Nate Plata, Nico Pollioni, Nick Jang highlight Peninsula Athletic League's postseason baseball awards

For the second time in three years, King’s Academy’s senior catcher Nate Plata was named the Bay Division’s Player of the Year. He won the honor following his sophomore season, as well.

Player of the Year and all-league honors are based solely on numbers put up in division play and few were better than Plata, who will continue his career at UC Davis after missing the final four games of the regular season with injury. He slashed .514/.612/943 with an OPS of 1.555, reaching base 33 times in 49 plate appearances. In addition to his 18 hits — which included six doubles and three home runs in Bay Division play — he walked 11 times, against just one strikeout, reached on an error once and reached on fielder choices twice. He drove in 12 runs and scored 14 times.

Additionally, Plata helped a young pitching staff, that featured just one senior, to a team ERA of 3.97.

The Bay Division Pitcher of the Year, senior Hugo Guzman, came from a Hillsdale squad that finished ahead of only Capuchino in the standings. But Guzman was unbeatable when he took the mound against Bay Division competition. In seven starts, Guzman was 3-0, with a pair of complete games and a 1.79 ERA.

He had, by far, the most innings pitched for the Knights this season, finishing with 39 in Bay Division play. The next closest was 20 innings from Tyler Dang. Guzman had 33 strikeouts against 14 walks, while holding opposing bats to a batting average of .191.

Burlingame manager Shawn Scott was named Bay Division Manager of the Year after guiding the Panthers to the Bay Division championship in his final season.

Ocean Division

Ocean Division champion Sacred Heart Prep won the three big awards, sharing Pitcher of the Year honors.

Senior Nico Pollioni was named Ocean Division Player of the Year. Pollioni came up as a shortstop his freshman year before moving behind the plate, while also serving as the Gators’ closer, notching three saves in Ocean play.

But it was his bat and ability to jump-start the SHP offense as the Gators’ leadoff hitter that earned him the honor. Batting leadoff, Pollioni scored 18 runs in Ocean Division play while batting .478 with an OPS of 1.267. Pollioni put the ball in play consistently. He walked only seven times against Ocean pitching, but struck out only four times.

Senior pitcher Rallin Covey shared the Pitcher of the Year honor with San Mateo’s Christian Louie. Covey, who will continue his playing career at University of Southern California, made seven starts against Ocean opponents, going 4-1 with a 0.63 ERA. His only loss coming against Half Moon Bay’s Kai Kung in a 4-3 Cougars’ win March 17.

Covey allowed only four earned runs, striking out 53 while walking 11, and holding Ocean opponents to a .169 batting average.

Louie was also 4-1 in seven Ocean Division starts. His only loss came in a nine-inning, 1-0 decision to SHP in which he struck out 11. Louie posted an ERA of 1.33, with 74 strikeouts and 22 walks. In 42 Ocean Division innings pitched, Louie allowed only one extra-base hit — a home run.

Sacred Heart Prep’s Sean McMillan was named Manager of the Year.

Lake Division

Like the Ocean, the major awards for the Lake Division were cleaned up by undefeated champion El Camino, with Nick Jang being named Player of the Year, Adrian Iniguez Pitcher of the Year and Dan Ordonez as Manager of the Year after leading the Colts to their first CCS appearance since 2017 and first CCS finals appearance since 1994.

Jang played in 14 of 15 Lake Division games, batting .429 with a OPS of 1.701. Of his 15 hits against Lake Division pitching, 12 went for extra bases — six doubles, three triples and four home runs. He walked 12 times against just four strikeouts.

Iniguez was the the Colts Swiss army knife on the mound. He made seven appearances in Lake play, compiling a perfect 7-0 record with a 0.48 ERA.

But Iniguez made just one start across 29 innings pitched. In addition to his seven wins, he also notched three saves. He allowed just two earned runs to Lake Division opponents, did not allow an extra-base hit, and struck out 37 against just three walks. The opposition batted just 0.99 with an OBP of .125.

To see the complete list of all-league teams, go to pal.smcoe.org, click on the “Current League Information” button and then “All-League teams.”

WCAL has San Mateo feel to it

The West Catholic Athletic League announced its Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year and All-League first team selections and there is a definite San Mateo feel to it.

Archer Horn of St. Ignatius, who grew up playing San Mateo American Little League, was named Player of the Year.

Pitcher of the Year went to Kyle McMillan of WCAL regular-season champion St. Francis.

Nate Hui was the only Serra player named to the first team, which also included San Mateo natives Chase Gordon and Leo Rhein (St. Ignatius), and Landon King (St. Francis) and St. Ignatius’ Jack Callen, who was a Hillsborough Little League All Star.

To see the complete all-league list, go to wcalsports.org.