2019 HMG-LCCN SPRING ALL-AREA TEAMS: AREA SCHOOLS BASK IN CHAMPIONSHIP BLISS IN BASEBALL, SOFTBALL FOR 2019 SPRING SEASON

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BY LOREN KOPFF
@LORENKOPFF ON TWITTER

As was the case for the fall and winter seasons, Artesia High, Cerritos High and Whitney High benefited from forming the new 605 League as two of those three schools won league championships. Whitney softball had one of its finest seasons while Gahr High’s softball team made another deep run in the CIF-Southern Section playoffs. 

Here are the 2019 HMG-Community News Spring All-Area Teams. 

BASEBALL
FIRST TEAM

P-Matthew Pinal (Cerritos)

P-Evan Vasquez (Cerritos)

C-Jorge Renteria (Gahr)

1B-Jacob Hernandez (John Glenn)

2B-Alex Manibusan (Cerritos)

3B-Nick Hill (Cerritos)

SS-Joseph Figueroa (John Glenn)

LF-Matt Estrada (Gahr)

CF-Raul Garcia (Cerritos)

RF-Matthew Aguinaga (Cerritos)

DH-Bernie DeLeon (Cerritos)

SECOND TEAM

P-Joseph Angulo (John Glenn)

P-Jason Dressel (Gahr)

C-Alexis Martinez (John Glenn)

1B-Wyatt Keller (Valley Christian)

2B-Aden Gomez (Whitney)

3B-Matthew Polk (Gahr)

SS-Jedi Hernandez (Whitney)

LF-Alejandro Rizzo (John Glenn)

CF-Jayden Tani (Whitney)

RF-Gerardo Vargas (John Glenn)

DH-Andrew Householder (Gahr)

THIRD TEAM

P-Ryan Bloom (Valley Christian)

P-Jason Shin (Whitney)

C-Michael Campos (Whitney)

1B-Rudy Lopez III (Whitney)

2B-Matt Kurata (Gahr)

3B-Brayden Garner (Valley Christian)

SS-Edward Morales (Gahr)

LF-Owen Gott (Cerritos)

CF-Julian Marrujo (John Glenn)

RF-Joey Lopez (Gahr)

DH-Carl Estrella (Whitney)

HONORABLE MENTION

P-Jayden Baerg (Cerritos)

P-JaMore Ward (Gahr)

C-Jonathan O’Neill (Cerritos)

1B-Michael Stephens (Gahr)

2B-Patrick Garcia (Artesia)

3B-Christian Leon (John Glenn)

SS-James Stirton (Valley Christian)

LF-Brandon Azzato (Artesia)

CF-Ryan Lasiter (Valley Christian)

RF-Min Kim (Whitney)

DH-Adam Hollenback (Artesia)

Co-Players of the Year: Cerritos was loaded with tons of talent this past season and Matthew Aguinaga and Alex Manibusan were a big part of it. Manibusan, a junior second baseman, led the Dons with a .378 batting average and was tied for second with 31 hits. He also drove in 25 runs, two behind the team leader. Aguinaga, a senior right fielder, batted .365, good for third on the team, had a team-high 38 runs scored and was walked a team-high 14 times. 

Pitcher of the Year: Matthew Pinal of Cerritos waited until he was a senior to have one the best seasons in school history. Pinal led the area with eight victories in nine decisions and had an earned run average of 1.22 in just over 63 innings of action. Pinal went the distance three times, all in 605 League action and struck out 61 batters.

 

PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Matthew Pinal of Cerritos led the area with eight victories in nine decisions and had an earned run average of 1.22 in just over 63 innings of action. Photo by Armando Vargas, contributing photographer.

 

Coach of the Year: The standard was already set at Cerritos when former co-head coach Scott Parsonage and Brooks Walling took over the program in 2014. Now, in his first season as head coach Walling guided the Dons to a 21-8 mark and a 605 League championship. It was the school’s first league title in baseball since 1996 and ninth overall. Cerritos won 14 of its last 16 games and went undefeated in 10 league contests, outscoring league foes 100-6 with five shutouts.

 

 

 

 

SOFTBALL
FIRST TEAM

P-Taylor Genera (Whitney)

P-Daisy Torres (Gahr)

C-Charlene Fregoso (Artesia)

1B-Leilani Pati (Artesia)

2B-Gisele Tapia (Gahr)

3B-Brenda Duran (Artesia)

SS-Taylor Stephens (Gahr)

LF-Kristalyn Romulo (Gahr)

CF-Camryn Thompson (Artesia)

RF-Irene Dorado (Gahr)

DP-Shasiel Fregoso (Gahr)

SECOND TEAM

P-Erin Gibbs (Cerritos)

P-Valerie Joaquin (Artesia)

C-Natalya Mendiola (Cerritos)

1B-Johanna Rodriguez (Gahr)

2B-Mikala Huskey (Gahr)

3B-Jazmine Hill (Gahr)

SS-Jadyn Nielsen (Cerritos)

LF-Isabel Navarro (Artesia)

CF-Essence Gibbs (Cerritos)

RF-Kaitlin Caneda (Cerritos)

DP-Elise Gibbs (Cerritos)

THIRD TEAM

P-Caitlyn Azevedo (Valley Christian)

P-Ashley Benavides (Gahr)

C-Malia Luna (Gahr)

1B-Samiya Jones (Cerritos)

2B-Zoey Williams (Artesia)

3B-Kyla Nunez-O’Leary (Valley Christian)

SS-Natalie Luna (Artesia)

LF-Lauren Lejano (Cerritos)

CF-Sydni Jones (Gahr)

RF-Alexis Duenas (Artesia)

DP-Quinn Livesay (Valley Christian)

HONORABLE MENTION

P-Shelby Hile (Artesia)

P-Gabriela Ortega (John Glenn)

C-Haley Acosta (Whitney)

1B-Kimberly Rossello (Whitney)

2B-Niki Ibarra (Cerritos)

3B-Valerie Villegas (Whitney)

SS-Mia Sun (Whitney)

LF-Lois Kim (Whitney)

CF-Alexandria Burgess-Allen (Valley Christian)

RF-Isabella Reyes (Whitney)

DP-Makayla Sur (Cerritos)

Player of the Year: Brenda Duran has always been a slugger but in her senior season, she ended her high school career with a bang. The Artesia third baseman led the area with an amazing .714 batting average, 45 hits, 38 runs scored and 45 RBI. Duran also smacked five home runs, tied for second best out of all area players and was also named the 605 League’s Most Valuable Player.

Co-Pitchers of the Year: To say that Taylor Genera was a workhorse this past season would be an understatement. The Whitney senior and 605 League Most Valuable Pitcher worked nearly every inning this season, winning all 15 games for the Lady Wildcats while striking out 250 of the 534 batters she faced. The Chaminade University commit leaves Whitney as one of the top pitchers the school has ever seen. 

After graduating its two starting pitchers last season, Gahr had some question marks in that category. But senior Daisy Torres stepped in quite nicely and helped the Lady Gladiators to the CIF-Southern Section Division 1 semifinal game. Torres, in her first season as a full-time starter, went 10-2 entering the semifinal game and had an ERA of 2.79. 

 

SENIOR DAISY TORRES helped the Lady Gladiators to the CIF-SS D-1 semifinal game. Torres, in her first season as a starter, went 10-2 entering the semifinal game. Photo by Armando Vargas, contributing photographer.

 

Co-Coaches of the Year: Years and years of frustration and futility paid off for Artesia head coach Dayna Feenstra as she can now call herself a league champion. Feenstra guided the Lady Pioneers to a 17-4 record and a share of the 605 League championship. After losing the league opener, the Lady Pioneers won nine straight games before a first round exit in the playoffs. The 17 victories are the most in over two decades and since at least 1998, no Artesia softball team had finished higher than fourth place in league.

After advancing to the Division 1 title game last season, Gahr did not miss a beat this season with first-year head coach Rey Sanchez. He coached a team that still had a lot of pop in the lineup to a 22-6 season. It’s the fifth straight season the program has won at least 22 games and since 2015, Gahr has a record of 120-27-2. The program has also won six straight San Gabriel Valley League titles.