Two of this week’s honorees are Boston Bateman of Camarillo and Audrina Rodriguez of Woodlake (both for not giving up hits as pitchers). Photos: Camarilo HS / MaxPreps.com & Woodlake HS / MaxPreps.com.
Giving up no hits is the theme for this week’s honorees as three of them have been chosen for their pitching feats with one named primarily for hitting homers. The foursome hails from Camarillo and La Habra for Southern California and Woodside and Woodlake for Northern California.
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Notes: For these honors, we also consider CIF Central Section players for Northern California. To nominate anyone, email markjtennis@gmail.com.
Cal-Hi Sports Southern California
Baseball Player of the Week
Boston Bateman (Camarillo) Sr.
He’s one of the most imposing high school players in the nation and it’s not like what Boston has been doing so far this season is a complete surprise. The 6-foot-8, 240-pound left-handed power pitcher had a perfect game last season in which he struck out 17 batters.
This selection of him as player of the week also comes with a major asterisk since the four no-hitters that he’s been part of so far were all accomplished with teammate Victor Tostado also pitching or two innings in each of them. Props to Victor for being part of this honor as well. The fourth of those combo no-hitters came last week in a 4-0 win over Royal of Simi Valley. Bateman had six no-hit innings and struck out 15 batters.
There’s no state record for combo no-hitters in a season, just by an individual, but there is a team record and it’s 10 by small school Maxwell when it went 30-0 in 2011.
Bateman got going with five no-hit innings in his first start, a 4-0 win over Crespi of Encino. He did the same in no-hitters that Tostado completed in wins against West Ranch of Valencia and Moorpark. Last week’s was the fourth time it happened. Bateman also had two no-hit innings in a win over Oak Park but others gave up hits. Add it all up and he has 23 no-hit innings so far this season entering a Wednesday matchup vs Moorpark. In those innings, Bateman also has 48 strikeouts.
Although he has given up as many five walks in two of the five innings of no-hit ball, it will be interesting to see how Bateman is used for the rest of the spring. He has signed with LSU, but is getting high round, possible first round, MLB draft consideration.
Camarillo’s three losses in an 8-3 slate are in games in which Boston didn’t pitch. If he’s ready for the CIF Southern Section playoffs, the Scorpions should be looked at as one team no one would want to face.
Aleena Garcia hit seven home runs last week in five games for Whittier Christian so it could be said that is was an easy selection for her in SoCal softball this week. Photo: SGV Whittier Prep Sports Zone.
Cal-Hi Sports Southern California
Softball Player of the Week
Aleena Garcia (Whittier Christian, La Habra) Sr.
For our second stop this week, we head from Camarillo in Ventura County down to Whittier Christian, which is just on the border of Orange County and L.A. County. There, we find another of the state’s truly best players, similar to Boston Bateman for baseball, that is if you count anyone who has signed with national powerhouse UCLA to be on that list.
Garcia came into this season as the reigning Whittier Daily News Player of the Year and was Cal-Hi Sports all-state juniors. This past week, although her team didn’t win in all five of the games it played, Aleena might have set a state record for most home runs in a week with seven of them. Unfortunately, that’s a category that isn’t kept but the seven home runs also vaulted her among the reported state leaders with nine.
The most prolific home run total for Garcia during the week came when the Heralds blasted Mary Star of San Pedro, 11-2. She went deep three times in that game and had six RBI. Aleena also had one homer in losses to Sonora of La Habra and Hemet (which has another of the state home run leaders with Chloe Payne) and she had one homer in wins against Riverside Prep and Lakewood.
For the season and entering a Tuesday game this week, Garcia was hitting .623 with 10 doubles to go with the nine homers plus 20 RBI.
Cal-Hi Sports Northern California
Softball Player of the Week
Audrina Rodriguez (Woodlake) Jr.
Moving from the south to the north this week, our third stop is in the community of Woodlake and the small school of Woodlake High in Tulare County. That means it’s a school in the CIF Central Section and a reminder that all Central Section players are considered NorCal for these honors.
Audrina helped the Tigers go 23-4 last year as a sophomore with an 18-3 pitching record plus a 1.85 ERA and 169 strikeouts. They have started 6-0 this season heading into a Tuesday matchup with Mendota.
Rodriguez has captured this honor for throwing back-to-back five-inning no-hitters last week. The first came in a 10-0 win over Kern Valley of Lake Isabella while the second came in a 10-0 win vs Kennedy of Delano. Audrina had nine and 14 strikeouts as well in the two games.
In the previous week, Rodriguez had a full seven-inning no-hitter and struck out 15 in a 16-0 romp past Exeter. She’s not known for hitting, but in the win last week vs Kennedy she went 2-for-2 three runs scored and two RBI.
Trent Amoroso is shown delivering a pitch during his no-hitter last week. Photo: Woodside Athletic Boosters / Facebook.com.
Cal-Hi Sports Northern California
Baseball Player of the Week
Trent Amoroso (Woodside) Jr.
Going from Woodlake to Woodside for our final stop this week takes us to the San Francisco Peninsula and to a community in the hills of San Mateo County above Redwood City known for its homes that average $5 million in value.
Like two of our three other honorees this week, Amoroso is getting the nod for throwing a no-hitter. He threw his no-hitter last week and struck out 14 in a 8-0 victory by the Wildcats over Hillsdale of San Mateo. In his previous start, Trent went the distance as well and he had a one-hitter with no earned runs allowed in a 4-3 win against Hillsdale of San Mateo.
Amoroso also had a more than solid week last week with his bat. In a 1-0 win vs Sacred Heart Prep of Atherton, Trent went 2-for-3 with a double and the game’s lone RBI. He also went 1-for-3 with a double and two runs scored in a 7-0 win over American of Fremont.
Amoroso and the Wildcats were sitting at 6-1-1 entering a Tuesday matchup this week vs Terra Nova of Pacifica.
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
