Baseball:

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor

Mark Daley’s senior season at La Salle was a rough one.

He injured his hamstring in December, and later in that same month, reinjured it again.

Daley played in the first contest of the 2020 season at Crescenta Valley, and on the sixth pitch of the game, he hit a liner up the middle that went off the pitcher’s glove.

He dropped his bat and three steps towards first base, Daley yanked it again.

Being the tough kid that he is, Daley actually reached base by hustling down the line and forcing a hurried throw.

Daley would go on to miss the next couple of weeks before making his return.

Unfortunately, shortly thereafter, COVID-19 officially brought his high school career to an end.

All of that sounds pretty bad.

But here’s the good news: Mark Daley’s resume, including his work ethic, overall talents as both a hitter and outfielder, and his selfless and team-first mentality have earned the 17-year old the opportunity to continue his career at the collegiate level.

Daley will compete for Cal State San Marcos in 2021, which is located approximately 35 miles northeast of San Diego.

Midway through his freshman season in 2017, La Salle coach Mike Parisi called Daley up to the varsity squad.

Daley only got five at-bats that year and collected just one base hit, but it was during that stretch where he began to get people’s attention.

His speed and ability to track down line shots in the outfield made the freshman a valuable commodity for the program.

When asked if he was disappointed about not getting a chance to hit, Daley didn’t hesitate.

“No, I wasn’t the least bit angry, because I was so excited to get the opportunity to play varsity baseball, and all I cared about was doing my part in helping us win games.”

Daley, though, would get the chance to be an everyday player in 2018, and he made the most of it.

Daley batted .333, with 25 hits, 10 runs, 12 RBIs and four doubles.

With two weeks to go in the regular season, however, La Salle was in fourth place and very close to missing out on the playoffs.

Worse yet, the Lancers were sniping at each other out of frustration and they had lost four of their last five games as they entered a pair of crucial showdowns with first-place Bishop Amat and the bottom feeders from Cathedral.

La Salle would find a way to pull together and won two consecutive games against Amat and then went on to sweep the lowly Phantoms.

The four consecutive Del Rey League victories allowed the Lancers to leapfrog Serra into second place.

La Salle opened the CIF-SS Division 3 playoffs at Charter Oak, and after jumping on the Chargers early, the Lancers left Covina with a 5-3 victory.

Four days later, they defeated Temecula Valley 1-0, and then claimed a 6-0 victory at Temescal Canyon.

That would set up one of the most dramatic games in school history.

La Salle hosted a perennial power in Long Beach Wilson in the semifinal round and trailed 2-0 with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning.

With runners on first and second, the Lancers’ best player, Ethan Patrick, hit what looked to be a sharp single to right, which was going to load the bases.

The Bruins right fielder, though, misplayed the ball and Patrick motored 360-feet without breaking stride and slid under the catcher’s tag.

It not only set off an eruption from both the La Salle dugout and its fan base, it also meant the Lancers led, 3-2.

The win itself was remarkable for everyone involved, but it was especially cool for the Daley family.

Mark’s older brother, Jeff, had replaced Landon Smith on the mound in the fourth inning.

And Jeff Daley would get out of a two-on & two-out jam that he inherited and secured the final 10 outs to clinch the victory.

There was a moment after that game, where Mark and Jeff Daley kind of took it all in and you could see how much it meant to both of them.

Top-ranked Maranatha would go on to defeat La Salle, 4-2, to earn the D-3 title, but that season will remain special for La Salle.

In 2019, Mark Daley really came out of his shell and hit .388, with 26 hits, 21 runs, eight RBIs, five doubles and a triple.

Daley became one of the most complete and versatile players in the SGV, and in spite of his success, he never allowed his ego to inflate in the slightest.

“I never posted anything on my social media or asked for credit, because I love playing the game of baseball and I’m just doing the job that was asked of me,” he said. “I never considered myself a star. I just thought of myself as one guy who wanted to win and I was willing to do whatever I could to help my guys and my team win.”

After his junior year, Daley took part in a summer showcase game and was able to flaunt his skills.

It was for his arm, range in the outfield, his bat and just being a gamer that earned Daley the attention from collegiate programs, and eventually it helped set up the opportunity to compete next year for the Cougars.

For this writer, what impresses me most about Mark Daley is his evolution as a player, where he got better each season, as his stats would indicate.

But it’s just as much Mark’s growth as a person and student as well.

To add a little stock to that claim, consider this: During his sophomore year, Mark Daley was hovering around the 2.9 GPA mark, while his older brother Jeff was one of the school’s, SGV and southern section’s most accomplished students.

At that time, Mark used to make good-natured jokes about Jeff spending so much time on homework and preparing for tests, while his friends were out partying or playing video games.

To Mark’s credit, two years later, he improved his GPA to 3.5 and said Jeff helped inspire him to be a better student.

Mark, Jeff and Tyler Daley, who all play or played baseball, look up to their mom, Gayle Jenkins.

Gayle spends tireless hours in her profession as a lawyer and then comes home to be a great mother to her three boys.

And it means everything to Jeff, Mark and Tyler.

“When I grew up, I was oblivious to how much and how hard she works,” Mark said. “My junior year, I did a presentation at school about how I look up to my mom. She’s someone we see as an idol. She’s an inspiration and the perfect example of what you can achieve if you work hard enough for it. We can be smart asses and talk back to her from time to time, but it’s very important to us that she knows just how much we appreciate everything she does, and that we love her very much. I also want my dad (Todd Daley) to know I always appreciate seeing him at all my games and cheering me on. It means a lot to me.”

As odd as it may sound, the Coronavirus shutting the world down benefited Mark Daley to an extent.

It forced him to relax and recover from his hamstring injury and he’s getting stronger day by day.

Daley said he spends some down time playing Call of Duty and has worked hard to put some muscle around his naturally lean build.

Lastly, we asked Daley to hit on the following: What was it like to be part of that playoff run back in 2018, his favorite moment and what he hopes his younger teammates remember him for.

Said Mark Daley: “That whole experience was so fun, and part of the reason it made it so special was how closely we came to not even making the playoffs. I don’t think I understood at the time how meaningful it was to have my big brother there and sharing those moments with him and my teammates. I think that other than Ethan’s huge hit against Long Beach Wilson, my favorite moment was on a bus ride home after defeating Temescal Canyon (in the quarterfinal round). We were all screaming the lyrics to songs, word-for-word, and it felt so good to come together after all the struggles we went through. I hope they remember me as a guy who could care less about headlines or credit, and that I was just someone that wanted to be part a team and contribute. I enjoyed my time with them and I wish them all the best.”

Quotable:

La Salle coach, Mike Parisi: “Mark was part of that very talented freshmen class we had in 2017 at La Salle. I brought him up from JVs, because he was one of the best defensive outfielders in the entire program and he could help us reach CIF that year. You knew he would turn out to be a great high school player. We had a mutual respect for each other and we kept in contact throughout his high school career. I’m looking forward to following his college career.”

Former La Salle teammate, Luke Heiberg: “Mark is by far the best outfielder I’ve ever met or even seen, and he is more than just competitive. He’s a guy whose energy you can feed off of and one of the best teammates I’ve ever had. He’s got a cannon for an arm and he can track any ball down that is even remotely near him. I can’t wait to see him play in college, because he’s got a lot left in the tank. Aside from being a monster on the ball field, he’s an easy guy the get along with. We met when we were freshman at La Salle and even after I left the school, our friendship has remained the same. He’s been there for me through tough times and you can’t ask for a better friend or ball player that’ll bust his butt for you more than Mark Daley.”

Former La Salle teammate/current LMU infielder, Ethan Patrick: “Mark is a five-tool player. He can hit, run, throw, and play incredible defense. I’ve seen Mark make some of the greatest plays. He was on varsity as a freshman and was extremely mature for his age. He fit in so well with our team and made a huge impact for us. I’m really excited to see him at the next level and what his future holds.”

Former La Salle teammate & older brother, Jeff Daley: “The amount of growth I’ve seen in my brother over the last four years is quite simply remarkable, and I am so fortunate to have witnessed it both on the field and at home. Mark entered La Salle as a reserved, driven ballplayer, who was eager to help the program succeed, and his impact was immediate. He dedicated his entire freshman year to getting better in the weight room, at practice, and in his spare time, all of which set him up for the tremendous success he would have the following year. I remember feeling envious of the fact that I was a junior still adjusting to the demands of baseball, and here was this 14-year-old kid who made it look so effortless every day.

By the time his sophomore season rolled around, his maturity and work ethic had earned him not only the starting position in center field, but also an essential place in our batting lineup. Looking back, I know there are numerous moments that Mark and I will cherish forever; however, I think the smaller ones are the most meaningful to me. Grabbing breakfast together, discussing what we can improve upon after games, forcing him to read me my study guides on the way to school, and dealing with the fact that he had become taller than me are just a few that stand out.

On the mound, it was one thing to know you had one of the best center fielders in the area backing you up with the ability to track down any ball remotely in his vicinity. It was another thing altogether to turn around and see the kid (now a man) who caught your bullpens in the front yard at 8-years-old, was your wiffle-ball rival from the backyard, and is an outstanding brother standing ready in the outfield. Having the opportunity to go on the rollercoaster ride that we did was already special in itself, but having Mark there made it that much better.

Since that CIF championship game, I’ve watched Mark evolve into a confident servant leader both on and off the field. He leads by example as a member of La Salle’s student government, all while being the epitome of the motivated, goofy, and hard-working teammate everyone looks up to. Aside from never sharing food, he is incredibly selfless, always dedicating his time and equipment to helping others before addressing his own needs. It is also imperative to note that Mark is a master at handling my constant nagging about life and minute details, which is significantly difficult to do.

Although the end to his high school career is anything but ideal, I am certain that the qualities he has developed over the last four years will serve him well at CSUSM and beyond. Overall, I am so insanely proud to be his older brother and incredibly grateful to have been given a front seat to follow his journey.”

Mark Daley’s Career Stats at La Salle:

2017: .200, one hit, one run, RBI

2018: .333, 25 hits, 10 runs, 12 RBIs, four doubles

2019: .388, 26 hits, 21 runs, eight RBIs, five doubles, triple

2020: .200, one hit

La Salle’s Record, 2017-2020:

2017 (17-14, 7-5)

2018: (18-11, 8-4)

2019: (18-11, 8-4)

2020: (5-3, 1-0)

To view Mark’s photo gallery, click on the Facebook link here: (1) Facebook