A common connection in the San Diego CIF baseball and softball circles this spring are strikes and strikeouts. For the second consecutive season, the SDSCIF has broken career records for strikeouts in both sports.
Michael Fagan’s fastball won’t register draftable numbers on any radar guns, but the San Diego Jewish Academy junior left-hander none the less has etched his name into San Diego Section baseball history with 392 career strikeouts in 231 innings. The 5-foot-11, 150-pound Fagan broke the old record of 376 strikeouts established by El Cajon Christian’s Brian Schroeder, who attended UCLA and pitched two seasons in the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system.
Fagan also set the section’s single season mark of 181 strikeouts in 97 1/3 innings as a sophomore, breaking a 36-year old record of 170 set by Spring Valley Monte Vista’s Ron Scagliotti.
On the softball side, senior Amye McIntyre of Francis Parker has racked up 927 strikeouts to eclipse the two-year old career mark of 925 strikeouts set by Patrick Henry’s Donna Kerr. McIntyre’s totals include 317 in 161 1/3 innings this season with at least two more playoff games remaining.
The hottest name in San Diego Section strikeouts has an excellent chance to finish with more than 1,000 before wrapping up her high school career. Horizon Christian junior Cassidy Coleman broke the SDSCIF record for strikeouts in a season with 418 (in 175 2/3 innings) this spring. She now has fanned 851 batters over three seasons.
Baseball: Nearly three decades pass before Komets are kings
Kearny High, which produced All-Star shortstop Alan Trammell of the Detroit Tigers, won its first league baseball championship since 1981. The Komets edged Clairemont 4-3 on the final day of the regular season to escape having to share the Western League crown with the Chieftains. Senior catcher Chris Pernicano was the driving force for Kearny (17-11), batting at a .453 clip (34-for-75) with 10 steals and 26 RBI.
More Baseball: Otay Ranch’s Mustangs sentenced to corral
No one will know just how good the Otay Ranch Mustangs could have been this season. On the field, the Mustangs posted a school record best 24-7. That includes winning the Mesa League championship with a 9-1 mark. However, 12 forfeits punched a hole in the Mustangs’ victory balloon. Thus, Otay Ranch, once a bona fide San Diego CIF Division I contender was called out on strikes before the first playoff pitch was thrown. The dozen forfeits were handed down after an Otay Ranch player was ruled ineligible because of missing a single signature on his joint residency application.
Bonus Baseball: Grossmont’s Griffin grounds El Capitan
Senior Aaron Griffin, a 6-foot-5, 205-pound right-hander, had a banner day on the mound and at the plate as Grossmont High clobbered El Capitan 16-4. Griffin pitched six innings with as many strikeouts to post his seventh win without a loss. At the plate, he was 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs and six RBI.
Softball: Chino shoves Cowgirls out of saddle
San Bernardino Cajon freshman Monique Wesley, who entered the CIF-SS Division III softball playoffs with 63 consecutive scoreless innings and a 0.62 ERA, saw her No. 1 seeded Cowgirls fall in the opener 6-0 to Chino.
Other Top Performances
— Marissa Valdez, a senior at Valley Center, belted two home runs and logged seven RBI as the Jaguars buried San Dieguito Academy 16-0. The All-Valley League pick also had two doubles and was 4-for-5 in the game.
— Norco’s Matt Hobgood, a highly projected draft prospect, hit two home runs and threw a one-hitter, defeating Brea Olinda, 5-1.
— La Jolla senior Alyssa Taylor belted her SDSCIF-leading 14th home run of the season in a loss to Point Loma.
— Freshman Lauren Hynes of Torrey Pines allowed just three runs in 21 innings over three winnings starts.
— Poway breaks school single season win record in softball with 24 wins after blanking Bonita Vista 7-0 in the opening round of the SDSCIF Division I playoffs.
— Robert Refsnyder of Laguna Hills hit three home runs this week, giving him 13 for the season.
— Santana senior Jessie Owens slugged her 23rd career home run as the Sultans smothered Our Lady of Peace 10-0 in a first-round San Diego Section Division III softball playoff game.
— Drew Dominique of Scripps Ranch went 4-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and a home run as the Falcons edged St. Augustine 7-6 in an Eastern League baseball game.
— Mar Vista senior Samantha Avi’i (14-5) struck out 12 in five innings as she logged a perfect game against San Diego Southwest.
— Senior Collin Jarvis of Rancho Buena Vista was the top qualifier in the 3,200 meters (9:21.61) at the SDSCIF track preliminaries.
Coming Attractions
The SDSCIF softball championships will be held Saturday, May 30 at San Diego State University. The first game starts at 10 a.m. (Division IV), 12:30 p.m. (Division III.), 3 p.m. (Division II) and 5:30 p.m. (Division I). This is the first season where a double-elimination format has been used in softball.
Dickens Dealings
Something that has become predictable about the San Diego CIF section baseball playoffs is there are no longer any sure things.
In years gone by it seems as if two or three teams among the four divisions could be considered solid favorites to take home the gold.
Not any longer.
Even top-seeded Cathedral Catholic (22-6), a team bolstered by eight major college scholarship starters, cannot be tabbed as a runaway favorite in Division III. The Dons, are, however, seeded No. 1 as expected.
Good thing this event is a double-elimination affair.
Of course, those who do not earn a top four seed and an accompanying bye need to qualify for a berth in the eight-team double-elimination event through a play-in game on Tuesday, May 26. That’s where things can get a bit treacherous.
Just ask the Torrey Pines Falcons, who, as a No. 5 seed last year, were sentenced to travel to the Imperial Valley to face No. 12 seed Calexico (14-8) because the Bulldogs were IVL champions. Torrey Pines tied for the runner-up slot in the Palomar League, thus had to hit the road.
Needless to say, Torrey Pines was upset by the assignment and even more so when Calexico scored an 1-0 upset.
Torrey Pines won’t have to travel at all this season The Falcons, who finished the regular season 21-8, were awarded top billing over second-seeded Poway by virtue of Torrey Pines' 1-0 win over the Titans last month. Poway (24-6), which owns two of the past three Division I titles, captured the Palomar League crown.
Grossmont (21-9), which has won an unprecedented four straight section titles, is top seeded in Division II.
Coronado received the top seed in Division IV, where the Islanders have won two titles in the past three years. The Islanders are loaded with pitching but runs come at a premium for them.
Among the teams that could override the seedings are Rancho Bernardo (21-9) and La Costa Canyon (22-8) in Division I, Steele Canyon (21-7) in Division II, Montgomery (21-7) and Santana (20-10) in Division III.
The tournament runs through June 6.
Let the surprises begin.
