Posted By Deputy Editor Mark Tennis

 
For the 28th consecutive season, we're proud to announce the annual CalHiSports.com all-state baseball teams. The first installment of our release schedule is for the top 30 players regardless of school size or year in school. Scroll down to see which six juniors have gained these honors and which is the only school that landed two on first team overall.

(Most writeups courtesy of Stockton office assistant Paul Muyskens)

Note: We have no set number of players at each position, but do need to have at least two catchers. MP stands for multi-purpose (hitting, pitching, fielding).

C Kyle Skipworth (Patriot, Riverside) Sr
State Medium Schools Player of the Year and a national honoree by Gatorade (we had him as a runnerup to Aaron Hicks) sizzled early in the season with a state record 18-for-18 batting streak. Skipworth ended with a .543 average with 13 homers and 47 RBI. He led Patriot to a 27-3 record and was the state's highest pick in the recent MLB draft at No. 6 in the first round by the Florida Marlins.


C Max Stassi (Yuba City) Jr.
Already a three-year all-state honoree, Stassi led the Honkers to a second straight Sac-Joaquin Section championship and was named the Appeal-Democrat Player of the Year and the Sacramento Bee's All-Metro Player of the Year. He hit 15 homers on the year to increase his career total to 29 which already has broken the school record for career home runs. In 87 at bats, he also knocked in 45 runs while walking 33 times. Stassi has committed to UCLA but is a potential first round draft pick after his final season next year. He has already won two gold medals as a member of the USA Youth National Team and will have a busy summer of baseball, including Perfect Game USA and Area Code.

P Trevor Bauer (Hart, Newhall) Jr.
Despite being on the same team as Michael Montgomery who was selected 36th overall in the recent Major League Baseball draft by the Kansas City Royals, it was Bauer who earned the nod as league MVP going 12-0 on the mound. In 70.2 innings of work, he struck out 106 with four shutouts. He was also named to the L.A. Times All-Southland team, the L.A. Daily News' honor squad and was a CIF Southern Section All-Division I team honoree.

P Gerrit Cole (Lutheran, Orange) Sr.
At the start of the year, Cole was considered by some to be the best high school prospect for the June draft. He slipped some by draft day, but that might have had more to do about his representation (Scott Boros) than anything else. The New York Yankees took him with the 28th pick of the first round. Cole used his 98 mph fastball to strike out 121 batters compared to just 18 walks during the season. He also went 8-2 and had a 0.45 ERA. Also one of the top hitters on the team, Cole led Lutheran to a Trinity League championship. The Lancers lost in the CIFSS Div. I quarterfinals to Norco, 1-0, in a game that Cole was dominant but so was Norco's Matt Hobgood.

P Kevin Eichhorn (Aptos) Sr.
The top junior honoree from last year's team wrapped up a sensational high school career being named the Santa Cruz Sentinel's Male Athlete of the Year. Eichhorn, son of former major league pitcher Mark Eichhorn, was selected in the third round by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He struck out 13 in a early season 10-1 win over Calvert Hall of Baltimore who at the time was ranked number one in the nation by Baseball America. He ended up going 10-1 on the mound with a 0.78 ERA as the Mariners won the league title before losing in the section semifinals. In 67 innings, he struck out 120 and walked just 16 with a total of seven earned runs. Eichhorn also hit .372 with seven doubles and seven homers knocking in 27 and scored himself 34 times.

P Jonathon Hughes (Valley Christian, San Jose) Sr.
Although Hughes doesn't have the MLB draft position that some on this team recently enjoyed, he nonetheless was a serious candidate for Mr. Baseball State Team of the Year honors. The 6-4 right-hander posted a 14-1 record on the mound with a 0.82 ERA and led Valley Christian to its second straight Central Coast Section Div. I title. He went 3-0 in the playoffs alone, including a 5-1 win in the semis over state-ranked Serra of San Mateo. Hughes also racked up a .432 batting average and was the player of the year by both the San Jose Mercury-News and San Francisco Chronicle.

P Tyler Johnson (Crespi, Encino) Sr
Perfection was the name of the game for Johnson who was named to the L.A. Daily News All-Area First Team after wrapping up his high school career a perfect 20-0 on the mound. For this season, Johnson went 10-0 with a 1.06 ERA and struck out 67 in 66 innings. He earned the Mission League's Pitcher of the Year award. Johnson pitched a two-hit shutout for his final win of the year before the Celts were upset by La Serna in the second round of the playoffs. Johnson also pitched Crespi to a win against Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, which lost just four times all year and ended up as the No. 1 ranked team in the state.

P Trevor Takeyama (Chatsworth) Sr.
You may not know how to pronounce his last name but batters did find out how hard he was to get a hit off of as he went 14-1 on the year with a 1.81 ERA and the Chancellors captured their eighth L.A. City title. Takeyama was named the L.A. City Player of the Year after he walked just 13 in 85 innings while winning three of the team's four postseason games. He was just 4-1 with a 2.53 ERA last year before thriving once relied upon this year.

P Chad Thompson (El Toro) Jr.
Already standing 6-foot-8, Thompson still has another year with the Chargers but will have a lot of expectations on his tall shoulders next season after earning the CIF Southern Section Division II Player of the Year award. Thompson seemingly looms over his opponents as he went 12-3 with a 1.28 ERA. He earned victories in El Toro's first four playoff games and on the year struck out 121 batters in 93 innings. He also set or tied multiple school records as he tossed nine complete games and five shutouts.

INF Matt Cerda (Oceanside) Sr.
It was a sure thing to pick Cerda after he earned San Diego Section Player of the Year honors. For starters, he rewrote the Oceanside record book and led the team to back-to-back league titles. Cerda hit .519 with 16 homers on the year while driving in 46. He broke a reported 26 school records, including 13 career records such as RBI with 100 and home runs with 26. Cerda also had a school best 26-game hitting streak this season despite walking often. He was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the fourth round of the draft and has already signed to join Chicago, passing up a scholarship offer from the University of San Diego.

INF Cutter Dykstra (Westlake, Westlake Village) Sr.
Cutter made a name of his own despite being the son of former major leaguer and 1981 State Player of the Year Lenny Dykstra as he hit .473 for the Warriors. We picked Dykstra on the infield for this team instead of his high school position (outfield) because that's where his played during the Area Code Games last summer. He recorded 44 hits with five homers and he also walked 21 times. Dyskstra has already signed with the Milwaukee Brewers after being selected in the 2008 MLB draft's second round. He was raised primarily playing golf and at a young age could drive the ball 250 yards with a five handicap.

INF Jordan Fox (Bishop Amat, La Puente) Sr.
Jordan's team captured the Southern Section Division V championship and his bat was vital to that success as he batted a team-high .536. Fox also scored 41 runs while knocking in 30 and stole a team-high 11 bases. He had nine hits in three postseason wins and has signed to go to UC Irvine. He was co-player of the year by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune and was All-Southland by the L.A. Times.

INF Jonathon Meyer (Simi Valley) Jr.
This was the main man behind Simi Valley's CIFSS Div. I championship season. He was selected the Ventura County Star's Player of the Year as well was player of the year by the L.A. Daily News after already being named all-league and all-county. Meyer led the team in hitting with a .402 average with 43 RBI and 34 runs. He also tied for the county lead in home runs with nine.and has already signed with Cal State Fullerton.

INF Ryan O'Sullivan (Valhalla, El Cajon) Sr.
A player who has been on our radar for four years as the younger brother of former all-stater Sean O'Sullivan, Ryan was the player of the year in the Grossmont South League and the East County Sports P.O.Y. He was an Aflac All-American last summer and followed that up by hitting .407 with 13 homers and 34 RBI to continue having awards headed his way. Sullivan also pitched, going 8-2 with a 2.09 ERA and struck out 81. He was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the recent Major League Baseball draft.

INF Tyler Rahmatulla (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) Sr.
Rahmatulla earned Trinity League MVP honors for the second straight year to cap off a solid career at the shortstop position for the Monarchs. The Orange County Register also named him to the All-County team for the second straight year. Rahmatulla hit .409 on the year with 24 RBI on just 39 hits. He also was a threat to steal every time he was on the basepaths as he swiped 18 bags. Tyler has committed to attending UCLA next season.

INF Michael Reiling (Valley Christian, San Jose) Sr.
Spectacular leadoff hitter was named to the All-Metro team by the San Francisco Chronicle and was first team by the San Jose Mercury-News. He sparked the Warriors to a Central Coast Section Division I championship while setting a section record with 62 hits while batting .534 on the year with 19 doubles and three homers. Reiling also scored 42 runs and knocked in 26 runs and has signed with San Jose State. He had just three errors on the season from the shortstop position and the San Jose Mercury also honored him as its senior of the year.

OF Zach Collier (Chino Hills) Sr.
Two years after collapsing during practice due to a pinched vessel near his heart, Collier wrapped up his high school career by being named the Daily Bulletin Inland Valley Player of the Year. He hit .450 with 24 RBI and seven homers in just 80 at bats as the Huskies won the Sierra League title. Collier also was selected 34th overall in the 2008 Major League Baseball draft by the Philadelphia Phillies.

OF Alex Dickerson (Poway) Sr.
It's almost a guarantee that the No. 1 nominee off the state's No. 2 ranked team will land on the first team and that has happened for Dickerson. The Indiana University-bound standout led Poway to the San Diego Section Div. I title by batting .455 and displaying leadership in the outfield and behind the scenes. Dickerson also hit eight homers, drove in 45 runs and had 12 doubles and six triples. He was 9 for 11 in three straight playoff games with three homers and 10 RBI.

OF Anthony Gose (Bellflower) Sr.
A freakish talent with speed and power potential, Gose didn't post huge numbers as a senior because he was not on a strong team so he walked nearly two times per game. He still hit .443 with six doubles, five triples and three home runs. He also made the most of every time he was on base as he stole 31 bases while only getting caught four times. Gose was the 51st pick overall (second round) in the recent MLB draft and has signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, a team that is loaded with former California high school standouts.

OF Ryan Palermo (Serra, San Mateo) Sr.
From a school that has had 10 players enjoy lengthy major league careers, including Barry Bonds and Gregg Jefferies, Palermo is the first to break three school records in one season. Selected as a team captain before the season began, he lived up to that role with 14 homers, 54 RBI and a .450 batting average. The home runs and RBI are school records as is his total of 95 total bases. Palermo, who also had a 1.000 fielding percentage, posted six game-winning hits and went 10-for-10 on stolen bases, is playing next at UC Santa Barbara.

OF Chris Smith (Centennial, Compton) Sr.
In just 20 games this season for the Apaches, Smith hit a jaw-dropping .708 with 12 home runs and 43 RBI. He struck out just three times on the year in his 72 official at bats. Smith also recorded a base hit in every game but one with a season high eight RBI in a 5-for-5 performance against Rolling Hills Prep that saw him hit two homers and three doubles. He had committed to USC but was also recently selected in the fifth round of the Major League Baseball draft by the New York Yankees. At the Area Code Games last summer, he was among the most impressive prospects.

MP Tyler Chatwood (Redlands East Valley) Sr
If there was a comeback player of the year honor, Tyler would be it after his successful return from Tommy John surgery as a sophomore. He was an all-state underclass pick as a junior in the outfield, but as a senior he pitched, hit and played the infield in leading REV to the CIFSS Div. II championship game. Chatwood, the San Bernardino Sun player of the year, went 9-1 with a 0.81 ERA and had 95 strikeouts as a pitcher. He also batted .521 with 23 RBI and stole 18 bases. With a fastball clocked at 95 mph, Chatwood was picked in the second round of the recent MLB draft by the L.A. Angels of Anaheim. He also had signed previously with UCLA.

MP Aaron Hicks (Wilson, Long Beach) Sr.
Our previously announced Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year displayed a remarkable blend of skills during his career, including speed on the bases, speed in the outfield, hitting for average and this year pitching. In leading Wilson to the CIFSS Div. I title game, Hicks finished 8-2 as a pitcher with a 1.16 ERA plus 112 strikeouts in 72 innings. Despite a fastball that was clocked at 97 mph, Hicks was still even better as a position player. He had a .473 average with 37 stolen bases, 50 runs scored plus 12 doubles, four homers and 23 RBI. Hicks was the 14th pick in the first round of the recent MLB draft by the Minnesota Twins.

MP Matt Hobgood (Norco) Jr.
It looks like not all phenom athletes from Norco are from the Gerhart family. Hobgood was so good in 2008 that despite being a junior was considered among four players as finalists to be state player of the year. The junior player of the year for the state had that unique combination of power pitching and power hitting. The 6-4, 240-pounder barreled out 15 homers with a .484 batting average and 45 RBI. On the mound, Hobgood, the L.A. Times Player of the Year, also went 10-0 with a 1.32 ERA. He struck out 98 batters and reached 97 mph on his fastball.

MP K.C. Hobson (Stockdale, Bakersfield) Jr.
The son of former Boston Red Sox manager Butch Hobson stood out this season for Mustangs, leading them to a Central Section Division 1 championship and was named The Bakersfield Californian's All-Area Player of the Year. On offense, he hit for a .505 average with seven homers and had the game-winning hit in the section title game. Hobson's biggest impact may have been his perfect 10-0 record on the mound with a 3.03 ERA. He moved to Bakersfield from Nashua, N.H., before his sophomore season and was named to the All-Area team in his first year playing in California.

MP Erik Johnson (Los Altos) Sr.
Known as Deuce, Johnson helped the Eagles reach their second straight Central Coast Section Division II championship game. Headed for Cal, he made the most of his final season both at the plate and on the mound as he went 9-3 with a 1.27 ERA. In 77.1 innings ,he struck out a nice even 100 and picked up his final win of the season against state-ranked Aptos allowing just two late runs. Johnson, who is headed to Cal, hit seven home runs on the year to go with 29 RBI and was named to the All-San Jose Mercury News first team.

MP Jarrett Martin (Centennial, Bakersfield) Sr.
Martin set a Central Section record with 18 home runs this season along with six doubles. In 30 games, he had 39 hits for a .438 average knocking in 52 and scoring 34 times. Martin saved one of his best games for the final weeks of the season as he was 3-for-3 with three homers and five RBI in a Golden Hawks' 8-6 win over Ridgeview. He went just 5-2 on the year pitching with a 3.72 ERA, but did strike out 57 batters in 32 innings and is perhaps more highly-regarded by scouts as a pitching prospect. Martin has signed to go to Cal State Fullerton but was also drafted by the Baltimore Orioles.

MP Brett Mooneyham (Buhach Colony, Atwater) Sr.
On the mound or at the plate, the 6-6 Mooneyham made a large impression for the Thunder in their section runner-up season and was named the Modesto Bee and Merced Sun Star Player of the Year. With a fastball that reached the mid-90s, he was 9-2 on the year with a 0.97 ERA as teams batted just .116 against him. In 58 innings, he struck out 103 but did allow 56 walks which prevented his ERA from being far lower. The son of former Oakland Athletic Bill Mooneyham, Brett led the team with five home runs while knocking in 35 and hitting for a .379 average. He will be headed to Stanford despite a 15th round selection by the San Diego Padres.

MP Nick Ramirez (Katella, Anaheim) Sr.
Whether at the plate or on the mound, Ramirez did it all for the Knights and was named the Orange County Register's Player of the Year over a strong field including first-round draft pick Gerrit Cole. With bat in hand, he knocked in 26 runs and hit .426 while setting school records in home runs, doubles and RBI. Ramirez was an almost perfect 10-1 pitching with a 1.16 and in 84 innings struck out 91. He pitched a shutout to clinch the Empire League championship and then threw a complete game against Arroyo Grande to pick up the final win of the season in postseason play. He has committed to attend Cal State Fullerton where he hopes to continue pitching and hitting.

MP Nik Rodarte (Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks) Sr.
Rodarte did a bit of everything for the Knights in their CIFSS Division III championship-winning season while earning Mission League MVP and L.A. Daily News First Team honors. On the hill, he picked up his 11th win of the season in the championship while losing just one decision in 13 starts. Rodarte also struck out 69 in 81.2 innings with an ERA of 2.06. When not on the mound, he played first base and hit .343 with three homers and 32 RBI.

Corrections or comments? Email mark@studentsports.com.