2022 HMG-CN Spring All-Area Teams-Playoff Droughts Ended as Nearly All Area Baseball and Softball Teams Enjoyed Success

 

By Loren Kopff• @LorenKopff on Twitter

June 3, 2022~The 2022 spring season for baseball and softball ended in the final days of April and out of a combined 15 area teams, all but five were still playing postseason games in May, one of which on the last day of the fifth month. The Artesia High and Norwalk High baseball programs ended playoff droughts of 13 and seven years respectively while the Cerritos High, Gahr High and La Mirada High softball programs claimed another of their respective league titles. Here are the 2022 HMG-Community News Spring All-Area Teams.

BASEBALL

FIRST TEAM

P-Evan Geppert (Cerritos)

P-Eric Jeon (La Mirada)

C-Owen Gott (Cerritos)

1B-Maverek Russell (La Mirada)

2B-Kyle Panganiban (Gahr)

3B-Ethan Vo (Cerritos)

SS-Carter Chi (Cerritos)

LF-Aidan Haller (La Mirada)

CF-Ethan Kang (Gahr)

RF-Johan Gibbs (Cerritos)

UTL-Paul Dominguez (La Mirada)

SECOND TEAM

P-Noah Andrunas (Gahr)

P-Dylan Burton (Cerritos)

C-Andrew Pyle (La Mirada)

1B-Alahni Salcedo (Gahr)

2B-Aiden Aguayo (La Mirada)

3B-Carson Slager (Valley Christian)

SS-Angel Cortez (Gahr)

LF-Raymond Sierra (Cerritos)

CF-Paul Kim (Cerritos)

RF-Andrew Kirchner (Gahr)

UTL-Henry Harms (Cerritos)

THIRD TEAM

P-Daniel Carbajal (Artesia)

P-Ryan Coppock (La Mirada)

C-Angel Rosales (Norwalk)

1B-Kaleb Nakano (Norwalk)

2B-Dalton Chi (Cerritos)

3B-Joe Tamassi-Ortiz (Gahr)

SS-Noah Rodriguez (La Mirada)

LF-Alex Hernandez (Gahr)

CF-Rudy Gonzales (La Mirada)

RF-Jose Garcia (Artesia)

UTL-Pablo Hidalgo (La Mirada)

HONORABLE MENTION

P-Gabriel Cancino (Norwalk)

P-Anthony Rincon (Cerritos)

C-Chris Johnson (Gahr)

1B-Victor Sanchez (Artesia)

2B-Ben Carter (Valley Christian)

3B-Reggie Steele (Artesia)

SS-Caden Barnhill (Norwalk)

LF-Phineas Shahon (Artesia)

CF-Ryan Zamarripa (Valley Christian)

RF-Armand Rizo (Valley Christian)

UTL-Frankie Medina (Artesia)    

PLAYER OF THE YEAR-Cerritos senior catcher Owen Gott has been a major force in the program’s success the past several seasons. Gott led all area players with a .491 average, had 27 hits, 14 runs driven in and seven doubles. He was also one of five everyday players not to commit an error.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR-Cerritos senior catcher Owen Gott (Photos by Armando Vargas, contributing photographer)

 

PITCHER OF THE YEAR-La Mirada has always produced great pitchers over the years and this season, Eric Jeon (no picture) was nothing short of sensational in the circle. The junior started nine games, went 7-1 and had an earned run average of 0.58. In nearly 49 innings of action, Jeon allowed four earned runs while striking out 54.

CO-COACHES OF THE YEAR-This was a magical season for Artesia head coach Jose Serrano (no picture) and Norwalk head coach William Wenrick. The former guided the Pioneers to a 15-12 record as they advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 2007 and won more than 10 games for the first time since that season. Artesia, which had to win on the final day of the regular season to clinch an automatic berth, won a pair of playoff games before falling to Wiseburn-DaVinci. In two seasons, Serrano has won two more games than the program did in the previous six seasons combined.

At Norwalk, Wenrick brushed the monkey off his back as the Lancers finished in third place in the Suburban League for the first time since 2005 and advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 2013. The team’s 14-13 record, in which it won nine of the first 11 games, is the best for the program since the 2011 team went 15-12 and the team’s lone playoff game was a 2-0 loss at Whittier Christian High.

Co-Baseball Coach of the Year: Norwalk head coach William Wenrick.

 

SOFTBALL

FIRST TEAM

P-Jailynn Banda (Norwalk)

P-Aleyna Urbina (La Mirada)

C-Julia Cole (John Glenn)

1B-Natalie Craig (La Mirada)

2B-Katelyn Caneda (Cerritos)

3B-Janis Espinoza (La Mirada)

SS-Jadyn Nielsen (Cerritos)

LF-Hailey Sanchez (Gahr)

CF-Camille Lara (Cerritos)

RF-Sophia Magcale (Gahr)

UTL-Angelina Conde (La Mirada)

SECOND TEAM

P-Marley Cortez (Gahr)

P-Erin Gibbs (Cerritos)

C-Rebecca Eckart (La Mirada)

1B-Brianna Perez (Norwalk)

2B-Mika Huskey (Gahr)

3B-Hayley Olivas (Gahr)

SS-Kendall Nakano (Norwalk)

LF-Catherine Quibrantar (Cerritos)

CF-Diana Bravo (John Glenn)

RF-Presley Hendrix (Cerritos)

UTL-Amanda Ta’amu (Gahr)

THIRD TEAM

P-Gabriela Ortega (John Glenn)

P-Maya Torres (Artesia)

C-Alianna Calderon (Cerritos)

1B-Makayla Sur (Cerritos)

2B-Alexis Duenas (Artesia)

3B- Cerise Cervantes (Norwalk)

SS-Rio Mendez (Gahr)

LF-Peyton Powers (La Mirada)

CF-Grace Archuleta (La Mirada)

RF-Larissa Flores (Gahr)

UTL-Mia Rafael (Cerritos)

HONORABLE MENTION

P-Chelsea Azevedo (Valley Christian)

P-Monicka Manni (Whitney)

C-Vanessa Soto (Artesia)

1B-Rebecca Simbol (Whitney)

2B-Leilani Juan (Norwalk)

3B-Fa Toafaoalii (Cerritos)

SS-Beatriz Galvez (John Glenn)

LF-Madison Velazquez (Whitney)

CF-Natalia Hill (Gahr)

RF-Shawnee Starke (Valley Christian)

UTL-Alyssa Aguilar (Gahr)

Co-Players of the Year-Cerritos had probably one of the top middle infields in the CIF-Southern Section in senior second baseman Katelyn Caneda and senior shortstop Jadyn Nielsen. Caneda, who will be taking her talents to the University of Nebraska, led the Dons with a .566 batting average, 38 runs scored, 32 runs batted in and 30 hits. She also committed one error. Her partner on her right, who is headed to the University of Hawai’i, was the leadoff position where she batted .547 with 34 runs scored, 29 hits and 13 RBI while making two errors. Both players, who also hit two home runs each, were the only ones for Cerritos to have over 60 plate appearances

Jadyn Nielsen, Cerritos High, Co-Player of the Year

Katelyn Caneda, Cerritos High, Co-Player of the Year

 

Pitcher of the Year-Senior Aleyna Urbina was a dominant force in the circle for La Mirada and was one of many reasons why the Matadores won the Suburban League crown in the last year of the league’s existence. Urbina went 15-4 in 22 games pitched, worked close to 127 innings and struck out 72 batters while walking 15. She had an ERA of 1.66 as she tossed 1,513 pitches.

 

Aleyna Urbia, La Mirada High, Pitcher of the Year

 

Coach of the Year-Shortly before the regular season began, Fred Perez was an assistant coach for Norwalk. But following the sudden and unexpected passing of Vic Juan, who was set to take over the program, Perez assumed the head coaching duties and guided the Lancers to a 20-8 season. This season marked the first time in at least 25 years that the program had won 20 games and the eight losses ties the same mark in a full season set in 2001 and 2007. The second place team from the Suburban League advanced to the quarterfinals for the third time since 2016.

 

Fred Perez, Norwalk High, Softball Coach of the Year