The Boras Classic Northern California got underway on Monday in Sacramento and featured half of the 16 team field, with teams from the North Bay all the way to Bakersfield. There are quite a few new schools participating in the Boras Classic this year and the field looks to be a balanced representation of teams from many of the sections in the Northern half of the state. The winner of the Northern California part of the Boras Classic will take on the winner of the Southern part on May 5th at Santa Clara University.

There were a total of eight games today, with two games in four different time blocks, 10:00, 1:00. 4:00, and 7:00. I was there from the first pitch until the final out of the last game between St. Mary's and Stockdale. For those of you with Game Changer memberships, here is a link to the leader board kept for the event. https://gc.com/g/BCNorth/leaders

Let's take a closer look....

10:00

Cardinal Newman 1 Clovis 0

The story of this game was the two young right-handers on the mound. Cardinal Newman uncommitted junior right-hander Sean Flowers was simply outstanding. He tossed a complete game shutout, with 10 K, 3 BB, and 4 hits allowed. He threw 19 first pitch strikes and kept the Oak Ridge hitters off balance all game. He was steadily 84-85 mph (82-84 in the 7th), touching up to 87 a couple of times, and not only commanded the outer half of the plate well, but also bored in some fastballs to lock up hitters on the inner half. He has two shapes of breaking balls at roughly the same speed (73-77 mph) and showed savvy of when to to utilize the pitch. I'd seen him before and seen the quality stuff and pitchability, but not seen him 'bull-dog' his way through an outing like today. As for Oak Ridge, their 2020 right-hander, Nathan Hansen (Oregon State commit) was up to the task and had to be for his team. He didn't have much luck in the strikeout department, registering only one, but he effectively navigated the Cardinals line-up with his 82-85 mph faseball and big 69-71 mph curveball. He has a delivery that reminds me of Jered Weaver and in time this young man will throw HARD. He showed feel of the glove side with the fastball and his arm angle and and movement also allowed him to effectively pitch inside as well. The game ended on a fantastic dive and recovery play by senior 3rd baseman Dylan Tarnutzer, as he dove to stop a ground ball to his right that was headed to the corner (with runners on 1st and 2nd). He scrambled to recover the ball then beat the runner to the bag by an eye-lash, slapping his glove on the bag just ahead of the foot of the sliding runner.

Tracy 8 San Benito 6, 8 innings

This game was about offense, but within the box score and relatively high scoring affair, there was a senior left-handed pitcher who turned in a gutty outing that gave his team a chance to come out on top. Senior left-hander Matt Nunes went 6.1 innings and though he gave up six runs, only one was earned as the team defense was certainly sketchy early. His stuff wasn’t overwhelming on the radar gun, but his aggressive attacking style helped turn the tide for Tracy. Offensively the Bulldogs were led by talented senior shortstop Carlos Vasquez with a 2-for-4 effort that included 2 runs and 2 RBI. He plays the shortstop position athletically as well. San Benito looked to have an edge on paper as the game started, with senior right-hander Ryan Jameson on the mound. The Cal Poly signee was up to 89 mph early and settled in around 86 mph, with a sharp 78-80 mph slider. His sinker/slider combination is quite good, which tells you how competitive the Tracy hitters were in this game. For the Balers, senior shortstop Mason Marquez looked the part of a college player. The speedy and athletic uncommitted shortstop was 1-for-4 with a couple of runs scored and an RBI, but it was his actions at shortstop, combined with his speed and body type that drew attention.

1:00

Cardinal Newman 10 Tracy 4

Newman collected 9 hits as a team, with freshman catcher and left-handed lead-off hitter Shane Moran going 2-for-4 with a run scored and setting the temp (all day) with quality deep at-bats. Senior uncommitted right-fielder Caleb Vice was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI, finishing the day with three hits. Senior Jason Moran (the normal catcher, and an outstanding uncommitted player) was in the DH spot as he overcomes an ankly injury, and he was 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. On the mound 2021 right-hander Carson Crawford threw 1.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts. He was in the low-80s and has feel of both the breaking ball and the change-up. Senior uncommitted right-handed pitcher/3^rd baseman Dylan Tarnutzer was just about perfect in 2.0 closing innings, recording two strikeouts and allowing only a hit. His big body and good arm, along with low-mid 80s stuff is of note. He was also 1-for-4 with a run and 2 RBI. Tracy was led by junior infielder Ryan Dzoan who finished the game 3-fo-4 with a run and an RBI.

San Benito 7 Oak Ridge 0

Oak Ridge, ranked #21 in the state by Prep Baseball Report, had another tough time scoring runs in this game, as they were outplayed by San Benito in all phases of the game. Uncommitted senior right-hander Ryan Platero was largely responsible for the rough game at the plate, as he struck out 13 batters in 6.1 innings pitched and didn’t give up a hit until the 7^th inning. He also walked four batters. It was his combination of a 81-85 mph fastball and slippery 73-75 mph slurvy breaking ball that gave Oak Ridge batters fits. He was fun to watch. On offense, the Balers were led by Marquez, who was 3-for-4 with two runs, an RBI, and a walk. He was an ignitor on offense and played well on the defensive side. Oak Ridge looked to be in good shape on the mound to start the game, with junior left-hander Peter Hansen taking the ball. The University of Texas commit deserved to fare better than he got, as his defense really faltered in the middle innings. The Trojans have some VERY talented young players but those young players also played quite young in this game. Hansen was steadily 83-84 mph and later in his outing he showed off the curveball that was a major reason he was such a highly sought after player but big schools. He was having trouble with the dry cool air, as he just never seemed comfortable and also didn’t seem to have feel of the ball, as he was up in the zone all day with the fastball and struggled to find the breaking ball. His end line was 5 innings, 5 hits, 5 runs (1 ER), 5 K and 3 BB. He will have better days.

4:00

St. Mary’s 7 Casa Grande 0

Senior right-hander Dylan Fagundes spun a web around Casa Grande in this one. He didn’t do it with big stuff, rather, he just changed speeds, shapes and located just well enough off the barrel to escape damage all game. In his complete game shutout he scattered seven hits, struck out four, and walked only one. He just simply made the right pitch in the right spot when he needed it, and his defense stood up strong behind him all day, including good work by his senior catcher, USC commit Tyler Lozano (2-for-3, run, walk) and 2^nd baseman, junior Tom Rover, who can really turn over a double play. Senior Ryan Quijalvo was 3-for-4 at the plate with a big two-RBI single late in the game to give St. Mary’s some breathing room. Casa Grande got an outstanding effort from 6-foot-5 senior right-hander Broc Burleson, whose 6 inning effort was just not enough. He allowed 6 hits, struck out 6, walked four, allowed two runs (one earned) and looked good all game. He was 83-85 and his 75-78 mph slider was one of the better pitches I saw all day from anyone. His feel of the curveball was good as well.  Senior 1^st baseman A.J. Miller (Oregon signee) was THIS CLOSE in three at-bats to turning the game in the Gauchos favor, but a combination of heavy winds and at-em balls got the best of the slugger, who had numerous scouts on hand to see him today.

Stockdale 12 Sacred Heart Cathedral 1

In a game shortened to five innings due to the mercy rule, the story of the game was senior right-hander/shortstop Sean Mullen and his senior teammate, 2^nd baseman Jalen Smith.  Mullen, a UCLA signee, went 3 innings on the mound, with 6 strikeouts and one run allowed. He was also 3-four-4 with 3 runs scored and though he was 89-91 with a 79-80 mph slider, it’s not a done deal that he’s a pitcher only in college, as he has all the tools to be a major college position player. He leads off for Stockdale, runs well, obviously throws well and is well-put-together. Smith, a UC Davis signee, had a really big game. He’s a stronger, more offensive type middle infielder, with bat talent. He was 3-for-3 with 2 runs scored and 4 RBI. The team had 12 hits and jumped out to an early lead and the Irish just never had much of a chance in this one. Senior shortstop Marty Cole was 2-for-3 for Sacred Heart. Junior centerfielder Keshawn Ogans game the Irish a spark in the 2^nd inning, with a single, and RBI, and a run scored, but the high energy and talented hitter was about all the offense they could muster.

7:00

Casa Grande 4 Sacred Heart Cathedral 3

In an exciting late evening game, the combination of strong pitching from senior right-hander Nick Kamages, along with some timely hitting from the bottom of the order led Casa to a win. Kamages was really good, with an 86-88 mph fastball and a mid-70s slurveball. His projectability is really about as high as it gets for a young lanky right-hander. He is uncommitted by reported to be signed with an Arizona junior college. Kameges went 6 innings, struck out 6, walked two, and gave up five hits. Offensively the Gauchos got a strong game from junior left-handed hitting shortstop and leadoff hitter Joe Lampe who was 3-for-4 and played strong D up the middle. He’s a fun one to watch and I think colleges will soon catch on to him. For the Irish, they got a good start from 2020 left-hander Uday Narottam, who deserved better. He was steady 77-79 mph with LOTS of movement and a big slow 66 mph curveball. Watching him compete was enjoyable as he really loves to be out there. His line was 3.2 innings with five strikeouts and one earned run (4 total runs). Offensively Ogans was once again a factor, finishing 1-for-3 with a run scored. Junior right-hander Adrian Gonzalez relieved Norottam and was stellar, with 2.1 scoreless innings and four strikeouts. He allowed two hits and a walk. His stuff was 77-78 mph with a BIG overhand curveball that had good bite and late action at 66 mph. He’s not a big kid but he competed like one.

St. Mary’s 7 Stockdale 1

St. Mary’s looks like they are on a mission to win this thing. They put it to a good and talented Stockdale team and kept steadily scoring runs, keeping the pressure on and eventually tacking on late runs to seal the deal. Senior right-handed pitcher Chandler Sanguinetti was stellar, throwing 6 innings, allowing two hits, striking out only two and walking four, but just kept his team in the game with grit and tenacity. He was not overpowering by any means, using a fastball with movement and a good breaking ball to frustrate the Stockdale hitters all night. He’s also a starting shortstop for St. Mary’s and his athletic delivery and feel for the game showed upon the mound. Four hitters did the damage for St. Mary’s, Lozano (1-for-3, 3 runs, RBI, walk), Sanguinetti (2-for-3, 2 runs), senior 1^st baseman and Utah commit Christian Almanza (2-for-4, run, RBI), and once again, Ryan Quiljalvo 3-for-4, 4 RBI), who showed up as the day’s most productive hitter. On the day Quiljalvo was 6-for-8 with 6 RBI. Quite a day for the talented 3^rd baseman. He’s uncommitted to my knowledge and standing 6-foot-2 185-pounds and doing the damage he’s doing with all the college coaches here, he is surely making a name for himself. Senior right-hander Chris Bartolomei pitched late inning for St. Mary’s and was a crisp 83-84 mph with good fastball angle and command of the glove side. He’s not big, but the stuff plays quite nicely. As for Lozano, he played shortstop in this game after catching the earlier game and he’s about as well-rounded a player as we have in the region. He’s good behind the plate, a competent and athletic infielder, has strong arm, runs well, hits well, has some pop and has field presence. He’s fun to watch. As for Stockdale, though they lost, senior right-hander Michael Keese has looked good, pitching in both games. He’s got a funky delivery and arm action, but the stuff plays nicely, with 84-87 mph fastball and a quick change of direction slider at 73-74 mph. Offensively the Mustangs were stymied all game by the Rams pitching.

That’s a wrap… a late night/early morning wrap. Tomorrow eight more teams get in the action.