By Kevin Askeland
MaxPreps.com
The inaugural MaxPreps California All-State baseball team features a player who was chosen, in some circles, as the best player in the country, and a coach who led his team to the first division title in school history.
Kyle Skipworth of Patriot, regarded as the nation’s top catcher, has been chosen as the state player of the year. He was recognized as the league MVP, the area MVP (by the Riverside Press Enterprise), the Southern Section division MVP, the state MVP (by Gatorade), the regional MVP (by Baseball Coaches of America) and the national MVP (by Gatorade). He was also the third high school player chosen in the Major League baseball draft and the first player from California selected.
Matt La Belle of Simi Valley is the coach of the year after leading the Pioneers to the first division title in school history with a 4-1 win over Long Beach Wilson – a team that was ranked No. 1 in the country to start the season. Simi Valley also won the Marmonte League for the first time since 1993. Simi Valley finished the season with a 25-8 record and was ranked No. 1 in the Southern Section by MaxPreps, No. 2 in the state and No. 11 in the country.
Following is a look at the rest of the 30-member team:
Chad Thompson, El Toro, Pitcher, Junior
The 6-foot-7 junior helped lead the Chargers to the Southern Section Division 2 championship by posting a 12-3 record with a 1.280 ERA during the season. His best outing was a 10-0, 10 strikeout, no-hitter over Lakewood, which won the Moore League. He pitched in El Toro’s first four playoff games and earned wins in all four. Thompson threw complete games in wins over Crescenta Valley in the second round and Cypress in the semifinals. Thompson finished the season with 121 strikeouts in 93 innings pitched and had five shutouts. He was named the Southern Section Division 2 Most Valuable Player by the California High School Baseball Coaches Association.
J.D. Salles, Clovis West, Pitcher, Junior
No pitcher in California posted a better record than Salles, who went 13-0 on the year and helped lead Clovis West to a 23-8 record and a second-place finish in the Tri-Rivers League. Salles, who was named the co-Player of the Year by the Fresno Bee, also batted .420 and scored 28 runs. He excelled on the mound, however, posting a miniscule 0.80 ERA. He was named the most valuable player at the Clovis Coca Cola Classic and was selected to play in the CBCA North-South game for juniors.
Trevor Takeyama, Chatsworth, Pitcher, Senior
The Chancellors were supposed to be on a down cycle this year after losing several talented players from last year’s city championship team, including first-round draft picks Mike Moustakas and Matt Dominguez. But Trevor Takeyama made sure Chatsworth held on to the crown. He was the winning pitcher in three of his team’s four playoff wins, including a five-hitter in Chatsworth’s 7-2 victory over Narbonne in the City title game. Takeyama went 14-1 on the season and walked only 13 batters in 85 innings. He was named the Los Angeles City player of the year by a panel of sports writers.
Kevin Eichhorn, Aptos, Pitcher, Senior
Eichhorn brought Aptos some national recognition early in the season when he struck out 13 batters in a 10-1 win over then National No. 1 (by Baseball America) Calvert Hall of Baltimore in the National Classic in Los Angeles. The win turned out to be the beginning of a pattern for Eichhorn, who posted a 10-1 record thanks to a 93 mph fastball that helped him rack up 120 strikeouts in just 67 innings. He gave up only 32 hits and 16 walks in earning Santa Cruz County player of the year honors as well as a spot on the All-District 8 team by the Baseball Coaches of America. Eichhorn was no slouch at the plate either, as he batted .372 with seven home runs, and 27 RBI. The senior standout rarely saw a good pitch to hit as he gathered 30 walks on the season after driving in 49 runs as a junior. Selected with the 104th pick in the Major League Baseball draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, Eichhorn also has the option of playing at Santa Clara next year on a baseball scholarship.
Brian Valenzuela, Vista Murrieta, Pitcher, Senior
Valenzuela led the Broncos to the Southwestern League championship and the third round of the Southern Section Division 2 playoffs. He won the first two games of the playoffs for Vista Murrieta, including a 4-0 shutout against Burroughs in which he struck out 11 and allowed just one hit. He also threw a 12-strikeout no-hitter in a win over Chaparral and outdueled Chad Thompson in a 7-2 win over El Toro in early March. Valenzuela earned a spot on the Baseball Coaches of America All-District 8 team and was also named the All-Valley MVP by the North County Times. He posted a 10-0 record with 119 strikeouts in 83 innings pitched and a 1.181 ERA. Valenzuela was the 314th selection the MLB draft by the New York Mets.
Jonathan Hughes, Valley Christian, Pitcher, Senior
Valley Christian captured the Central Coast Section Division 1 championship and Jonathan Hughes was a big reason why. He was the winning pitcher in both the semifinals and the finals, which was a 1-0 win over Archbishop Mitty with the winning run coming in the bottom of the seventh inning. Hughes was a force on the mound and at the plate. He posted a 14-1 record and had a 0.82 ERA with 83 strikeouts in 85.1 innings. On offense, he batted .432 with 35 RBI and 41 hits. He’s headed to Santa Clara on a scholarship.
Gerrit Cole, Orange Lutheran, Pitcher, Senior
One of the most coveted pitchers in the country, Cole was second high school pitcher chosen in the Major League Baseball draft, chosen with the 28th pick by the New York Yankees. Possessing one of the best fastballs in the state that sometimes peaked in the 97-98 range, Cole struck out 121 batters in just 75.2 innings pitched while posting an 8-2 record. He threw three one-hitters during the season and gave up just five earned runs in posting a 0.463 ERA. A threat at the plate as well, Cole batted .310 with six home runs and 25 RBI. Cole was named to nearly every honor squad, including the All-County team by the Orange County Register, the All-Southland team by the Los Angeles Times, the All-District 8 team by the Baseball Coaches of America, and the All-American team by USA Today.
Trevor Bauer, Hart, Pitcher, Junior
So just how good is Trevor Bauer? Consider that his teammate, Michael Montgomery, was the fourth high school pitcher chosen in the MLB draft (36th by the Royals), but Bauer had the better season, statistically, and was the league MVP over Montgomery. Bauer posted a 12-0 record with four shutouts while striking out 106 batters in 70.2 innings. His best outing was a 16-strikeout two-hitter in a 2-0 win over West. Bauer was named as one of two pitchers (Cole was the other) on the LA Times All-Southland team and he was named to the Southern Section All-Division 1 team.
Kyle Skipworth, Patriot, Catcher, Senior
There weren’t many honors Skipworth didn’t earn during his stellar senior season. He led Patriot, which was in its first year of fielding a varsity team, to a 27-3 record and a spot in the Southern Section Division 4 semifinals, where it eventually fell to Diamond Ranch. Along the way, Skipworth set a state record, according to Cal-Hi Sports, with 18 straight base hits. He also ranked among the state leaders with 13 home runs while batting .543 with 47 RBI. Skipworth was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year, the Riverside County Player of the Year and was also the third high school player selected in the Major League Baseball draft, going to the Florida Marlins.
Max Stassi, Yuba City, Catcher, Junior
The Yuba City standout has already had a legendary career for the Honkers and he still has his senior season left to play. Stassi was named the All-Metro player of the year by the Sacramento Bee after racking up a .471 batting average and 15 home runs, which ranked fourth best in the state. He also had 45 RBI and has driven in 124 runs in his career. He also has a .506 career batting average with 29 home runs. He is a two-time member of the gold medal USA Youth National team and was recently named as an Under-Armour All-American. He enters his senior season as one of the top two catchers in the country, according to Perfect Game.
David Rohm, Clovis, Catcher, Senior
Rohm shared Fresno area co-player of the year honors with Salles of Clovis West after leading the Cougars to the Central Section Division 1 championship game where they fell to Stockdale. Rohm caught and pitched for Clovis, registering a .422 batting average with 35 RBI and seven home runs and a 10-2 mound record with a 2.43 ERA.
Jordan Fox, Bishop Amat, First Base, Senior
Fox was at his best in the Southern Section Division 5 playoffs while leading the Lancers to the title. He had three hits in each of Bishop Amat’s final three games, including a pair of home runs and six RBI in a quarterfinal win over San Marino. He also had two doubles in a semifinal win over Bishop Montgomery and a double and a triple in the finals against St. Paul. Fox, who batted .536 on the season, had at least three hits in 11 games and finished second in the state with 59 base hits according to MaxPreps. He also had 10 doubles, three triples and six home runs while winning Southern Section Division 5 player of the year honors. He was also the all-area player of the year by the San Gabriel Tribune.
Nick Ramirez, Katella, First Base, Senior
Ramirez earned Orange County player of the year honors by the Orange County Register over such notables as Gerrit Cole and Mater Dei’s Tyler Rahmatulla due to his prowess at the plate and on the mound. Ramirez batted .426 with 39 hits, nine doubles and 26 RBI and he also posted a 10-1 record on the mound with a 1.16 ERA. He led Katella to the Empire League championship and will play for Cal State Fullerton next year.
Nikolas Rodarte, Notre Dame, First Base, Senior
Rodarte led the Knights to the Southern Section Division 3 championship and was named the player of the year in the division by the California Baseball Coaches Association. He batted .343 with 32 RBI, nine doubles and three home runs, but he was also stellar on the mound where he posted an 11-1 record with his only loss being a 2-1 defeat to Crespi. He pitched the Knights to the championship over South Hills and finished the season with 69 strikeouts in 81.2 innings pitched while earning the Mission League MVP award.
Tyler Rahmatulla, Mater Dei, Infield, Senior
The Monarch shortstop earned Trinity League MVP honors for the second straight season after batting .409 with 39 basehits, 24 RBI and 18 stolen bases. He also made the All-County team by the Orange County Register for the second year in a row and was honored by the LA Times on the All-Southland team. He’s headed to UCLA next year.
Nolan Arenado, El Toro, Infield, Junior
The talented infielder was the leading hitter for the Chargers during their run toward the Southern Section Division 2 championship. He battled .456 with 47 basehits, 32 RBI, 11 doubles and four home runs. He came up big in the playoffs, going 2-for-3 in the final two games against Cypress and Redlands East Valley including a pair of doubles in the semifinals. He was named to the LA Times All-Southland team and the All-County team by the Orange County Register.
Jonathan Meyer, Simi Valley, Infield, Junior
Meyer and the Pioneers got rolling in the playoffs, capturing the Southern Section Division 1 championship with a 4-1 win over Long Beach Wilson. He batted a team-best .402 and led Ventura County with 43 RBI and nine home runs. He was named to the All-Southern Section Division 1 team and was the Ventura County player of the year. Only a junior, Meyer has already committed to Cal State Fullerton after his senior year.
Matt Cerda, Oceanside, Infield, Senior
Cerda earned San Diego Section player of the year honors by the Union-Tribune after leading Oceanside to the Division 2 championship game. Although the Pirates lost to Grossmont in the finals, Cerda was clearly the top player in the section after hitting .542 with a section-best 58 hits and 16 home runs. He also had nine doubles and scored a section-best 53 runs while earning All-District 8 honors by the Baseball Coaches of America. The senior shortstop went to the Chicago Cubs with the 131st pick in the Major League Baseball draft.
KC Hobson, Stockdale, Infield, Junior
The son of former Boston Red Sox third baseman Butch Hobson, KC helped lead Stockdale to the Central Section Division 1 championship and was named the Kern County player of the year by the Bakersfield Californian. Hobson was stellar at the plate, leading the Central Section with 57 RBI while ripping 55 hits that included 17 doubles and seven home runs. He also had a solid season on the mound, posting a 10-1 record with 84 strikeouts in 60 innings and a 3.033 ERA.
Ryan O’Sullivan, Valhalla, Infield, Senior
If not for the outstanding play of Cerda at Oceanside, Valhalla’s Ryan O’Sullivan might have been the San Diego Section’s player of the year. Besides batting .407, O’Sullivan swatted 13 home runs (second in the section behind Cerda) and drove in 34. He also went 8-2 on the mound with a 2.09 ERA and 81 strikeouts. He was named the player of the year by the East County Sports and earned a spot on the Baseball Coaches of America All-District 8 team. The San Francisco Giants selected him with the 297th pick in the Major League Baseball draft.
Tyler Chatwood, Redlands East Valley, Outfield, Senior
The Wildcats advanced to the Southern Section Division 2 championship game and Chatwood was a major reason why. He led Redlands East Valley in hitting with a .521 average that included 13 doubles and six triples. On the mound, he was 9-1 with the lone loss coming against the Chargers. He also threw a 14-strikeout no-hitter against Redondo in the opening round of the playoffs and finished with 95 strikeouts in 51.2 innings pitched with a .813 ERA. He was the San Bernardino County player of the year by both the San Benardino Sun and the Riverside Press Enterprise. He also made the LA Times All-Southland team and the All-District 8 team by the Baseball Coaches of America. He was selected by the Los Angeles Angels with the 74th pick in the Major League Baseball draft.
Cutter Dykstra, Westlake, Outfield, Senior
Dykstra is one of three players on the list whose father played in the Major Leagues (Hobson and Brett Mooneyham are the others) as his father is Lenny Dykstra, the former three-time all-star with the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. Cutter Dykstra played shortstop and outfield at Westlake and was named to the All-Southland team by the LA Times, the All-District 8 team by the Baseball Coaches of America and was a second team All-Division 1 pick. As the leadoff batter for the Warriors, Dykstra batted .473 with 44 hits and 40 runs while belting eight doubles and five home runs. The Milwaukee Brewers chose Dykstra with the 54th pick in the Major League Baseball draft.
Zach Collier, Chino Hills, Outfield, Senior
Collier proved to be one of the rising stars in California baseball this year, going from a solid prospect to a first-round selection by the Philadelphia Phillies (34th pick). Collier had heart surgery as a sophomore to replace a faulty coronary artery, and recovered well enough to land player of the year honors by the Inland Valley Register after batting .450 with seven home runs and 24 RBI. He led Chino Hills to the Sierra League championship and one of his home runs was a shot off of fellow all-state player Aaron Hicks of Long Beach Wilson.
Aaron Hicks, Long Beach Wilson, Outfield, Senior
Hicks was a threat at the plate, on the basepaths and on the mound, helping Wilson reach the Southern Section Division 1 championship game before falling to Simi Valley. Possessing a 95 mph fastball, Hicks was one of the top pitchers in the state while posting an 8-2 record with 112 strikeouts in just 72.1 innings pitched. He also stole 37 bases while batting .473 with 50 runs scored, 12 doubles and four home runs. The Minnesota Twins chose him with the 14th pick in the MLB draft. He was named to the All-Southland team by the LA Times and the All-District 8 team by the Baseball Coaches of America. Hicks was also the Southern Section Division 1 player of the year.
Alex Dickerson, Poway, Outfield, Senior
In leading the Titans to the No. 1 ranking in California by MaxPreps, Dickerson was near the top of every major statistical offensive category in the San Diego Section. He batted .455 with 40 runs and 55 basehits. He bashed 12 doubles, six triples and eight home runs and drove in 44 runs. He was named to the All-San Diego Section team by the Union Tribune as well as the All-District 8 team by the Baseball Coaches of America. The Washington Nationals selected him with the 1,432nd pick in the MLB draft.
Chris Smith, Compton Centennial, Outfield, Senior
Oddly enough, Smith was not selected to any All-Southern Section team, but his statistics and talent cannot be denied. Smith was second in the state, according to MaxPreps, with a .708 batting average (51-for-72). He drove in 43 runs and had seven doubles, two triples and 12 home runs. He also struck out just three times during the season and stole 24 bases. He made the All-District 8 team by the Baseball Coaches of America and was on the USA Today All-American second team. The New York Yankees made him the 170th pick in the Major League Baseball draft.
John Pecoraro, Paloma Valley, Utility, Senior
Chosen the Southern Section Division 3 player of the year along with Rodarte, Pecoraro had a stellar season on the mound, posting a 12-0 record with a 1.95 ERA. He struck out 74 batters and had just 15 walks. At the plate, Pecoraro batted .442 and scored 28 runs while driving in 19. He is headed to San Diego State next year on a scholarship.
Matt Hobgood, Norco, Utility, Junior
Possibly the top junior prospect in the state, Hobgood won Southland player of the year honors by the LA Times over both Skipworth and Hicks after batting .489 with 45 RBI and a school record 15 home runs. He also was 10-0 with a 1.34 ERA and 100 strikeouts and earned a spot in the North-South Junior State All-Star Series, where he was named the series MVP. He has already said that he will attend Cal State Fullerton once he graduates.
Jarret Martin, Bakersfield Centennial, Utility, Senior
Considered a pitching prospect at the beginning of the season, Martin showed he could slug the ball as well, blasting a state-best 18 home runs while batting .438 with 52 RBI. He finished the year with a 5-2 pitching record that include 57 strikeouts and a 3.72 ERA. His best outing was against Ridgeview when he went 3-for-3 with four runs scored, five RBI and three home runs. Signed with Cal-State Fullerton, Martin was chosen by the Baltimore Orioles (as a pitcher) with the 566th pick in the MLB draft.
Brett Mooneyham, Buhach Colony, Utility, Senior
The 6-5 fireballer was named the player of the year by both the Merced Sun Star and the Modesto Bee after leading Buhach Colony to the Sac Joaquin Section Division 1 finals, where they fell to Jesuit in three games. Mooneyham posted a 9-2 record with a 0.97 ERA that included 113 strikeouts in 58 innings, thanks in part to a 92 mph fastball. He also improved greatly at the plate this year, batting .379 with a team-best five home runs and 35 RBI. He is headed to Stanford next year despite being chosen with the 465th pick in the MLB draft by the San Diego Padres.
