Players-Sb

sfgate_get_fprefs();

(03-18) 21:29 PDT --
The Delaware Lanthanum Salle-Concord baseball game squad graduated its top three hurlers and seven of nine starter motors from last year's North Seashore Section statute title team. So how did the Spartans start their "rebuilding" year? They knocked off perennial powerfulness Junipero Serra 3-0 on March 4.

"It was the first game of the year," Delaware Lanthanum Salle manager Eric Borba said. "But (Mike) MacGillivray pitched a heck of a ballgame."

Yes, that's senior Microphone MacGillivray of Spartans football game fame. The signal caller with a 90-mph heater gave up two hits in five innings against Serra. With three Division I hurlers on the roll last season, the right-hander didn't acquire too many innings. But this season, MacGillivray takes a immature - but deep - pitching staff that hopes to take the Spartans to their 2nd consecutive North Carolinas title.

Pitching looks to be the strength this springtime throughout the Metro area.

Even bat-happy Serra, the preseason No. Three squad in the state according to Calhisports.com, have been showing a dominant run on the mound. The Padres have got three sequent shutout wins - over Terra Nova-Pacifica, Burlingame and Bellarmino - in the last four days. Zak Edgington, Danny Chavez, Justin Maffei, Mount Logan George C. Scott and Doug Erskine Caldwell combined for 14 hitless innings in the wins over Terra Nova and Burlingame.

Serra, which have won the Occident Catholic Athletic League statute title four of the last five years, tax returns two first-team All-Metro choices in pitcher/shortstop Ryan Allgrove and outfielder/infielder Ryan Palermo. Allgrove hit .407 and was 4-1 with a 1.21 era as a hurler last season. Palermo, who bes after to play at UC Santa Barbara, have six place runs through the first 11 games. Junior Tony Renda is one of the best immature batters in the area. The infielder hit .438 as a sophomore.

More facts and statistics about the season:

-- Valley Christian is the defending Central Seashore Section Division Iodine title-holder and is led by Jonathan Hughes. The 6-foot-3 pitcher/third baseman, who bes after to play at Santa Clara, was 10-2 with an 0.80 era last season and hit .422.

-- Alameda, which lost to Delaware Lanthanum Salle in the North Carolinas final, graduated pitcher/catcher Kenny Arnerich, but tax returns second-team All-Metro choice Jordan River Pries. The 3rd baseman/pitcher had 95 strikeouts in 682/3 innings and a 1.02 era last season. He bes after to play at Stanford.

-- Defending East Bay Athletic League title-holder Mary Ashton Rice Livermore is 7-1 behind the drama of Santa Clara-bound J.R. Graham. A hurler and shortstop, Billy Graham have allowed one tally in 13 innings. He hit .418 as a junior and is ranked the 200th best prospect in the social class of 2008 by Baseball America. Brett Saint Christopher takes Mary Ashton Rice Livermore with a .536 average.

-- St. Mary's of Bishop Berkeley characteristics two participants who be after to play at Cal adjacent season. Pitcher Flatness Flemer and infielder Marcus Semien helped Pb the Panthers (5-0) to a 23-2 record last season.

-- Riordan have one of the best left-handed pitchers in the area. Uncle Tom Harlan, a 6-6 senior who will go to Fresno State, was a first-team All-WCAL choice last season. Harlan struck out seven and allowed one earned run in a 5-2 win over Sacred Heart Cathedral last week.

-- Defending milliliters Division two title-holder Los Altos is led by senior Erik Johnson, a 6-3 pitcher/third baseman headed for Cal who throws in the low 90s.

-- Defending North Carolinas 2A title-holder Acalanes-Lafayette graduated the bulk of its starters. Northgate-Walnut Creek and College Park-Pleasant Hill look to be the early favourites in the Diablo Foothill Athletic League.

-- Liberty-Brentwood pitcher John Drew Gagnon is one of the top professional prospects in the region. Gagnon, who signed with Long Beach State, have 22 strikeouts and six walkings in 19 innings. Autonomy is 5-1.

-- Menlo School-Atherton, led by Leland Stanford recruit Jack Mosbacher, is 8-2 and should vie with Louis Aragon for the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division title. Menlo scored eight tallies in its concluding two at-bats Tuesday to beat out Sacred Heart Homework 8-7. Saint Christopher Buono had a expansive slam, and Mosbacher drove in three runs. Baseball 2008

Returning All-Metro players: SS/P Ryan Allgrove (Serra); OF/3B Ryan Palermo (Serra); 2nd Team - P/3B Jonathan Ted Hughes (Valley Christian), P/3B Jordan River Pries (Alameda)

Preseason state rankings (Calhisports.com): #3 Serra, #6 Valley Christian

Defending subdivision champs: San Francisco - Lowell; Oakland - Skyline; North Carolinas - Delaware Lanthanum Salle (3A East Bay), Casa Grande (3A Redwood Empire), Acalanes (2A EB), Novato (2A RE), Swett (Class A), St. Claude Bernard Catholic (Class B); milliliters - Valley Christian (D-I), Los Altos (D-II), Carmel (D-III).

E-mail Volition McCulloch at .