MaxPreps 2013 All-Northern California Baseball Team

MaxPreps 2013 All-Northern California Baseball Team

Player of the Year
Michael Strem, St. Francis (Mountain View), Sr.
Dominant in going 11-1 with a 1.30 ERA, the San Jose Mercury News Player of the Year keyed a Lancers team that spent the majority of the season NorCal ranked No. 1 by MaxPreps and won the Central Coast Section Division I title. The Boston College-bound star tossed a 66-pitch perfect game to beat Monta Vista (Cupertino) in the playoffs, one of two playoff victories, and batted .417 with 22 RBIs and 29 runs. He also played strong infield defense for a 29-4 team that overcame a sluggish finish to the regular season to roar in the postseason.

Coach of the Year
Jeff Carlson, Elk Grove
In his 13th season with the Thundering Herd, Carlson led Elk Grove to a Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship, his fifth to go with eight North D-I banners. Carlson expertly molded new starters with veteran ones, endured a brutal non-league schedule and went 7-0 in the postseason in going 29-5. Carlson has been motivated by wife Caryn, whom he calls his "rock." She has been restricted to a wheelchair for long stretches while recovering from a case of transverse myelitis, an inflammatory disorder that impacts the spinal cord, though she attends all games and radiates good cheer.

MaxPreps 2013 All-Northern California Baseball Team

INF - Tyler Blake, Franklin (Elk Grove), Sr.
A four-year starter and the program's all-time RBI and home run leader, Blake powered the Wildcats to back-to-back Sac-Joaquin Section D-I North title appearances, a split. Headed to Sacramento State, Blake batted .446 with 27 RBIs, 10 doubles and four home runs.

INF - Matt Krook, St. Ignatius (San Francisco), Sr.
In batting .394 with 27 RBIs and also posting a 1.56 ERA with 85 strikeouts, Krook fueled his club to the Central Coast Section D-II title game. The lefty was the highest-drafted prospect in Northern California, going in the second round to Miami, though he plans to head to Oregon.

INF - Jesse Medrano, Clayton Valley (Concord), Sr.
The co-MVP of the Diablo Valley Athletic League, Medrano batted .392 with 27 RBIs and played superb defense to power the Eagles to the North Coast Section D-II playoffs. He is headed to Fresno State.

INF - Derek Rodigo, Del Campo (Fair Oaks), Sr.
The three-year starter and a 4.2 student, Rodigo was superb in the infield on defense, at the plate and as a poised leader. The Westmont-bound former quarterback batted .452 with 27 RBIs and seven homers for the 25-7 Cougars, who won the Sac-Joaquin Section D-II championship.

OF - Ryan Kirby, Granada (Livermore), Sr.
Headed to the University of San Diego, Kirby batted .390 with 23 RBIs in capping his four-year varsity career in style. He keyed a team that was highly ranked all season.

OF - Hunter Mercado-Hood, De La Salle (Concord), Sr.
He batted .494 with five home runs to propel the Spartans to the North Coast Section D-I finals for the third successive season. The East Bay Athletic League MVP is headed to the University of San Diego.

OF - Jordan Paroubeck, Serra (San Mateo), Sr.
The MVP of the brutal West Catholic Athletic League hit .402 with seven home runs with 13 stolen bases while also making superb plays on defense. He led the Padres to the Central Coast Section D-I finals and was drafted in the third round by another group of Padres in San Diego.

DH - Rowdy Tellez, Elk Grove, Sr.
The two-time Sacramento Bee Player of the Year batted .500 with nine home runs and 46 RBIs in powering the Thundering Herd to the Sac-Joaquin Section D-I championship. His 176 RBIs are a section record. He is off to USC.

C - Dom Nunez, Elk Grove, Sr.
A four-year starter and three-time All-Metro pick for The Sacramento Bee, Nunez led by example and through maturity and drive. He batted .390 with 37 RBIs for the Sac-Joaquin Section D-I champions. He signed with the Colorado Rockies.

P - Justin Calomeni, Bellarmine (San Jose), Sr.
With an 8-1 record and a 1.07 ERA, Calomeni powered the Bells to a tri-title in the West Catholic Athletic League, twice shutting out then MaxPreps NorCal and State No. 1 St. Francis (Mountain View) in helping his team go 25-7. In his final three starts, he tossed 23 scoreless innings.

P - Chandler Eden, Yuba City, Sr.
The hard-throwing ace dazzled in his prep finale, tossing a 2-0 no-hitter with 14 strikeouts to beat Colfax 2-0 in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-III title game in one of the most remarkable showings in section playoff history. He went 7-2 with a 1.85 ERA and 212 strikeouts. He is headed to Oregon State.

P - John Gavin, St. Francis (Mountain View), Jr.
Matching 11-1 records with fellow ace Michael Strem, Gavin posted a 1.27 ERA for the Central Coast Section D-I champions. In beating West Catholic rival Serra (San Mateo) in the section finals, Gavin tossed a one-hitter with eight strikeouts in a 10-0 triumph in six innings.

P - Jacob Payne, Granada (Livermore), Sr.
The Most Valuable Pitcher in the East Bay Athletic League, Payne went 12-1 with an 0.44 ERA with 104 strikeouts for a team that was highly ranked all season. He led his team to the North Coast Section D-I semifinals.

UTIL - Daulton Jefferies, Buhach Colony (Atwater), Sr.
The two-time Merced Sun Star and Central California Player of the Year was 10-2 with a 0.92 ERA as the staff ace. He drove in 36 runs while batting .423. He also stole 22 bases and is headed to Cal.

UTIL - Trent Shelton, Campolindo (Moraga), Sr.
The Contra Costa Times East Bay Player of the Year was 10-3 with a 1.48 ERA for the Cougars, who four-peated as North Coast Section D-II champions. He also hit .408 in striking out just once.

UTIL - Matt Trask, Davis, Jr.
The UCLA commit went 7-2 as one of the top arms in the Sac-Joaquin Section with a 1.52 ERA, and he batted .417 a year after just five at-bats for the Delta Valley Conference champions. The league MVP, Trask twice beat rival and eventual Sac-Joaquin Section D-I champion Elk Grove with walk-off hits.