Two of this week’s top stat stars are junior Livy Schiele from Bishop’s of La Jolla and senior Travis Weston of Moorpark. Photos: batbusters-sd.com & Twitter.com.
It’s never too early to start listing freshmen and we’re doing it this week in baseball with pitcher Robby Stevenson of Woodlake, who is part of a great athletic family, and also with pitcher-hitter Sona Halajian from Drake of San Anselmo. We also highlight girls from 30-25 and 31-29 softball games plus an 18-strikeout no-hitter in baseball.
Note: Writeups this week by Mark Tennis, 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.
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BASEBALL
Kaz Akamatsu (Edison, Huntington Beach)
Helping his own cause, he went 2 for 2 with an RBI while pitching a complete-game shutout during a 3-0 win over Newport Harbor of Newport Beach. Akamatsu allowed just two hits and struck out eight in his effort.
Dylan Alhanati (Temescal Canyon, Lake Elsinore)
Getting the start against Jurupa Valley at the Darryl Kile tournament, he did his best impression of a major league pitcher as he allowed just one hit and struck out eight in the 5-0 win.
Jordan Brandenburg (Carlmont, Belmont)
He doubled and homered during a three hit night that saw also saw him drive in four runs in a 15-6 win by the Scots over Menlo-Atherton of Atherton.
Colin Brophy (Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks)
During the consolation games at the Boras Classic, he hit two home runs, including a game-tying three-run blast when the state-ranked Knights defeated South Hills of Covina 5-4.
Rancho Bernardo’s Calvin Mitchell shows off swing during showcase event. Photo: ProspectPipeline/Twitter.com.
Zack Chan (Mira Costa, Manhattan Beach)
One of the standouts of the week for the Mustangs in their drive to the SoCal Boras Classic title was Chan. In the team’s 11-3 victory over Mater Dei of Santa Ana, Chan had three hits and knocked in five runs.
Shane Dondero (Elliot Christian, Lodi)
Despite not finding out he was going to make a rare start until right before the game. this senior third baseman took the mound for the first time in years and pitched a no-hitter with eight strikeouts in the 15-0 five-inning win over Sierra Ridge Rite of Passage of San Andreas.
Tommy Henderson (Acalanes, Lafayette)
It took two games, but Henderson hit for the cycle to help the Dons post league wins against Dougherty Valley of San Ramon and Campolindo of Moraga. The home run was a three-run shot and in the two games he finished with five hits and five RBI.
Justin Miller (Hanford West, Hanford)
He tossed a seven-inning no-hitter and finished with nine strikeouts in his team’s 9-0 blanking of Lemoore.
Calvin Mitchell (Rancho Bernardo, San Diego)
The latest big-time slugger from probably the state’s best school ever at producing big-time sluggers had a home run and a triple in a 17-0 win last week vs. Fallbrook. Mitchell also hit a three-run vs. El Camino of Oceanside (15-3 win) but didn’t connect when the Broncos lost to Vista. Already this week, Mitchell has hit his eighth homer of the season.
Moses Nunez (McLane, Fresno)
In a 17-0 romp past Roosevelt of Fresno, Nunez roughed up the Roughriders with his bat. He ended with a career-best five hits in six at-bats and also knocked in three runs.
Jacob Patterson (Head-Royce, Oakland)
The perennial small school powerhouse has another great arm in Patterson. In a 9-0 shutout last week of Oakland Skyline, Patterson pitched a no-hitter and struck out 18 batters. He also had two hits at the plate.
Augusto Pineda (San Leandro)
He’s been one of the top pitchers in the Bay Area so far this season. Entering this week, Pineda had a 0.62 ERA and 5-0 record. In a 1-0 victory last week vs. Livingston, he pitched a no-hitter and struck out 14.
Connor Riley (Redondo, Redondo Beach)
Penciled in as the No. 3 starter to start the season, he is one of the reasons the Seahawks were still undefeated heading into this week and up to No. 3 in the state. The Long Beach State commit pitched his second no-hitter of the season and allowed just two walks while striking out 11 during a 9-0 win over North of Torrance.
Jack Saltzman (Tehachapi)
He made the pitchers at East Bakersfield salty after what he did to them. In Tehachapi’s 18-1 triumph, Saltzman had a career high of six RBI and also went 3-for-4.
Hunter Schilperoort (Westmont, Campbell)
While his last name may not be an easy one to say, it was even harder for Live Oak of Morgan Hill to get a hit off of him last week. Schilperoort pitched a complete game shutout and allowed just one hit during a 3-0 win that saw him also improve to 3-0 on the year with a 0.84 ERA.
Robby Stevenson (Woodlake)
Just a freshman, Stevenson pitched a perfect seven inning
game with 11 strikeouts in a 5-0 win over Lindsay. Perfect games aren’t that rare at Woodlake. According to CIF Central Section historian Bob Barnett, Ron Robinson of Woodlake pitched three perfect games in one season in 1980. Robinson, a former MLB pitcher, also happens to be Robby’s uncle.
Travis Weston (Moorpark)
Making sure it would be a perfect day for the Musketeers, he pitched a no-hitter with 10 strikeouts when they defeated Apollo of Glendale, Arizona 6-0. Weston is headed to San Diego State and has all the tools to be a top-level lefty on the next level.
Tristen Wiley (Alameda)
It’s always great when Alameda or Encinal win the Willie Stargell Classic title since the late MLB slugger was from Alameda. In this year’s final, Wiley pitched a complete-game shutout as Alameda topped Sacred Heart Cathedralof San Francisco. Wiley also went 2-for-3 at the plate and was named tournament MVP.
Buster Yslava (Highland, Bakersfield)
He may have had the top effort of the week from the CIF Central Section. In a 17-3 victory vs. Mira Monte of Bakersfield, Yslava was 5 for 5 at the plate, scored four runs and drove in four runs. His outing also included three doubles and one triple.
SOFTBALL
Holly Azevedo (Pioneer, San Jose)
In some respects, it hasn’t been a great start for Azevedo compared to last year since the UCLA commit only allowed one run all season. So far this year, Pioneer has lost twice. Last week, though, she did have a great outing with a perfect game and 11 strikeouts during a 10-0 win for the Mustangs over Westmont of Campbell.
Steffi Best (Palos Verdes, PV Estates)
Not allowing a hit until the seventh inning, she pitched a one-hitter with 14 strikeouts while also driving in two runs during a 3-1 win over South of Torrance.
Janea Brannen (Foothill, Tustin)
Committed to Hartford, she had a triple during a 10-0 win over Loara of Anaheim but it was her performance during the Knights’ 7-1 win over Claremont at the Diamond Bar tournament that most stood out. In that game, she pitched a complete game with no earned runs while striking out 11 and also went a perfect 3 for 3 at the plate.
San Jose Pioneer’s Holly Acevedo delivers pitch during game early this season vs. Amador Valley. Photo: Harold Abend.
Gabreila Coleman (Terra Nova, Pacifica)
A homer shy of the cycle, Coleman had a double and a triple along with two singles and drove in six runs during a 14-1 win by the Tigers over Menlo-Atherton of Atherton.
Karolina Flores (Moreno Valley)
Already this week, this senior shortstop has cracked her eighth homer of the season. In games last week, she went 3-for-4 with four RBI in a 13-2 win over Pacific of San Bernardino and hit her seventh homer of the season in a loss to Rubidoux of Riverside.
Sona Halajian (Drake, San Anselmo)
Here’s a freshman introducing herself to the CIF North Coast Section and NorCal scene. She pitched and hit the Pirates to two Marin County Athletic League wins last week. First, in a 5-1 triumph vs. Justin-Siena of Napa, Halajian went 1-for-2 with a double while pitching a two-hitter and striking out a whopping 18 batters. Then in a 4-3 win vs. Tamalpais of Mill Valley, she went 2-for-2 with a homer and pitched a one-hitter with 11 strikeouts.
Delaney Heller (Castro Valley)
She was the MVP of the HASA Invitational and it must have been an easy pick. Her week included a perfect game with 16 strikeouts vs. Liberty of Brentwood, a one-hitter with 10 strikeouts vs. Deer Valley of Antioch and three innings of shutout pitching with one hit allowed vs. Concord.
Taryn Hernandez (Animo Venice, Los Angeles)
Credited now with 50 runs batted in on the season, she hit four doubles and drove in five runs last week during a 31-29 win over Sun Valley Magnet. Earlier this season, the reported state leader in runs batted in drove in 11 runs in a game when she hit two triples and homered twice during a 39-8 win over Animo South Los Angeles. The 60 combined runs with Sun Valley Magnet also makes it into the state record book.
Mariah Mazon (Mission Oak, Tulare)
This junior had an all around great game in a 2-0 win over Covina in the Washington Union Invitational. Mazon pitched seven innings with 15 strikeouts and went 2-for-3 at the plate. She also hit a home run and scored twice. Mariah also had 11 strikeouts in the championship game against Madera that Mission Oak won 3-2.
Livy Schiele (Bishop’s, La Jolla)
A returning all-state small schools selection, Livy had a huge week for the Knights. She went 2-for-3 with a double in a 10-0 win vs Our Lady of Peace, then went 2-for-3 with double, homer and four RBI vs. Mar Vista of Imperial Beach (12-2 win). She then went 2-for-3 with a double and triple in a 15-3 win vs. Central of El Centro and finished up 3-for-5 with a homer in a 9-4 victory vs. Helix of La Mesa.
Madi Sepp & Ashley Johns (Elliot Christian, Lodi)
Sophomore slugger Sepp went 6 for 7 with three doubles and seven runs batted in as the Eagles defeated Galt 30-25. The 55 combined runs comes up three runs shy of making the state record book with the most runs ever scored in a game coming back in 1979 when La Jolla Country Day defeated Southland Christian of Chula Vista 71-0. Earlier in the week, Johns pitched a no-hitter during a 17-0 win over Mountain House at the same time when Shane Dondero was pitching a no-hitter for the school’s baseball team.
Megan Stevens (Eitwanda)
She had herself quite the Saturday against Serrano of Phelan as she hit three home runs and drove in six runs during a 16-4 win and followed it up later that day with two home runs and two runs batted in during the Eagles’ 17-3 win over the Diamondbacks to sweep the doubleheader. Megan might have been a little ticked at Etiwanda losing its first game earlier in the week against Norco.
Vivian Valencia (Marina)
She cracked a pair of homers and drove in six runs in a game already mentioned this week by the Monterey Herald. She did it in a 18-3 victory over York of Monterey.
Starr Vang (Buchanan, Clovis)
A returning standout from last season, Vang had a day to remember when she hit two homers and knocked in five runs for the Bears in their 11-4 victory over Atascadero.
Danielle Williams (Amador Valley, Pleasanton)
The super sophomore and last year’s State Freshman of the Year maybe didn’t win her first game out, but has been insane since then. She pitched back-to-back no-hitters in two games last week and struck out 17 batters in each effort as well. Amador won those games 4-0 vs. California of San Ramon and 5-0 vs. Bishop O’Dowd of Oakland. Williams, committed to Missouri, eventually reached 25 straight no-hit innings before the streak ended.
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
