When it comes to selecting Peninsula Athletic League baseball players of the year, it is simple as can be — players are nominated and and each manager of each team in each division gets one vote.
Democracy at it’s finest. And while the choices in the Ocean and Lake divisions were a little more cut and dry, the Bay Division saw a surprise choice as King’s Academy Nate Plata, a sophomore catcher, earned the Player of the Year nod by a vote over Menlo-Atherton’s leadoff hitter and centerfielder, Rowan Kelly.
Plata, which was part of a Knights squad that finished second to Burlingame in the Bay Division standings, finishing two games behind. His .418 batting average was second in the division, his 41 hits were also good for second and he was fourth in runs scored with 22.
Plata, already in his second year of varsity play, backstopped a King’s Academy pitching staff that posted a sub-3.00 ERA, finishing at 2.80. And while the vote was made before the Central Coast Section playoffs, Plata helped the Knights to the program’s third title since 2018.
Kelly, on the other hand, put together one of the best offensive performances seen in recent history as he led the Bay Division in every major offensive category. He had a .469 batting average and a .755 slugging percentage with a division-leading 17 extra-base hits, including five home runs and 11 doubles. Combined with his on-base percentage, Kelly had an OPS of 1.328. His 26 RBIs were two more than Capuchino’s Ryan Burton and his 26 runs scored were three better than TKA’s Anthony White.
“I was part of the voting. Three coaches voted for him, four didn’t,” said M-A manager Jordan Paroubeck. “I’m the most surprised I’ve ever been. I don’t know what more could have been done (by Kelly).”
In Paroubeck’s estimation, if Kelly is taken out of the mix, Plata is the overwhelming winner of the honor.
“He’s an unbelievable player,” Paroubeck said of Plata. “Probably one of the best catchers I’ve seen. He was a tough out. I thought he was spectacular all year.”
M-A, which finished third in the Bay Division with an 8-6 record, wasn’t completely shutout of the major awards, as Harrison Long was named Bay Division pitcher of the year. Long, a senior, was 6-3 overall in 13 appearances for the Bears, posting a 2.61 ERA.
But it was his performances in big games that earned him the nod. In starts against Burlingame, Capuchino and King’s Academy, Long went 2-0 with one no-decision. He had 11 strikeouts in a 4-3 win over the Mustangs; allowed one run on one hit in six innings in a 2-1 win over Burlingame and in a 4-3 win over King’s, Long went five innings, allowing one run on five hits.
The Bay Division Manager of the Year went to Burlingame’s Shawn Scott, who picked up his 200th win this season. He guided the Panthers to their first Bay Division crown since 2012.
In the Ocean Division, there really was no question of who the best player was as Woodside’s Trent Amoroso won the division’s Player of the Year honor fairly easily.
“There were a couple names up (on the board) and then I put his name up,” said Woodside manager Dan Rogers, who after leading Woodside to its first division title since 2016 was named Ocean Division Manager of the Year.
“It was a very easy decision (to choose Amoroso).”
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Only a junior, Amoroso can make a case as the best two-way player on the Peninsula. As the Wildcats’ leadoff hitter, Amoroso batted .350. He was over .400 for most of the season before tailing off near the end of the season.
As important as Amoroso was in jumpstarting the Woodside offense, he was counted on just as much on the mound to shut down the opposition and he did it better than most. He went 9-0 on the season, including a no-hitter against Mission March 13. He ended up with a sub-2.00 ERA, finishing the season at 1.96.
“He was the leader on a team, as a junior, that won 21 games,” Rogers said.
El Camino senior Evan Viana got the Pitcher of the Year nod in the Ocean Division. He went just 3-1 in nine appearances, but had an ERA of 1.96 and was second in the division in strikeouts with 76 in just 39 1/3 innings of work.
In the Lake Division, South City was rewarded for its first PAL division title since 2014 by having sophomore Gio Bernal being named Player of the Year. Another standout two-way player, Bernal batted just shy of .400 on the season, finishing at .393. He was second in RBIs with 29, two behind teammate Emilio Oseguera.
On the mound, Bernal led the Lake with an 8-1 record, with a 1.30 ERA in 75 1/3 innings of work, which also led the division.
Priory’s Kai Park was named Pitcher of the Year after he helped keep the Panthers in the race for the division title until the final day of the regular season. He posted a 1.63 ERA in 34 1/3 innings of work, allowing just eight earned runs all season.
South City’s Matt Schaukowitch was named Lake Division Manager of the Year.
The rest of the PAL all-league teams can be found at www.smcoe and click on the Peninsula Athletic League button.
Serra’s Downing earns WCAL Player of the Year honor
After helping lead the Padres to their first regular-season league title since 2018, the senior second baseman was voted WCAL Player of the Year, becoming the first Padres to earn the award since Hunter Bishop was Co-POY in 2016.
Downing led the Padres in several offensive categories and was a key cog in a team that went 11-3 in the WCAL and 22-7 overall. Downing led the team in batting average and on-base percentage at .386 and .514, respectively, and his OPS of 1.128 was also tops on the team. His 27 runs scored tied for the team lead, while his 27 RBIs was second, just two behind Ian Armstrong.
The full all-league list can be found at www.wcalsports.org.
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