By Loren Kopff
@LorenKopff on Twitter
San Gabriel Valley League championships are nothing new for the Gahr High baseball and softball programs. But, the 2017 spring season was different in that the baseball team was bumped up to Division 1 and had to battle through its most competitive league and non-league campaigns in recent memory while the softball squad went wire to wire in the regular season. The Cerritos High softball team also had a great season, winning a Suburban League title and advancing to the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section quarterfinals while its baseball team won 18 games but missed the playoffs. John Glenn High’s and Valley Christian High’s baseball teams also excelled on the diamond while there was a welcome surprise for the Artesia High softball team. As a result, members of those teams were rewarded with a spot on the 2017 HMG-Community News Spring All-Area Teams.
BASEBALL
FIRST TEAM
P-Joseph Angulo (John Glenn)
P-Brett Garcia (Valley Christian)
C-Brett Wells (Cerritos)
1B-Joshua Haley (Gahr)
2B-James Stirton (Valley Christian)
3B-Jayden Cruz (Gahr)
SS-Michael Perez (Gahr)
LF-Matt Aguinaga (Cerritos)
CF-R.J. Van Kampen (Valley Christian)
RF-Kyle Bowie (Valley Christian)
DH-Sergio Sandoval (John Glenn)
SECOND TEAM
P-Humberto Chiquito (John Glenn)
P-Evan Vasquez (Cerritos)
C-Alexis Martinez (John Glenn)
1B-Bernie De Leon (Cerritos)
2B-Alex Alcaraz (John Glenn)
3B-Lucas Koenig (Valley Christian)
SS-Joseph Figueroa (John Glenn)
LF-Brent Van Meeteren (Valley Christian)
CF-Damone Hale (John Glenn)
RF-Richard Lozano (Norwalk)
DH-Anthony Diaz (Gahr)
THIRD TEAM
P-Joel Casillas (Gahr)
P-Dee Vizcarra (Cerritos)
C-Edward Morales (Gahr)
1B-Zach Krosschell (Valley Christian)
2B-Jonathan Estrada (Cerritos)
3B-Bobby Aragon (Artesia)
SS-Trevor McInerney (Cerritos)
LF-Bobby Acosta (John Glenn)
CF-Raul Garcia (Cerritos)
RF-Andrew Householder (Gahr)
DH-Matthew Pinal (Cerritos)
HONORABLE MENTION
P-Max Anderson (Artesia)
P-William Roberson (Gahr)
C-Christian Bosse (Valley Christian)
1B-Oscar Esparza (Artesia)
2B-Tyrese Turner (Gahr)
3B-Raphael DeAvila (John Glenn)
SS-Travis French (Valley Christian)
LF-Xavier Estrada (Gahr)
CF-David Licea (Artesia)
RF-Caleb Baca (Norwalk)
DH-Mark Chavez (Artesia)
Player of the Year-Despite missing five games early in the season, Gahr junior shortstop Michael Perez helped guide the Gladiators to a third straight San Gabriel Valley League championship and the fifth in the last six seasons. Perez batted .406 with 28 hits, 15 runs batted in, eight doubles and two home runs and will be part of an experienced infield that comes back for the 2018 season.
Pitcher of the Year-John Glenn sophomore Joseph Angulo was half of a one-two punch on the mound that will keep the Eagles league title contenders for the next few seasons. Angulo went 7-2 in 10 starts with a near microscopic earned run average of 0.61. He went the distance four times and struck out 54 batters in 69 innings.
Coach of the Year-It wasn’t too long ago that John Glenn was floundering near the bottom of the Suburban League, finishing in the bottom three in four straight seasons. But head coach Jack Brooks has done a nice job turning around the program and after missing the playoffs in 2015 with a relatively young squad, Brooks took the Eagles back to the postseason following a 16-11 regular season mark. In his six seasons at Glenn, Brooks has compiled an 88-74 record and three postseason trips in the past four seasons.
SOFTBALL
FIRST TEAM
P-Danielle Martinez (Gahr)
P-Jennifer Morinishi (Cerritos)
C-Madison Huskey (Gahr)
1B-Kiara Crockett-Pope (Cerritos)
2B-Giselle Tapia (Gahr)
3B-Malia Quarles (Gahr)
SS-Ashley Iseri (Whitney)
LF-Jazmine Hill (Gahr)
CF-Camryn Thompson (Artesia)
RF-Johanna Rodriguez (Gahr)
DP-Alyssa Kumiyama (Gahr)
SECOND TEAM
P-Destinee Alvarez (Artesia)
P-Breanna Vasquez (Norwalk)
C-Celeste Borza (Cerritos)
1B-Jade Wittman (Gahr)
2B-Niki Ibarra (Cerritos)
3B-Brenda Duran (Artesia)
SS-Lailoni Mayfield (Cerritos)
LF-Elise Gibbs (Cerritos)
CF-Ariell Romero (Gahr)
RF-Alejandra De La O (Norwalk)
DP-Alyanna Hernandez (Cerritos)
THIRD TEAM
P-Taylor Genera (Whitney)
P-Hannah Kumiyama (Gahr)
C-Alyssa Medina (Artesia)
1B-Maria Enriquez (John Glenn)
2B-Alyssa Rios (Artesia)
3B-Destiny Lucero (Cerritos)
SS-Paloma Usquiano (Gahr)
LF-Miranda Williams (Artesia)
CF-Essence Gibbs (Cerritos)
RF-Jocelyn Ortiz (John Glenn)
DP-Alex Burgess-Allen (Valley Christian)
HONORABLE MENTION
P-Caitlyn Azevedo (Valley Christian)
P-Alize Lopez (John Glenn)
C-Karen Kaur (Whitney)
1B-Lani Pati (Artesia)
2B-Morgan McGahey (Valley Christian)
3B-Kylie Carr (Valley Christian)
SS-Natalie Luna (Artesia)
LF-Jessica Maxwell (Valley Christian)
CF-Destanie Cervantes (Norwalk)
RF-Angelina Perez (Norwalk)
DP-Charlene Fregoso (Artesia)
Player of the Year-Gahr continues to break records right and left, every single season and junior catcher Madison Huskey is right in the middle of it. Huskey batted .558 and led the Gladiators in hits (53), runs batted in (54), doubles (15) and home runs (16). Those marks, minus the average, are single season records since 2000 and her average and 43 runs scored are second in school history since.2000 for a single season.
Pitcher of the Year-She has been dubbed as a bulldog by many associated with the program and there’s a reason why Cerritos junior Jennifer Morinishi gets that label. Morinishi pitched in all 26 games this season, winning 19 games and pitching in all but four innings of the 176.1 that the Lady Dons played in. Morinishi struck out 137 batters, had five shutouts and allowed either one or two runs seven other times.
Coach of the Year-When you slowly build a program that had been the laughingstock of the Suburban League, and area, for nearly two decades, then send the team to the playoffs for the first time since 1992, it’s a no-brainer that Artesia head coach Dayna Feenstra gets this accolade. The Pioneers went 10-9, finished fourth in the league, swept defending tri-league champion Norwalk High and split with another tri-league champ, Mayfair. On top of that, the Pioneers were tied with South Torrance High, the top team in Division 5, until the bottom of the sixth inning in a first round game. The seven league victories match the combined total of league victories since 2008.
