All-State Baseball: First Team

Oaks Christian's Phil Bickford was the first California high schooler chosen in the 2013 MLB Draft at No. 10 overall. He whiffed 18 in his final game. Photo courtesy Student Sports.

Oaks Christian’s Phil Bickford was the first California high schooler chosen in the 2013 MLB Draft at No. 10 overall. He whiffed 18 in his final game. Photo courtesy Student Sports.

We ended up with five catchers, just three outfielders and plenty of the usual pitchers and multi-purpose players. These 30 represent the best of the best in California for 2013, regardless of year in school or size of school.

Note: Check out Inside the All-State Softball Teams, a premium feature running in conjunction with this week’s All-State Softball selections. This feature includes more top freshmen and sophomores who were not on the all-state underclass team. It’s for Gold Club members. A one-year subscription now will carry you through the 2014 season. CLICK HERE.

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Congratulations to these players who’ve been named first team overall for the 33rd annual Cal-Hi Sports all-state baseball honors program:

CATCHERS

Alex Jackson (Rancho Bernardo, San Diego) Jr.
No stranger to us and our honors, he hit .343 on the year, drove in 33 runs and smashed a reported state best 14 home runs for the Broncos. Committed to Oregon, he is considered a potential first round pick in next year’s MLB Draft and was our state Freshman of the Year two years ago and Sophomore of the Year last season. Jackson was the top player for Rancho Bernardo’s 30-5 team that won the first-ever CIF San Diego Section Open Division title.

Jeremy Martinez (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) Sr.
Well known by pro and college scouts since his sophomore season, Jeremy will be headed to USC unless he signs with the Chicago Cubs. During the season, he hit .395 with 17 runs batted in as the Monarchs spent most of the season at the top of our state rankings. He recently was in Korea with the USA U18 National Team that won the Gold Medal at the XXV IBAF 18U World Championship, driving in two runs in the finals and being named to the International All Star Team.

Jacob Nottingham (Redlands) Sr.
After the season Nottingham had, he was picked as the Riverside Press-Enterprise Player of the Year. His hitting totals were fabulous, including a .543 average with seven homers, five doubles and two triples. He also stole 16 bases and was adept at throwing out those trying to do the same from opposing teams. In the recent MLB Draft, Nottingham was the first of the sixth round by the Houston Astros. He also has a commitment with the University of Oklahoma.

Arden Pabst's presence behind the plate was a major factor for Harvard-Westlake's eventual No. 1 statewide finish.

Arden Pabst’s presence behind the plate was a major factor for Harvard-Westlake’s eventual No. 1 statewide finish.


Arden Pabst (Harvard-Westlake, North Hollywood) Sr.
Named to the All-CIF Southern Section Division I team, he adds another honor after his tag at the plate helped the Wolverines end the season as section champions and No. 1 overall in the state. On the season, he hit .391 with five home runs and 31 runs batted in. The catcher for Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year Jack Flaherty he will go to Georgia Tech to play next year.

Jake Sweaney (Garces, Bakersfield) Sr.
He’s been a prolific player in the CIF Central Section for three years and will make the state record book for at least two career categories. Already named the Bakersfield Californian’s Player of the Year, Sweaney batted .489 with 14 doubles, eight homers, 41 runs and 39 RBIs. In the recent MLB Draft, Sweaney was chosen in the fourth round by the Philadelphia Phillies. He has signed with the Phillies and is already playing in the rookie leagues.

PITCHERS

Phil Bickford (Oaks Christian, Westlake Village) Sr.
A finalist for our Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year honor, Bickford also was just beaten out by Dominic Smith from Serra of Gardena for our Senior Player of the Year and Medium Schools Player of the Year award but is an easy pick for our first team. While leading the Lions to the CIF Southern Section Division IV championship, he went 12-1 with a 0.83 ERA while striking out 146 batters in 84.2 innings. He also was the first California prep player to be chosen in last month’s MLB Draft as he was picked No. 10 overall by the Toronto Blue Jays.

Ty Boyles (Quartz Hill) Sr.
We could have put Ty among the multi-purpose picks but the 6-foot-3, 270-pounder was an 11th round draft choice by the Cincinnati Reds and is projected to be a pitcher. His pitching numbers of 9-0 with a 0.70 ERA plus 120 strikeouts in 70 innings is almost matched by his hitting. Boyles, the two-time Golden League MVP, hit .459 with eight homers and 32 RBIs.

Justin Calomeni (Bellarmine, San Jose) Sr.
All you need to know about Calomeni is that he beat St. Francis of Mountain View twice, once when the Lancers were No. 1 in the state. And in both games, Calomeni threw shutouts, including one one-hitter. He finished 8-1 with a 1.07 ERA and 0.93 WHIP. He didn’t put up big batting numbers, but was a regular in the order and played well in the outfield and at third when not pitching. “Without him, we do not come close to the 25-7 record and being tri-WCAL champs,” wrote Bells’ head coach Mike Rodriguez.

Chandler Eden (Yuba City) Sr.
Helping the Honkers capture the CIF Sac Joaquin Section Division III championship, he went 6-2 on the season with a 1.83 ERA while striking out 119 batters in 68.2 innings. In the section championship game, he struck out 14 batters and threw a no-hitter in a 2-0 win over Colfax. Eden was drafted by the Miami Marlins last month, but he will not sign and head to Oregon State next season.

Steven Farinaro (Head-Royce, Oakland) Sr.
Considered the runner-up to Kerman’s Carlos Salazar for small schools’ State Player of the Year, Farinaro led his team to the CIF North Coast Section Division V crown. With one game in which he struck out 20 of 25 batters faced, Farinaro piled up a 12-1 record with a 0.82 ERA. He also had 157 Ks in 77 innings and allowed only 19 walks. Farinaro was chosen in the 11th round of the recent MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals and has signed with that team.

Chris Kohler (Los Osos, Rancho Cucamonga) Sr.
An Area Code Games standout from last summer, Kohler translated that into a big-time senior season and then recently a third-round MLB draft selection by the Oakland A’s. This last spring, Kohler posted an 11-1 record with a 2.24 ERA and fanned 113 batters in 72 innings. Kohler also hit for a .444 average, knocked in 22 runs and was Baseline League MVP.

Carlos Salazar (Kerman) Sr.
A finalist for our overall Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year, he didn’t take home that honor but we did name him our Small Schools Player of the Year. It would have been hard for him to be better on the mound as he went 10-2 with a 0.09 ERA with 147 strikeouts. Salazar also hit .430 with 29 runs batted in. For his career, Carlos ended 27-3 on the mound with 308 strikeouts. He was drafted in the third round of the MLB Draft last month and signed with the Atlanta Braves, bypassing a scholarship from Fresno State.

Brett Seeburger (Vista) Sr.
It wasn’t quite the same as last year when Seeburger was a Mr. Baseball finalist and was a major cog for Vista’s State Team of the Year. Still, he was a legit all-state player and has been chosen to the All-San Diego Section squad. Seeburger, headed to San Diego State, had a 1.40 ERA with a 9-4 record plus 93 strikeouts and just 11 walks. He holds most of Vista’s pitching records for a career and season, including those previously held by current major leaguer Trevor Cahill. Two of his losses were by 2-1 to section champ Rancho Bernardo and 1-0 to La Costa Canyon.

Shortstop David Fletcher was the senior leader for Cypress in its run to the CIFSS Division II crown.

Shortstop David Fletcher was the senior leader for Cypress in its run to the CIFSS Division II crown.


INFIELD

J.P. Crawford (Lakewood) Sr.
A former State Freshman of the Year and well-known by all the scouts throughout his prep career, Crawford set multiple school records while with the Lancers. One of his career totals, for hits with 179, also is one of the top five in CIFSS history and will be in the state record book. Crawford also ended with 72 career walks, 162 career runs and 73 steals. This season, he hit .452 with 39 runs scored. He was the No. 16 pick in the first round by the Phillies in the recent MLB Draft and recently signed for a reported $2.3 million dollars.

David Fletcher (Cypress) Sr.
He was the leader of a Cypress team that defeated Temecula Valley of Temecula in the CIFSS Division II championship. Fletcher piled up 52 hits while batting .437 and set a school record for most hits in a career. He also scored 38 times and stole 23 bases. As a fielder, Fletcher only committed three errors in 34 games.

Kevin Franklin (Gahr, Cerritos) Sr.
All you need to know about Franklin after reading about J.P. Crawford is that he was named the Long Beach Press-Telegram Co-Player of the Year along with Crawford. While we hate ties, that local tie was telling. Franklin hit .448 with 37 runs batted in and nine home runs for the Gladiators while scoring 33 runs. He also was chosen in the second round of the MLB Draft and has signed with the Cincinnati Reds. Franklin also capped his career with 28 home runs.

Gosuke Katoh (Rancho Bernardo, San Diego) Sr.
Hitting .429 with 32 runs batted in and 10 home runs during the season, Katoh was named Palomar League Player of the Year in front of big-time junior teammate Alex Jackson. We didn’t have to choose one in front of the other and have simply picked both to the elite all-state 30-player overall first team. Katoh was selected with the 66th pick overall in the recent MLB Draft by the New York Yankees and was in fact the first second baseman taken overall. He has signed with the Yankees, passing up playing for NCAA champion UCLA and going to the team he reportedly idolized growing up.

Ryan McMahon (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) Sr.
After playing quarterback for the Monarchs’ state-ranked football team, McMahon turned to his No. 1 sport and hit .405 with 26 runs and 32 runs batted in. The third baseman was a key reason why Mater Dei was No. 1 in the nation for most of the season and he has already been chosen as to the 2013 Orange County Register Player of the Year. McMahon had signed with USC, but he was taken in the second round of the MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies and signed with that club for a reported contract with a bonus of $1.328 million, according to Jim Callis of Baseball America.

Dominic Smith (Serra, Gardena) Sr.
Another easy selection for first team all-state overall, Smith was not only a Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year finalist but he also was our Senior Player of the Year and Medium Schools Player of the Year, just beating out fellow all-state first team selection Phil Bickford for those honors. Drafted 11th overall in the first round by the New York Mets (right behind Bickford), he helped lead the Cavaliers to the CIFSS Division IV championship with his arm and bat. On the season, he went 4-0 with 43 strikeouts and a 1.85 ERA while hitting .493 with seven home runs and 37 runs batted in. For his career, Smith batted above .500 with 21 homers and 163 RBIs.

Ryan Tellez (Elk Grove) Sr.
Named by the Sacramento Bee as its Player of the Year, Tellez hit .500 with nine home runs and 46 runs batted in as the Thundering Herd captured the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship. He collected four hits in his final game, including a home run, against St. Mary’s of Stockton to finish his high school career with a reported section-best 176 runs batted in. Ryan will play next on a scholarship at USC despite being drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays.

OUTFIELD

Trenton Brooks (Granite Hills, El Cajon) Sr.
This 2012 All-State Underclass first teamer was chosen to the San Diego Section honors squad as a pitcher. He also was the East County Player of the Year. He also was an outstanding outfielder, however, and we decided to put him on our first team for that position, which enabled us to get on another multi-purpose player. The centerfielder batted .435 with 50 hits, 35 runs scored and six doubles. Pitching-wise, he was 7-2 with 96 strikeouts in 67 2/3 innings. Brooks led the Eagles to the San Diego Open Division championship game and has committed to the University of Nevada.

Trenton Kemp (Buchanan, Clovis) Jr.
In the Tri-River Athletic Conference, Kemp shared player of the year honors with Clovis North’s Jack Labosky, a finalist for Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year. Kemp was sensational as a centerfielder and leadoff hitter with power. He already has been chosen the Fresno Bee’s Outstanding Hitter with numbers of .442 with five doubles, seven homers, 36 runs, 26 RBIs, 22 walks and a .791 slugging percentage. He has committed with Fresno State, but could be a high MLB draft choice next season.

Jordan Paroubeck (Serra, San Mateo) Sr.
Colliding with a teammate while chasing a liner into the gap and having to leave the CIF Central Coast Section Division I final wasn’t the way Paroubeck wanted to end his prep career, but the play showed how much ground he can cover and his desire to win. Paroubeck had a season in which he was MVP of the famed West Catholic Athletic League (same league as SJ Mercury-News POY Michael Strem). He batted .402 with 22 extra-base hits, including seven homers. Paroubeck also was one of the highest-ranked outfielders (including college players) in the recent MLB Draft. He went in the third round (69th overall) to the San Diego Padres.

MULTI-PURPOSE (Hitting/Pitching)

Ian Clarkin (Madison, San Diego) Sr.
Committed to the University of San Diego, Clarkin was selected with the No. 33 pick in the MLB Draft by the New York Yankees after winning nine games on the mound this season. During those nine wins, he pitched five complete games and struck out a career-high 133 batters to go with his 0.95 ERA. The CIF San Diego Section Player of the Year also connected for a .414 batting average and drove in 21 runs.

Jack Flaherty (Harvard-Westlake, North Hollywood) Jr.
He is an obvious selection for this group after we named him our Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year early last week. Flaherty was a dominating presence for a team that finished No. 1 in the state. In the CIFSS Division I championship game at Dodger Stadium, he not only drove in the game’s lone run but he also pitched the complete game shutout. On the season, he was 13-0 with a 0.63 ERA and 112 strikeouts in 89 innings while at the plate he hit .360.

Daulton Jefferies (Buhach Colony, Atwater) Sr.
Not only was he the Central California Conference MVP but for the second year in a row he was the Merced Sun-Star Player of the Year. Jefferies also joins his older brother, Jake, as an all-state first teamer. Jake gained the honor in 2005. On the mound, Daulton went 10-2 with a 0.92 ERA while he also hit .423 with 36 runs scored and 22 stolen bases. Drafted in the 39th round by the Miami Marlins, he will likely play next season at Cal.

Jack Labosky (Clovis North, Fresno) Jr.
Also chosen this week as the Fresno Bee Player of the Year, Labosky led the Broncos to their first CIF Central Section Division I title and a 27-6 record. Going up against some of the best week-in, week-out competition anywhere, Labosky was especially strong on the hill with an 11-0 record and 0.81 ERA. He had wins over state-ranked Buchanan and Clovis plus defending section champ Bullard of Fresno. As a hitter, Labosky had a .437 average with eight doubles, three homers and 22 RBIs.

Trent Shelton (Campolindo, Moraga) Sr.
Oregon State-bound standout got hot down the stretch in helping the Cougars win their fourth straight CIF North Coast Section Division II title. Shelton, who already has been chosen as the Contra Costa Times’ East Bay Player of the Year, tossed two complete game shutouts and went 4-for-4 in the NCS final. He ended 10-3 on the mound with a 1.48 ERA. As a hitter, Trent batted .408 against a toughened schedule with 32 hits, 15 RBIs and struck out just once.

Chance Sisco (Santiago, Corona) Sr.
He’s just switched to the catcher position and has been a former infielder so he fit best on this team in the multi-purpose position. Showing off his arm behind the plate, he threw out 15 attempted base stealers on the season without making an error. At the plate, he hit .467 with 25 runs batted in and 30 runs. Committed to Oregon, he was the 61st pick overall in the recent in the MLB Draft and has signed with the Baltimore Orioles.

Michael Strem (St. Francis, Mountain View) Sr.
A finalist for our Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year honor, he got national attention earlier this season when he not only tossed a perfect game but did it in just 66 pitches while striking out eight in a playoff win against Monta Vista of Cupertino. Leading the Lancers to their first CIF Central Coast Section title since 2001, he already has been named the San Jose Mercury-News Player of the Year. He went 11-1 with a 1.30 ERA while also hitting .417 with 22 runs batted in.

Contributing: Paul Muyskens

Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @CalHiSports


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4 Comments

  1. Etorres22
    Posted July 10, 2013 at 8:12 am | Permalink

    Wow! Eddie Torres from frontier high in Bakersfield batted 4.30 9 doubles 7 home runs 2 grand slams 30RBI 774 slg pct 495 obp struck out only 8 times out of 93 @ bats pitched a one hitter in Fresno Easter classic semi final against Davis high not to mention a 4 yr varsity starter who helped frontier win to back to back cif titles in 2010& 2011!!!! This kid should be on this list somewhere !!!!!!! Who votes on these kids????

    • JJ1963
      Posted July 10, 2013 at 3:30 pm | Permalink

      Does he Pitch?

      • Etorres22
        Posted July 10, 2013 at 7:36 pm | Permalink

        Yes he does

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2 Trackbacks

  1. […] Justin Calomeni of Bellarmine and Steven Farinaro of Head-Royce made first team all-state, along with Serra outfielder Jordan Paroubeck, and multi-purpose standouts Campolindo’s Trent […]

  2. […] thing being there was potential for more. He also was solid on the defensive side of the ball, too. After his senior season CalHiSports.com named him to the first team all-state and was a finalist for state player of the […]

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