Two of this week’s SoCal/NorCal Players of the Week are Steven Rivas of Etiwanda & Brooke Yanez of Ventura Buena. Photos: SoCalPrepLegends.com & SoCalSidelines.com.
Have you ever heard of a baseball player who has hit for the cycle in back-to-back games and then later in the same season comes up with 11 RBI in one game? You have now with Etiwanda’s Steven Rivas, this week’s SoCal baseball POW. This week’s other honorees are from Ventura, Vacaville and Sacramento.
We hope you enjoy this free story on Cal-Hi Sports.com. For our State Top 20 baseball and softball rankings package plus weekly state record updates and more exclusive content, please check out our Gold Club membership today. For details, CLICK HERE.
Note: For these honors, we consider CIF Central Section players for Northern California. To find out how your business could benefit by sponsoring these honors each week or to nominate someone by 12 noon on most Mondays, email markjtennis@gmail.com.
Cal-Hi Sports Southern California
Baseball Player of the Week
Steven Rivas (Etiwanda) Sr.
We don’t have a category in the state baseball record files for players who have hit for the cycle in back-to-back games, which already would have included Rivas for doing just that along with Etiwanda teammate Chris Jimenez earlier this season. But we do have one of course for most RBI in one game and Rivas put his name into that list by collecting 11 RBI for the Eagles when they blasted Chino Hills last week 23-3.
In the rout, Rivas hit two three-run homers and added a bases-loaded double for three more RBI and had a two-run triple to account for the 11 runs. That total broke a school record and came just three RBI short of the state record of 14, set in 1984 by Charlie Magana of Fowler and tied in 1986 by Monty McDermott of Bellflower St. John Bosco (who by the way is now St. John Bosco’s athletic director).
Rivas, who has signed with Long Beach State, also had two doubles in a 4-3 win last week vs. Chino Hills. He started this week hitting .522 with 28 RBI for a team that improved to 16-3 and may be about to crack the State Top 20 rankings.
Cal-Hi Sports Southern California
Softball Player of the Week
Brooke Yanez (Buena, Ventura) Sr.
As mentioned in this week’s new State Top 20, Buena went from being 6-0-1 to 11-0-1 in just a few short days and based on results from everywhere was able to move up from off the bubble to No. 14. In those five games, Yanez was sensational.
A UC Davis recruit, the week included these performances: 2-for-3 with two homers in a 6-1 win vs. Kennedy of Granada Hills; a complete-game pitching performance with 10 strikeouts plus two more homers in a 6-1 win vs. Camarillo; and a perfect game with 18 strikeouts plus one homer at the plate in a 7-0 win vs. Dos Pueblos of Goleta.
For the five games combined, Yanez finished 10-for-13 with seven homers, one triple, 10 runs scored and 12 RBI.
Download Lucid app on phone today. Free mental training for athletes.
Cal-Hi Sports Northern California
Baseball Player of the Week
Titus Groeneweg (Wood, Vacaville) Jr.
It was a great week for this junior who is having a great season for the 14-5 Wildcats. First, in a 5-0 victory over Rodriguez of Fairfield, Groeneweg pitched 6 2/3 innings with no hits allowed and struck out 11. He also went 1-for-3 with two runs scored. Later in the week, Groeneweg went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored in a 3-2 triumph against Rodriguez.
For the season, entering this week, Groeneweg’s pitching totals are hard to beat. He’s among the state leaders in wins at 8-0 and has a 0.59 ERA with 66 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings. He also is batting .405 with 17 RBI.
Cal-Hi Sports Northern California
Softball Player of the Week
Reyna Cota (River City, West Sacramento) Soph.
While Elk Grove was the top team at last weekend’s NorCal Classic in Tracy, Cota would have be considered perhaps the top player.
The sophomore catcher/third baseman got going in her first game against CIF Central Coast Section top-ranked San Benito of Hollister with two hits, one homer and two RBI as the Raiders posted a 2-0 upset. She then went 1-for-3 with a triple in a loss to state-ranked Simi Valley, followed by 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI in a win vs. defending Sac-Joaquin Section Division III champ Ceres and finally 3-for-3 with a double, homer and two RBI in a win vs. Oakdale.
Cota has been hitting like this all season. After the NorCal Classic, she was batting .562 with eight homers and 21 RBI.
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
