Escarcega on Preps: SGV Baseball All-Stars Take Center Stage at South Hills
The area's best players will be playing on Sunday at South Hills
The best of what the San Gabriel Valley has to offer will be in attendance on Sunday, June 8th, for the SGV All-Star Game at South Hills. Fans will enjoy two games, and the admission price is $5, payable at the gate.
The first game will be the Underclass All-Star Game and many of the top players from the season will be in action.
The Blue Team, coached by Gabe Hyatt of Arcadia HS and Matt Shupper of Maranatha, is filled with top-tier talent. It features Damien Catano, Tyler Brereton, Matt Manzo, and Maverick Silva from the Pacific League champion Arcadia Apaches. Leading the group of players from the Del Rey League champion Bishop Amat Lancers will be Isaac Muniz and Santiago Ramirez.
Michael Mansour leads a trio from Damien, joined by Chris Cardenas and Travis Ochoa from La Salle HS. San Dimas will feature two players that fans will watch closely: pitchers James Rocha and Dean Brosterhous, while Maranatha will have a player in Dylan Hoang.
The Red Team, which will be led by South Hills’ Darren Murphy, Brad McGuire of Ayala, and Mike Parisi of La Canada, is not without some big-time talent on the roster. South Hills has four players in the game, including Justin Romero, Gabriel Guerrero, Diego Villareal, and Victor Merlos.
Ayala, which went undefeated in Palomares League play, boasts two of the most exciting players in the area: Jonah Boyd and Jaden Valenzuela. Chino Hills makes its first appearance in this game with the talented Brody Buoncristiani, while Monrovia will be represented by their ace pitcher, James Quesenberry. San Marino’s Chase Mena and Parker Wilson had impressive seasons and were rewarded with their inclusion in the game.
There will be an MVP award named after this game.
The 1:00 p.m. Senior All-Star game features what can be safely argued to be the best talent the game has seen in years. It includes players who will be competing at Power 4 conference schools in college.
The Blue team, coached by John Franklin and Wesley Frias from San Marino, Nate Bernstein from La Canada, and Jaime Garcia from South Pasadena, will be led by UCLA signee Zach Strickland from Maranatha. Strickland is regarded as one of the top right-handed pitchers in Southern California and can consistently throw in the 90s.
Glendora, which won a CIF Southern Section Division 3 title last week, will be represented by Westmont College commit Aaron Jacobson and pitcher Brayden Johnson. Arcadia’s Gus Cooper and Leo Peniche were selected for this team, along with San Marino’s dominant 1-2 pitching duo of Tomas Bilvado and JJ Wilson.
San Dimas, which reached the Division 3 final, boasts the electrifying duo of Vaughn Coleman and Ashton Romero.
The Red Team, led by AJ Lamonda from Damien and Mike Gonzalez from South El Monte, features players with star quality. Among the talented pitchers set to participate are Elias Reyes and Jo Jo Moreno from South Hills, Camden Farina from Bonita, AJ Flores from Northview, and Max Murillo from West Covina.
Covina’s Ryan Silva had a big year for coach Tim O’Leary and was selected for the roster. Fans will get a good look at Flintridge Prep’s Will Grable and South El Monte’s Christian Ortega. Other players on the roster include Rudy O’Dell (Damien), Zack Escalera (South Hills), and Cody White (Bonita).
Fans will be encouraged to stay until the end for the announcement of various awards for the top players in the game, and a snack bar will be running with food and refreshments.