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Baseball Notebook: Postseason Set to Begin

Second-seeded Arcadia and underdog La Canada are top storylines of area teams heading to CIF-SS playoffs.

The Apaches got their biggest win of the season on Friday by beating Crescenta Valley 8-1 behind another dominant performance from pitching ace K.J. Edson to win the Pacific League. It’s Arcadia’s third-straight league title and the win increases the team’s winning streak in league to 31 games.

“Right now I’m concerned about playoffs, but I’m sure when I reflect back on all the success after the season’s over it will be something special,” said Arcadia coach Nick Lemas. “The players have worked extremely hard and they’ve earned this.”

Crescenta Valley could have earned a share of first place with a victory and sent junior Elliott Surrey to the mound who had a 0.19 ERA. However, Arcadia’s George Papavasiliou came to the plate in the second inning with two runners on base and cracked a Surrey fastball over the right field fence for a home run.

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“He threw me a fastball the pitch before and I was late on it,” said Papavasiliou. “So when he threw it again I was ready.”

Edson threw all seven innings, striking out five and inducing 13 groundball outs. He allowed one unearned run in the third inning, but was otherwise unhittable for the second time this season against the Falcons.

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“It’s a tough angle he throws from. You don’t see it a lot,” said Crescenta Valley coach Phil Torres. “He gets a lot of movement on the ball. He pitched great.”

Despite Arcadia’s phenomenal success in recent years, the team has yet to win a playoff game in Lemas’ tenure.

“We just gotta believe in ourselves,” said Lemas. “I think last year we were overwhelmed with the expectations coming off a perfect record in league. Now we’ve been here before. Hopefully we’re a little more relaxed. We’re playing our best baseball which is all I can ask for.”

CIF-SS Division 2 Round 1

Thursday, 3:15 p.m. – Arcadia (23-3, 14-0) vs. Winner of Redlands East Valley (16-9, 10-5) vs. La Sierra (13-12, 9-5)

Redlands East Valley took third place in the Citrus Belt league after winning the league a year ago. Right-handed pitcher Jackson McClelland has a 7-1 record with a tidy 1.53 ERA. The Wildcats are capable of playing small ball with three players with 11 or more stolen bases.

La Sierra of Riverside finished third in the Inland Valley league. Junior Jose Gamez sports a 0.72 ERA and 4-2 record, but the Eagles may elect to pitch Gamez in Tuesday’s matchup in Redlands.

Arcadia is desperate for a playoff victory and won’t pull any punches on Thursday. Edson is the scheduled starter.

Crescenta Valley

The Falcons positioned themselves to play for the league title by reeling off eight consecutive victories leading up to Friday’s matchup with Arcadia, but the team’s inability to figure out Arcadia ace KJ Edson was once again the determining factor.

“Our offense has been carrying us the last few weeks, but tonight we didn’t have it,” said Crescenta Valley coach Phil Torres after the loss. “(The players) know they can play better.”

The Falcons may have fell short in the Pacific league, but an impressive 23-4 overall record was enough to earn the team a bye through Tuesday’s wild card play into Thursday’s round of playoffs. As disappoint as Friday’s loss was, Torres believes a playoff victory could liven the team’s spirits.

“Momentum goes as far as the guy you have on the mound,” said Torres. “We can beat anyone if we get good pitching.”

CIF-SS Division 2 Round 1

Thursday, 3:15 p.m. – Crescenta Valley (23-4, 12-2) vs. Winner of Mayfair (14-11, 10-2) vs. Notre Dame (16-11, 5-7)

Mayfair of Lakewood split the Suburban league championship with La Mirada and is currently riding a three-game winning streak. The Monsoons’ lineups lacks punch, but has two quality pitching options in Jordan Aboites and Austin Henderson.

Underdog Notre Dame received an at-large bid out of the Mission league despite a sub-.500 record in league. They’ll need to get some production out of a lineup that batted a solid .336 over the year just to get to Thursday’s game.

Torres has yet to decide on Crescenta Valley’s starting pitcher for Thursday.

“Right now I could draw a name out of a hat. No one’s been pitching very well and pitching has been our strength all year.”

St. Francis

A little later than the rest, St. Francis has finally sent its RSVP to the playoff party. The Knights beat Loyola 11-4 and 9-4 last week to earn of share of third place in the Mission League. The two-game sweep secures a playoff birth for the team and raises its overall record above .500.

“More than our record, I’m happy that we’ve won our last three games,” said St. Francis coach Brian Esquival. “It gives us momentum and confidence going into playoffs.”

A coin flip determined the Knights’ fourth seed out of the Mission league and they will play in Tuesday’s wild card playoffs.

CIF-SS Division 2 Wild Card

Tuesday, 3:15 p.m. – St. Francis (14-13, 6-6) at Peninsula (19-9-1, 8-2)

Palos Verdes Peninsula took second place in the Bay league but has lost two of their last three games. Slugger Teddy Dilts has hit seven homers with 29 RBIs while ace Sammy Moore sports a 9-1 record with a 1.11 ERA.

St. Francis will play their strongest lineup on Tuesday with senior Joey Malham on the mound.

La Salle

The Lancers wrapped up Del Rey league play over a week ago, taking second place, but stayed active last week with nonleague games against Maranatha and Montclair Prep. They beat Maranatha twice, 9-2 and 8-0, behind strong outings from Bowdien Derby (six innings, zero runs) and Nathan Bouton (five innings, two runs).

La Salle’s 7-6 victory over Montclair Prep on Thursday put the team on a four-game winning streak heading into playoffs.

CIF-SS Division 4 Round 1

Thursday, 3:15 p.m. – La Salle (17-10, 8-4) at Covina (16-10, 9-3)

Covina finished second in the Valle Vista league and has scored eight or more runs in six of their last seven games. Pitching is thin after other than Joe Wills (0.99 ERA).

With a full week of rest under his belt, Bowdien Derby is La Salle’s scheduled starter.

Monrovia

Look who got their game back. After a miserable seven-game losing streak in April dropped the team into third place in the Rio Hondo league, the Wildcats have come storming back, winning three of their final four games to take second place and earn a bye through the wild card playoffs.

“Even programs with a long history of success go through dry spells,” said Monrovia co-head coach Brad Blackmore. “We just need to play one game at a time and keep it simple.”

Kevin Shue has emerged as a top-caliber pitcher in recent weeks. He threw a complete game against league champ Temple City last week en route to a 4-2 victory.

CIF-SS Division 4 Round 1

Thursday, 3: 15 p.m. – Monrovia (11-13-1, 7-5) at El Segundo (18-12, 7-3)

Monrovia’s opening round matchup with the Eagles will be a tough one. The second place team out of the Pioneer league has won its last nine games and has two capable ace pitchers in Nigel Nootbaar and Josh Bornstein.

Monrovia will ride the hot hand of Shue with effective sophomore Chris Burkholder also available.

South Pasadena

The Tigers emerged as one of the big surprises in the Rio Hondo League this year in Anthony Chevrier’s second year as coach. The team rode breakout performances from several players to win four of five league games in April, but has sputtered heading into playoffs, losing its last four.

“We haven’t been getting timely hitting, but we’re still having quality at-bats,” said Chevrier. “The teams is hungry and prepared, so we just need to jump on some opportunities.”

The Tigers’ poor finish to league dropped them into third place, but Chevrier feels confident with their wild card matchup against Nordhoff, also a third-place team.

“I don’t know much about them, but our guys are ready. There’s a lot of seniors on the team and I know they aren’t ready for the season to end."

CIF-SS Division 4 Wild Card

Tuesday, 3:15 p.m. – South Pasadena (11-15, 6-6) at Nordhoff (16-7, 7-5)

Nordhoff may have taken third place in the Tri-Valley league, but the team is on an eight-game winning streak. The team has lost just two home games this season.

Tiger ace Anthony D’ Oro is available to pitch, but the Tigers will save him for a Thursday matchup and hope to get past Nordhoff with Tony Veiller who’s been sharp in his last two outings against Monrovia and Temple City (11 innings, three earned runs). 

La Canada

Could the Spartans be the Cinderella story of Division 4 baseball? Upset victories in the season’s final month over Monrovia (twice) and South Pasadena coupled with a solid 11-10 overall record have earned La Canada at least a ticket to the big dance in the form of an at-large bid.

“We’ve had great pitching all year long, but the bats have really come alive as of late to help us win five of our last seven,” said La Canada coach Dennis Ballard.

The final victory of the Spartans’ playoff campaign came last Tuesday when Brendan Shoemake went 4-for-4 with three RBIs and Derek Georgino went 3-for-3 with three RBIs en route to a 7-2 victory. Shoemake threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings in the effort.

“We’re all very excited to make the playoffs,” said Ballard. “We’re at full-strength and we’re peeking at the right time. We won’t have any favorable matchups, but it would be huge for the program and great for the players if we could win on Tuesday.”

CIF-SS Division 4 Wild Card

Tuesday, 3: 15 p.m. – La Canada (11-10, 5-7) at Summit (11-10-1, 9-6)

Summit of Fontana took second place in the Sunkist league, but is otherwise a mystery to La Canada. The teams haven’t faced a common opponent and haven’t faced off in Ballard’s tenure.

Shoemake will take the hill for La Canada on Tuesday.

Flintridge Prep

After clinching second place in the Prep league over a week ago, the Rebels kept the momentum rolling with wins over Chadwick and Webb last week.

In Tuesday’s game against Chadwick, Royce Park stayed hot at the plate, going 3-for-3 with three RBIs. The Rebel’s bullpen struggled a bit, but the team held on for a 12-10 victory.

Sophomore Karlsen Termini pitched six innings, allowing just one earned run in Thursday’s 7-2 win over Webb. The success of Termini and Clayton Weirick and Alex Sierra in support of ace Royce Park will be crucial to the Rebels’ playoff run.

CIF-SS Division 6 Round 1

Thursday, 3: 15 p.m. – Flintridge Prep (14-9, 8-4) at Vasquez (17-3, 12-2)

The Mustangs made a strong impression in their first season in the Desert Mountain League, taking second place after winning the Freelance League a year ago. The team carries a .423 batting average and has topped 20 runs six times this year.

Park (2.15 ERA) threw two innings on Thursday, but is otherwise fully rested and ready to go against Vasquez.

Stat Lines of the Year

It’s been a tremendous 2011 baseball season filled with several exciting storylines from Arcadia’s second-straight perfect season to South Pasadena’s emergence as a Rio Hondo League contender, from David Olmedo-Barrera’s walk-off hit for St. Francis to the no-hitters thrown by Elliott Surrey of Crescenta Valley and Bowdien Derby of La Salle.

Here are some of the overall statistics achieved by the area’s most outstanding players worthy of all-league consideration.

Arcadia

Tyler Dominguez, senior, shortstop: .314 BA, 19 runs, 11 RBI

Haram Park, senior, first base/second base: .289 BA, 19 runs, 14 RBI

Brendan Campbell, junior, catcher/infield: .375 BA, 12 runs, 16 RBI

Erik Trask, junior, outfield/pitcher: 19 runs, 12 RBI, 10 SB; 7-1, 1.05 ERA

KJ Edson, senior, pitcher: 10-1, 0.56 ERA, 66 K

Crescenta Valley (as of last Monday)

Kyle Pomeroy, Senior. Pitcher: 0.61 ERA, 5-0, 37 K

Elliott Surrey, Junior. Pitcher/Outfield: .361 BA, 2 HR, 21 runs, 19 RBI; 1.09 ERA, 6-1, 61 K

Kyle Murray, Junior. Pitcher: 1.15 ERA, 5-1, 72 K

Troy Prasertsit, Junior. Catcher: .435 BA, 11 runs, 13 RBI

Troy Mulcahey, Sophomore, Pitcher/Outfield: .456 BA, 9 HR, 23 runs, 25 RBI; 0.64 ERA, 4-2, 47 K

Flintridge Prep

Royce Park, junior, third base/pitcher: .431 BA, 29 runs, 25 RBI; 5-3, 2.15 ERA, 62 K

 Kyle McDonald, senior, shortstop: .431 BA, 31 runs, 14 RBI, 20 SB

Brenden McKiernen, freshman, infield/pitcher: .362, 27 runs, 15 RBI; 2-0, 3.59 ERA

Karlsen Termini, sophomore, first base: .333 BA, 12 runs, 28 RBI

Alex Sierra, junior, infield/: .327 BA, 22 runs

La Canada

Scott Stetson, senior, infield: .429 BA, 14 runs, 9 RBI, 7 SB

Brendon Shoemake, senior, outfield/pitcher: .417 BA, 11 RBI; 2.57 ERA, 41 K

Derek Georgino, junior, first base: .365 BA, 10 RBI

Sam Baldwin, senior, pitcher: 2-0, 2.83 ERA, 55 K

La Salle

Michael Pedote, junior, outfield: .311 BA, 17 runs, 11 RBI

Chris Williams, junior, outfield: .354 BA, 5 HR, 17 runs, 27 RBI

John Auer, senior, third base: .289 BA, 2 HR, 18 runs, 24 RBI

Bowdien Derby, junior, infield/pitcher: .447 BA, 3 HR, 24 runs, 19 RBI; 9-1, 0.88 ERA, 88 K

Steven Petrovich, senior, outfield: .280 BA, 19 runs, 11 RBI

Monrovia

Adrien Velasco, senior, catcher: 2 HR, 12 RBI

Nick Bueno, senior, shortstop: .414 BA, 25 runs, 36 hits, 24 SB

Jairo Jiorge, senior, third base: 18 RBI

Kevin Shue, junior, pitcher: 5-2, 2.89 ERA, 52 K

Chris Burkholder, sophomore, pitcher: 3.34 ERA, 42 K

Carl Daniels, junior, pitcher: 2.47 ERA, 21 K

South Pasadena

Dylan Trimarchi, junior, infield: .412 BA, 28 runs, 15 RBI, 13 SB

Conor Bednarski, senior, outfield: .344 BA, 11 RBI

Brian Swanson, senior, outfield: .378 BA, 11 runs

Anthony D’ Oro, senior, infield/pitcher: .388 BA, 11 runs, 13 RBI; 5-3, 3.03 ERA, 29 K

Tony Veiller, senior, infield: 1.68 ERA, 18 K

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