Kevin Abel (left) does more for San Diego Madison than just put up zeroes as a pitcher. Briana Perez (right) from Alhambra of Martinez, meanwhile, is closing her prep career with a bang. Photos: EastCountySports.com & Chace Bryson/SportStars.
Reported state strikeout leader Esdras Solorzano of Los Angeles High also goes 5-for-5 at the plate in a win last week for the Romans. More from baseball include San Diego Madison ace Kevin Abel and promising sophomore Nathan Graf from Millennium of Tracy. In softball, big-time All-American talent Briana Perez from Alhambra of Martinez is ending her career with huge numbers as is Livy Schiele from Bishop’s of La Jolla. More from softball include Infinity Chacon of Fresno Edison and Hailee Riboni from unbeaten Carnegie of Riverside.
Note: We 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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(All players listed in alphabetical order)
(Writeups by Cal-Hi Sports editor Mark Tennis, contributing editor Paul Muyskens & CIF Central Section historian Bob Barnett)
(For games played through Saturday, May 6 with some games from this week)
BASEBALL
Kevin Abel (Madison, San Diego)
Regarded as one of the state’s top pitchers before the start of the season, the Oregon State signed Abel is proving he’s more than able to live up to that statement. In a 4-1 win earlier this week against defending CIF San Diego Section Open Division champ Cathedral Catholic, Abel shut down the Dons on two hits, ended with nine strikeouts and ripped a two-run double. After that game, Kevin had lowered his ERA to 1.02 and improved his record to 9-0 with 90 strikeouts in 62 innings.
Landon Anderson (Mayfair, Lakewood)
Lowering his ERA to under 1.00, he pitched a complete game shutout with eight strikeouts during a 4-0 win for the Monsoons over La Mirada. For the season, Anderson is now 8-1 with a 0.96 ERA.
Kevin Lo connects for University of San Francisco. He’s been batting above .600 for most of the season. Photo: YouTube.com.
Jacob Bennett (Lassen, Susanville)
The 6foot-3 junior went 3-for-3 with five RBI as the Grizzlies blanked Central Valley of Shasta Lake 10-0. He later added two more RBI against Central Valley later in the week and pushed his season totals to 36 RBI with a .416 batting mark. Bennett recently had a 4-for-4 game with six RBI against Wheatland.
Julian Favela (Gregori, Modesto)
Getting the start in his team’s final game of the week, he made sure the Jaguars would end the week undefeated at 26-0 as he pitched six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts during a 10-0 win over Enochs of Modesto. Gregori lost its first game earlier this week to Bear Creek of Stockton.
Frank Gonzalez (South Gate)
Crosstown rival South East of South Gate probably was sick of Frank after the two teams played last week. He led the Rams to a 13-0 win by giving up two hits on the mound with eight strikeouts and also went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Gonzalez threw a no-hitter earlier this season against North Hollywood.
Nathan Graf (Millennium, Tracy)
In a Monday game from this week, Nathan went 3-for-4 with a homer and five RBI to lead the Falcons past Elliot Christian of Lodi 11-3. The sophomore catcher/first baseman has been among the reported state RBI leaders most of the season and had 44 RBI with four homers and a .507 average after that outing.
Matt Langston (Bakersfield Christian)
He was perfect at the plate, going 4-for-4 with two doubles and knocked in six runs ina 16-4 triumph by the Eagles over Shafter.
Kevin Lo (University, San Francisco)
Kevin’s batting average has been anything but low so far this season. After he finished 3-for-3 with a triple and five RBI last week in a 12-4 victory over Stuart Hall of San Francisco, Lo was hitting a robust .636.
Jordan Modesto (Branham, San Jose)
Not only did he get the win on the mound over Del Mar of San Jose, but he combined to go 7 for 9 with two doubles, a home run and four runs batted in both of his games last week. Modesto is a three-year starter who batted .350 as a sophomore.
Grady Ryan (Oak Grove, San Jose)
The senior who had a great football season for the Eagles may be having an even better one on the diamond. Ryan, the son of former Oak Grove and NFL player Tim Ryan, is one of the state’s top reported batting average leaders with a .600 average. He went 4-for-8 with two RBI and two runs scored in a two-game series last week vs. Prospect of Saratoga. In one of those games, Ryan also pitched and finished with eight strikeouts in a complete-game 4-1 victory.
Cade Sakamoto (Highland, Bakersfield)
He had four hits for the game and one went for a grand slam in a 15-2 win over Mira Monte of Bakersfield. Sakamoto also scored four times and had a game high of six RBI. Teammate Blake Grider also got a hit in the same and increased his hitting streak to 25 consecutive games.
Esdras Solorzano (Los Angeles)
Reported by MaxPreps as the state leader in season strikeouts, Solorzano had a five-hitter with 14 Ks in a 8-0 win last week vs. Oakwood of North Hollywood. In the same game, he also went 5-for-5 with four runs scored. After that game, Solorzano had 149 Ks for the season.
Jacob Tucker (Christian Brothers, Sacramento)
His teammate, Tanner Cunha, pitched a no-hitter earlier in the week but he had an impressive performance of his own as he went 7.1 innings and allowed just one hit while striking out nine during a 2-0 win in eight innings over Rio Americano of Sacramento.
Timothy Whitfield (Mojave)
The desert air was to Whitfield’s liking last week as he went 3-for-4 with a double in a 10-4 win vs. Trona and then went 3-for-5 with four runs scored in another outing vs. Trona. Although he had just 55 at-bats for the season after those games, Whitfield was hitting .634.
SOFTBALL
Haley Antonini & McKenna Wilson-Kay
(Saint Vincent de Paul, Petaluma)
The Mustangs’ two senior leaders and four-year starters had banner weeks as their team won 2-of-3 games including sweeping North Central League II games against Technology (Rohnert Park) and moving to 11-4 overall and 4-0 in league play. Antonini for the week was 10-for-11 with four runs scored, four RBI, two doubles and a home run. The 2016 All-State nominee and four-year Mustangs’ standout began the current week with a .625 (30-for-48) season batting average. Wilson-Kay was 8-for-11 over the same three-game stretch with six runs scored and two triples. For the season, Wilson-Kay who along with Antonini anchor the left side of the infield for the Mustangs, began the current week hitting .425 (20-for-47).
Janea Brannen (Foothill, Tustin)
Striking out a season-high 11 batters, this senior allowed just two hits as the Knights defeated El Modena of Orange 5-0. She has not allowed more than two hits in four straight starts.
Livy Schiele has scored the 200th run of her prep career at Bishop’s of La Jolla. What is it with girls from Bishop’s demolishing records? Same school as basketball’s Destiny Littleton. Photo: mighty1090.com.
Infinity Chacon (Edison, Huntington Beach)
Infinity was hitting balls into the galaxy as she smacked three home runs and had four RBI to lead the Tigers past Madera South 16-6 in a North Yosemite League slugfest.
Sydney Cross (Mt. Shasta)
One of the top small school players in the state, Cross went 3-for-4 last week with a double, triple and homer in a 16-2 triumph vs. Modoc of Alturas. She earlier this season had a 4-for-4 outing with three homers and nine RBI vs. Trinity of Weaverville. AFter her first game this week, Sydney had 13 homers for the season with a .610 average and 36 RBI.
Analise De La Roca (Port of Los Angeles)
A stat star regular, De La Roca nearly pitched a no-hitter, settling for a one-hitter with 12 strikeouts during a 5-0 win over Eagle Rock. She also went 3 for 3 at the plate with a double and a run batted in.
Madelyn Duran (Tulare Western, Tulare)
She was perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3 and collecting six RBI in a 16-2 win by the Mustangs over Porterville.
McKenna Gregory (Benicia)
Getting the start in a non-league game against Vacaville, she allowed just one earned run while striking out 10 and hitting a home run in the 5-2 win. She then ended the week with a home run and five runs batted in during a 16-0 win over Vallejo.
Madison Huskey (Gahr, Cerritos)
Driving in 11 runs over two games last week, she had a home run and six runs batted in during a 12-0 win over Paramount and then had a big game against the Pirates again with a home run and five RBI during a 8-0 over the Pirates. Gahr began this week with an undefeated record and No. 3 state ranking.
Jordyn Macias (Hanford West, Hanford)
In a 16-10 slugfest win last week vs. Mt. Whitney of Visalia, Macias ended 4-for-4 with three runs scored and four RBI. She also had two doubles, one homer and homered in her third straight game. Macias has kept up that streak in her first game this week, which also improved her season total to 11.
Roslyn Maino (Taft)
She pitched a seven inning no-hitter, gave up three walks and had seven strikeouts in a 8-0 win over Wasco. With the win, Taft moved to share first place (9-1) in the South Sequoia League. Teammate Reagan Hamilton provided the power by hitting two home runs and a double for five RBI in the win.
Taliyah Miles (Sheldon, Sacramento)
Not only did Miles get the win allowing just two hits with three strikeouts in five innings but she also hit a double and drove in a team-high four runs during a 12-0 win over St. Francis of Sacramento.
Briana Perez (Alhambra, Martinez)
The senior shortstop who has been an all-state player already twice in her career is heating up as her career is ending. Although the Bulldogs started off with a pair of early losses, they’ve only lost to state-ranked Sheldon of Sacramento since then and Perez has been on fire. She went 3-for-3 with a double and a homer vs. Berean Christian of Walnut Creek last week in a 14-3 win and then had a 2-for-3 and 3-for-3 line in two additional games. She had an RBI but went 0-for-2 vs. Sheldon but this week already has gone 5-for-5 in two games with a homer. After 20 games, Perez was hitting .661 with six homers and 35 RBI.
Hailee Riboni (Carnegie, Riverside)
This school is making a mark in softball this season after going far in the CIFSS and SoCal boys and girls basketball playoffs. A sophomore, Riboni has led Carnegie to an 18-0 record. She finished 4-for-6 with seven RBI in a 30-0 rout last week vs. The Grove School and last week also pitched a five-inning no-hitter with 14 strikeouts on a 19-0 win vs. California School for the Deaf (Riverside). Riboni, who earlier this season ended 5-for-5 with two homers and 11 RBI in one game vs. Bassett of La Verne, has 61 RBI for the season and a .783 batting average.
Livy Schiele (Bishop’s, La Jolla)
According to stats provided by dad Art, Livy is lighting up the CIF San Diego Section career record charts as the section playoffs are about to begin. Schiele recently broke the section runs scored record of 171 and already has pumped that total up to 201. That total also is believed to be near the top of the all-time career state list. Some of Livy’s other career totals also already are good enough for the record book: 196 hits, 48 doubles, 21 triples and 105 steals. Her career batting average: .578.
Sidney Wimpee (Nordhoff, Ojai)
The Purdue University recruit certainly hasn’t been wimpy for the Rangers this season. In a 14-1 win last week vs. Villanova Prep of Ojai, she pitched a three-hitter with 12 strikeouts and went 3-for-4 with a double. Then in a 10-0 win vs. Malibu, Wimpee tossed a three-hitter with 10 strikeouts and finished 2-for-3 with a double and four 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
