El Toro and Norco each land a pair on the overall all-state first team. Capistrano Valley, Chatsworth, Stockdale, Cathedral Catholic, Edison of Huntington Beach, Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks and Jesuit of Carmichael all get one on the first and one on the second.

By Mark Tennis, Executive Editor
Contributing: Ronnie Flores, Paul Muyskens, Steve Brand

Congratulations to all of the following 30 players, who have been written up as first team all-state for the CalHiSports.com all-state baseball honors. We have been compiling all-state teams in baseball for more than 25 years and our Mr. Baseball Player of the Year lists extend back more than 100 years.

Catchers

Josh Leyland (San Dimas) Sr.
He helped the Saints win their first section title since 1985 as his single tied the CIF Southern Section Div. IV championship game that they would go on and win, 4-2, over Torrance. Leyland has been named the Inland Valley player of the year and was drafted by the Oakland Athletics after leading the Saints with 11 homers and 38 runs batted in with a .506 batting average. On the year, he tied for the most homers in the state by a catcher with fellow first-team all-state pick Max Stassi, who was also drafed by the Athletics. Leyland has a scholarship offer from Washington State should he choose not to sign with the Athletics.

Max Stassi (Yuba City) Sr.
Despite an injury that caused him to be less than 100 percent, Max still was good enough this year to be the Sacramento Bee Player of the Year for the second year in a row and was recently named to the EA SPORTS All American team. During his senior year, he hit .538 with 38 runs batted in and 11 homers as the Honkers won their third straight section title. In his four years with the Honkers, a team coached by his dad, Jim, he hit .514 with 40 home runs and drove in 162 runs. Stassi has a full ride scholarship to UCLA awaiting him if he decides not to sign with the Oakland Athletics, who picked him in the fourth round of the recent Major League Baseball draft.

Andrew Susac (Jesuit, Carmichael) Sr.
There were an abundance of top catchers around the country and Susac was one of the best. Last summer at the Area Code Games in Long Beach, he performed more than admirably for the Milwaukee Brewers Gray team, standing out with his strong throwing arm. This spring, he continued to shine and led Jesuit to its second consecutive CIF Sac-Joaquin Div. I title by batting .442 with nine doubles and eight homers. He also scored 35 times and drove in 34 runs while earning league MVP honors and all-metro honors from the Sacramento Bee.

Pitchers

Kurt Heyer (Edison, Huntington Beach) Sr.
The senior had a stellar year on the mound for the Chargers, ending it with a 0.84 ERA in 100 innings pitched. He helped guide Edison to the CIFSS Div. I title game at Angels Stadium, where he lost to Capistrano Valley, 1-0. He went the distance in that loss and posted an 11-3 won-loss record on the year. A first team all-Orange County pick, Heyer has signed to play at the University of Arizona next year.

Justin Jones (Oakdale) Sr.
He was virtually unbeatable over a two-year span as he went 22-1 and was named the Modesto Bee's player of the year. This year, Justin went 10-1 on the mound with a 0.42 ERA with the lone loss coming in the postseason by a 4-3 final score with all four runs he allowed unearned after three errors. In 66 innings, he struck out 118 and hit .413 at the plate. Jones was drafted in the 7th round by the Chicago White Sox and also has a scholarship to attend Cal.

Zack Jones (Santa Teresa, San Jose) Sr.
The Saints marched to their first Mount Hamilton Division championship since 1993 with Jones leading the way on the mound and at the plate. He was named the San Jose Mercury News player of the year after going 11-0 with a 0.88 earned run average after only allowing 11 earned runs all year. Jones also finished just shy of 100 strikeouts as he recorded 98 strikeouts in 88 innings while hitting .508 with eight homers and 30 RBI. He was drafted in the 24th round by the Kansas City Royals.

Tyler Matzek (Capistrano Valley, Mission Viejo) Sr.
A no-brainer for this team, Matzek already has been named as our Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year and an EA SPORTS All-American after leading the Cougars to the CIFSS Div. I title and final No. 1 in the state ranking. His dominance in the postseason likely catapulted him ahead of Norco's Matt Hobgood for the Mr. Baseball honor as he pitched 18 1/3 scoreless innings in the final two games while driving in the only runs. On the year, he set single-season school records for wins with 13 and complete games with five while hitting .404 with eight homers and 32 RBI. Matzek was recently selected 11th overall in the Major League Baseball draft by the Colorado Rockies.

Aaron Northcraft (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) Sr.
He ended a honors filled season with a 10-2 won-loss record, 70 strikeouts and a 1.55 ERA. Northcraft also made an impact with his bat, batting .362 with 19 RBIs and three homers. For his efforts, he was named MVP of the Trinity League. Earlier in the season, he was named Most Valuable Pitcher of the prestigious National Classic and helped Mater Dei advance to the CIFSS Div. I semifinals. He was an all-CIFSS Div. I first team pick and an all-county selection by the Orange County Register as well.

Brooks Pounders (Temecula Valley, Temecula) Sr.
At 6-foot-6, 225 pounds, Brooks can pound the ball with a bat in his hands or overpower hitters with his arm. It's on the mound where the majority of Major League Scouts like his potential, as he was snagged in the second round of the MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. With a fastball clocked as high as 95 MPH, Pounders finished his senior season with a 9-2 record, a 1.96 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 64.1 innings. He also hit .400, blasted seven home runs and drove in 25. He was not only named MVP of the Southwestern League, he was the North County Times' All-Valley Player of the Year.

Mike Renner (Chatsworth) Sr.
The lefty was a driving force behind the Chancellors' push for yet another CIF L.A. City Section championship, their third in a row. He was selected as the L.A. City Section Player of the Year and made the Los Angeles Times' all-star squad. In the city section finals at Dodger Stadium, the lefty was brilliant, topping No. 1 seed Reseda of Cleveland, 9-0, in a game in which he surrendered only two hits. He ended his season with a 10-2 record and 1.44 ERA.

Tyler Skaggs (Santa Monica) Sr.
Norco's Matt Hobgood and Mr. Baseball Capistrano Valley's Tyler Matzek were more dominant pitchers, but there is no doubt both those standouts played on stronger teams. Skaggs only recorded a 2-3 record, but in 48 innings pitched, he struck out 76 batters while walking only 11. His ERA was also solid (1.60) and he struck out 12 batters in a game three times. This top-flight prospect is also fine athlete, having competed in football and basketball as an underclassman before baseball became his calling card. A southpaw with velocity in the low 90s, Skaggs signed with Cal-State Fullerton before being selected in the supplemental draft, No. 40 overall, by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Infielders

Nolan Arenado (El Toro, Lake Forest) Sr.
Versatility is the name of the game for Arenado, who was a second round MLB Draft choice of the Colorado Rockies. At the prestigious National Classic, he saw some time in the outfield, in the infield and on the mound, but it's likely he will move to catcher at the next level. At that same National Classic, Arenado was named Most Outstanding Hitter, as the Chargers earned a second place finish to Mater Dei of Santa Ana. A member of the L.A. Times and Orange County Register all-star teams, Arenado ended the season with a .517 average and 23 RBI.

Vince Bruno (Clayton Valley, Concord) Sr.
The Diablo Valley Athletic League MVP and CIF North Coast Section player of the year by Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area, Bruno was the offensive catalyst behind Clayton Valley's NCS Division II title. He piled up 51 hits and had a .543 batting average. He also had 37 RBI, scored 29 runs and had 15 doubles, three triples, three homers and stole 17 bases.

Kenny Diekroger (Menlo School, Atherton) Sr.
A strong candidate for small school state player of the year, Diekroger did do more than enough to merit a first-team overall selection. In addition to hitting .586 and committing zero errors in two years of league play, Diekroeger also had a 0.68 ERA with six saves as a pitcher. Last summer, he was the highest-rated SPARQ tester at the Area Code Games and made the Area Code all-tourney team. Diekroger has committed to Stanford, but also was picked 78th overall in the second round of the recent MLB draft.

Kelly Dugan (Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks) Sr.
After being an integral member of the 2008 team at Notre Dame that was No. 1 in the state, Dugan returned to have another stellar season. A switch-hitter who can also play in the outfield, he batted .379 with eight homers and 35 RBI. He also collected 12 doubles and scored 34 times. Dugan, the son of movie director Dennis Dugan, was the 75th overall pick in the recent MLB draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. He also has recently been named second team EA SPORTS All-American.

Christian Lopes (Valencia) Soph.
By the time Lopes graduates from high school, he has a chance to accomplish some special things, but the opposition might not give him anything to put his bat on during his final two seasons. He's that good. After winning state freshman of the year honors last year, Lopes earned top individual honors among tenth-graders after racking up 39 hits in 86 official at-bats, good for a .453 average. His stellar numbers also include a .573 on-base percentage, a 1.140 slugging percentage, 12 doubles, 33 RBI and 39 runs scored with only five strikeouts. "He's a talented offensive player with surprising power with a wood bat," said one Major League Scout who chose to spoke on the condition of anonymity. Fifteen of Lopes' hits left the yard and with two seasons to play, he already has hit 25 career home runs.

Jiovanni Mier (Bonita, La Verne) Sr.
After his tour with the Milwaukee Brewers Blue team last summer, the majority of the Major League scouts in attendance at the Are Code Games felt Mier had the best tools of any shortstop in the country. That was confirmed when he was the first prep shortstop taken in the June amateur draft, at No. 21 in the first round, by the Houston Astros. In addition to his slick glove work, Mier batted .394 with five homers, 10 doubles, 37 runs scored and 18 RBIs for a 21-6 Bearcats club. For good measure, Mier even pitched for Bonita, picking up three saves in eight appearances.

Tony Renda (Serra, San Mateo) Sr.
He was named the West Catholic Athletic League Player of the Year after breaking former big-leaguer Gregg Jefferies' school record for career hits with 139, setting the new mark at 152. After batting .486 last season, Renda batted .405 this season as the Padres captured a section championship for the retiring Pete Jensen. Renda also broke the school record for career runs scored with 120 after scoring 40 times this season while driving in 22 runs. On the year, he also totaled 18 extra base hits and stole 18 bases while only being caught once. He will likely head to the University of California unless he decides to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers after being selected in the 42nd round.

Jake Rodriguez (Elk Grove) Jr.
After being named state sophomore player of the year in 2008, Rodriguez made a big splash on the U.S. 16U National Team and carried that momentum into his junior season for the Thundering Herd. After hitting .536 as a 10th-grader, Rodriguez followed that up with a junior season where only his batting average dipped, and only slightly, from the previous year. He collected 10 doubles, four triples, five home runs, drove in 47 runs, scored 39 times and hit .522. Rodriguez can also pitch, as he fanned 62 batters in 41 innings and went 4-0 with a 0.68 ERA. For his efforts, he was named state junior player of the year.

Outfielders

Mitch Haniger (Archbishop Mitty, San Jose) Sr.
He set a new single-season school record for homers with 12 to earn his second first-team honor by the San Jose Mercury News after being selected as a wide receiver during football season. Haniger was able to set league records for receptions as he finished his high school football career with 75 catches for 789 yards. In baseball, teams respected his offensive abilities as they walked him 32 times but he still managed to get 40 hits for a .364 batting average and drove in 25 runs. His defensive abilities to track down fly balls from centerfield were highly-regarded and he was recently drafted in the 31st round by the New York Mets.

Wes Hatton (Norco) Sr.
Hatton earned nearly as many honors as heralded teammate Matt Hobgood, the unofficial Mr. Baseball runner-up. The duo shared Big VIII League MVP honors and Hatton also made the all-star squads of the L.A. Times and the Riverside Press-Enterprise in addition to being named to the all-CIFSS Div. I squad. He hit .500 and drove in 22 runs this year while going 5-1 with a 1.24 ERA on the mound. The Norco standout was selected by the hometown Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the fourth round of this year's draft.

Jake Marisnick (Poly, Riverside) Sr.
A solid all-around athlete and another standout player from the Inland Empire, Marisnick signed with Oregon, but was drafted in the third round by the Toronto Blue Jays. Marisnick hit .404 this year for Poly and was an all- CIFSS Div. I first team selection. He drove in 31 runs and used his speed to swipe 22 bags. In fact, he was one of the fastest players at the 2008 Area Code Baseball Games and had one of the highest vertical jumps as well.

Steven Packard (Mission Hills, San Marcos) Sr.
Packard led San Diego County with 46 RBI as he batted .520 on the season for the Grizzlies, who finished 18-8-1. The 6-1, 185-pounder bashed six homers and scored 38 runs. That was just half of the story as the Oregon signee also had a 6-1 record on the mound, compiling a 1.74 ERA while striking out 61 batters.

Multi-Purpose

Matt Davidson (Yucaipa) Sr.
If there was a pecking order of player of the year candidates in the state, Davidson probably would be No. 3 behind Tyler Matzek and Matt Hobgood. He was the 35th player taken overall in the recent MLB draft and led the Thunderbirds to a 27-2 season. Davidson batted .553 with a robust 18 doubles, 11 homers and 45 RBI. He also went 4-0 as a relief pitcher with five saves and a 1.60 ERA. Davidson has already signed with Arizona Diamondbacks and is playing rookie ball this summer.

Ryon Healy (Crespi, Encino) Jr.
He capped off an honors-filled junior campaign with a spectacular performance against Huntington Beach in the CIF Southern Section Div. II title game. In a 8-1 victory, Healy not only pitched a seven-hit complete game, he belted a solo home run and a two-run single to help the Celts clinch the title. On the season, Healy went a perfect 11-0 on the mound with 101 Ks and only 16 walks in 83 innings. With his bat, he hit .468, scored 29 runs and drove in 25. For his efforts, he was not only named CIFSS Div. II Player of the Year, he was also chosen greater San Fernando Valley Player of the Year by the Los Angeles Daily News.

Matt Hobgood (Norco) Sr.
Similar to Tyler Matzek, he was an easy choice for our all-state team after already being named the Gatorade National Player of the Year and an EA SPORTS All-American. Hobgood, who narrowly lost the Mr. Baseball award to Matzek, went 11-1 on the year with a 0.92 ERA while striking out 101 batters in just over 68 innings. He also led the Cougars at the plate as he hit .475 with 21 homers and 55 RBI. Hobgood finished his high school career with at least seven school records, which included career wins, shutouts and strikeouts from the mound and home runs and runs batted in at the plate. He was the first high schooler from California to be chosen in the MLB draft as the Baltimore Orioles selected him fifth overall.

K.C. Hobson (Stockdale, Bakersfield) Sr.
The son of former Boston Red Sox managr Butch Hobson and recently named an EA SPORTS All-American, Hobson defended his Bakersfield Californian Player of the Year award as he was named the winner once again after leading the Mustangs to a Central Section championship. A threat at the plate or on the mound, he did the most of his damage this year at the plate as he led the Central Section with 15 homers and knocked in 47 runs while batting for a .489 average. On the mound, he capped off a two-year record of 17-1 by going 7-1.

Andrew Rich (Washington, Easton) Sr.
Now that the season is done, he continues to get rich with awards and honors as he earns another honor after already being the Fresno Bee player of the year and our small schools player of the year. In four years with the Panthers, he totaled 36 wins and 180 hits with a career .435 average. His final high school pitch was a bases-loaded, two-out, 3-2 count with a one-run lead in the Central Section Division IV title game as he got John Hobbs to strikeout. This season, Rich hit .474 with 23 runs batted in while going 10-1 on the mound with 62 strikeouts.

Ryan Wilkins (Cathedral Catholic, San Diego) Sr.
San Diego State will be getting quite a player as the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Wilkins led the Dons (26-6) to their second straight San Diego Section Division III title and the No. 1 spot in the final CalHiSports.com Div. III state rankings. Wilkins compiled an 8-1 record with a 2.23 ERA while striking out 99 in 66 innings. At the plate, he batted .426 with eight home runs and 39 RBI. He was selected the section Player of the Year by both the San Diego Union-Tribune and San Diego Hall of Champions.

Aaron Wirsch (El Toro, Lake Forest) Sr.
Hard work paid off for Wirsch, who bounced back from injury to post a standout season for the Chargers. Last summer, he fell short of making one of the two Milwaukee Brewers Area Code Teams, but he still found himself in Long Beach, as part of the Oakland Athletics team. With his bat, Wirsch belted 11 home runs and hit .346 for El Toro this season. After highly-regarded teammate Chad Thompson went down with a season ending arm injury, Wirsch stepped up and finished 11-0 on the mound with a 1.54 ERA while holding the opposition to a .198 batting average. Wirsch's hard work paid off when he was drafted in the seventh round by the Baltimore Orioles.

2009 ALL-STATE BASEBALL
SECOND TEAM OVERALL

Like the first team, all players in the state were eligible for consideration to this team regardless of school size or year in school.

Catchers
Geno Escalante (Rodriguez, Fairfield) Sr.
Dylan Haupt (Mira Mesa, San Diego) Sr.
Donald Sneed (Edison, Huntington Beach) Sr.

Pitchers
Kevin Chambers (Capistrano Valley, Mission Viejo) Sr.
Zach Coy (Clovis) Sr.
Dylan Floro (Buhach Colony, Atwater) Sr.
Christian Jones (Monte Vista, Danville) Sr.
Abraham Torres (Montgomery, San Diego) Sr.
Phillip Valos (Stockdale, Bakersfield) Sr.
Keegan Yuhl (Poway) Jr.

Infielders
Brett Bishop (Buchanan, Clovis) Sr.
David Garcia (Valley Christian, San Jose) Sr.
Jack Marder (Newbury Park) Sr.
David Nick (Cypress) Sr.
Noah Perio (De La Salle, Concord) Sr.
Perry Rogan (East Bakersfield) Sr.
Tony Wolters (Rancho Buena Vista, Vista) Sr.

Outfielders
Jimmy Bosco (Jesuit, Carmichael) Sr.
Mitch Delfino (Cloverdale) Sr.
Tyler Gaffney (Cathedral Catholic, San Diego) Sr.
Pat Stover (Rocklin) Sr.
Trayce Thompson (Santa Margarita, Rancho SM) Sr.
Andy Weissberg (Chatsworth) Sr.
Austin Wilson (Harvard-Westlake, N. Hollywood) Jr.

Multi-Purpose
Matt Evanoff (Ponderosa, Shingle Springs) Sr.
Josh Goosen-Brown (Notre Dame, Sherman Oaks) Sr.
Louie Lechich (St. Mary's, Stockton) Jr.
Steven Piscotty (Amador Valley, Pleasanton) Sr.
Drew Sandler (Simi Valley) Sr.
Sean Silva (Clovis West, Fresno) Sr.

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