union, Redondo Beach) Sr.
Yet another all-state selection that was a finalist for Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year, Reynolds also has already been named as our medium schools’ top player. He went 13-0 on the mound with a 1.08 ERA during a CIFSS Division III championship season. He also hit .366 with nine home runs and 34 runs batted in. Reynolds signed to play in college at Rice University, but he has signed with the Miami Marlins after being a fourth round pick in the MLB Draft.

Jeremy Ydens (St. Francis, Mountain View) Sr.
Last season’s State Junior of the Year was a finalist for our Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year after another impressive season on the mound and at the plate. Leading the Lancers to their second straight CIF CCS Open Division championship, Ydens went 8-0 with a 0.96 ERA while also hitting .458 with 38 runs scored. He will be headed to play next season at UCLA.

Special thanks to Stockton office assistant editor Paul Muyskens for doing many of the writeups. 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