Baseball/ Mar 20 2021

Abraham Zapata’s 2-Run Homer in Sixth Inning Leads Etiwanda to 6-5 Victory at San Dimas; Eagles Trailed 4-0 Before Mounting Comeback

Etiwanda got off to a slow start in the 2021 season opener at San Dimas. The Eagles trailed 4-0, but they rallied for four runs in the fourth and two more in the sixth to outlast the Saints, 6-5, on Friday afternoon. Abraham Zapata played the hero with a two-run shot in the top of […]

By Brian Baiotto


Baseball/ Feb 23 2021

Former Northview Ace Ryan Humphreys Improves to 2-0; Westmont Lefty Goes Distance in 10-1 Victory Over San Diego Christian

College Baseball: Ryan Humphreys, the 2019 Northview High School ace, is off to a great start to his sophomore season. The Westmont College lefty closed out a four-game sweep of San Diego Christian over the weekend. Humphreys allowed just one run over the seven-inning, 10-1 victory. He surrendered just one hit, walked five and fanned […]

By Brian Baiotto


Softball/ Feb 22 2021

Former Maranatha Star, Devyn Netz, Picks up First College Win on Sunday; U of Arizona Defeats Southern Utah, 10-1, to Remain Unbeaten

One of the San Gabriel Valley’s most versatile and dominant softball players in recent memory got her first college victory on Sunday. Devyn Netz, who starred at Maranatha for three years before moving to Tucson, got the ball against visiting Southern Utah. The Thunderbirds got one first-inning run off the University of Arizona freshman, but […]

By Brian Baiotto


Baseball/ Feb 18 2021

Charter Oak Senior Chris Ceballos Commits to Westmont; Chargers’ Multi-Threat Weapon Grows into Respected Leader

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor If there was ever a kid that gave everything he had from the moment he woke up in the morning to the second his head hit the pillow at night, it’s Charter Oak senior Chris Ceballos. Ceballos makes a diligent effort daily to better himself as a player, person and […]

By Brian Baiotto


Baseball/ Feb 16 2021

Glendora Senior Carson Collett Commits to APU; Tartans’ Catcher Excels on Baseball Field & in Classroom

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor It’s been a challenging past 12 months for the entire world. COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on everyone’s physical and mental health, their jobs and finances, and in so many other ways. For local high school student-athletes, the pandemic upended almost the entire 2020 spring season, and so far there hasn’t […]

By Brian Baiotto


Baseball/ Feb 14 2021

South Hills Baseball Coach Darren Murphy is Taking Father’s Life Lessons Forward; John Murphy Played Huge Role in Son’s Life & Career

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor There’s nothing more reassuring for a young baseball player than to see his father in the stands. And for nearly half a century, that’s exactly what South Hills baseball coach Darren Murphy got from his dad. It meant everything. Sadly, for the first time in his playing or coaching career, […]

By Brian Baiotto


Baseball/ Feb 04 2021

Monrovia Slugger Nathan Thompson Commits to Cal State San Bernardino; Wildcats’ Senior is one of SGV’s Most Versatile Players

Baseball: By Brian Reed-Baiotto With all the uncertainty in high school sports, let alone life during this pandemic, a Monrovia High School senior did something that even COVID-19 couldn’t stop. Nathan Thompson, one of the area’s premier hitters, committed to play baseball for Cal State San Bernardino in 2022. In 2018, Thompson played freshman ball, […]

By Brian Baiotto


Softball/ Feb 03 2021

Rio Hondo Prep’s Clarisse Rosales Commits to La Sierra University; Kares Finish Season No. 3 in CIF D-6 Poll, 1st in Prep League

Softball: On top of the many reasons that the Coronavirus broke the hearts of so many spring sport athletes, especially seniors, was the fact that some programs were off to a quick start and had the potential for a great season. And that was the case for Rio Hondo Prep and its four-year starting pitcher, […]

By Brian Baiotto


Softball/ Feb 03 2021

Julia Valenzuela Leaves Indelible Mark on Westridge Softball; Tigers Four-Year Starter Was Ultimate Teammate

Softball: By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor A pandemic may have cut Julia Valenzuela’s high school athletic career short, but it couldn’t diminish in the slightest her role in taking the Westridge softball program to its high-water mark in 2019. Valenzuela teamed with senior star Deijah Bradley, freshman sensation Hailey Yoshida and the rest of their […]

By Brian Baiotto


Baseball/ Feb 03 2021

Two Sport Star Mikey Kane Leaves Solid Mark at St. Francis; Golden Knights’ Shortstop Was Off to Record Start Offensively

Baseball: By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor Mikey Kane left quite a mark athletically at St. Francis. Kane contributed the last two years for the Golden Knights’ football program and he was a three-year starter in baseball. If you ask his teammates and coaches, though, Mikey Kane is a far better young man and student than […]

By Brian Baiotto


Softball/ Feb 03 2021

Natalie Wilson Saw Prep Career End Far Too Early, But Even COVID-19 Couldn’t Touch Her Fantastic 4-Year Run at Azusa High School

Softball: By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor There might be a number of softball players in the SGV area that are better known than Azusa High School senior Natalie Wilson. But without question, Wilson’s four-year run statistically puts her in a very elite club. In the spring of 2020, Wilson’s senior year ended abruptly after just […]

By Brian Baiotto


Baseball/ Feb 03 2021

Jacob Moreno, Gordon Cooper, Paul Sanchez Leading Charter Oak into Playoffs; Chargers’ Seniors Set Example For Younger Teammates

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor As Charter Oak hosts Glendora today in a CIF-SS Division 2 wild-card game, the Chargers are as battle-tested as anyone. They finished one-game back of Hacienda League champion South Hills, after dropping a 2-1 contest last Thursday. All four of their league losses (South Hills twice, Walnut & West Covina […]

By Brian Baiotto


Baseball/ Feb 03 2021

Arcadia Wins First Pacific League Championship Since 2011; Apaches Ride Arms of Preston Howey, Dustin Allen in 6-4 Victory at CV

How sweet it must feel for the Arcadia baseball program. They waited eight long years to be able to call themselves champions of the Pacific League. And they dethroned Crescenta Valley on the Falcons home field in the process. Arcadia used a combo of Preston Howey and Dustin Allen on the mound and CV was […]

By Brian Baiotto


Softball/ Feb 03 2021

Azusa’s Jillian Walker Perseveres Through Numerous Tragedies; Aztecs’ Star Senior Earns Spot at Illinois College

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor Azusa softball player and recent graduate Jillian Walker is just 17 years of age. But this hard working, talented and giving young lady has suffered more heartbreak than most do in an entire lifetime. Four years ago, while a freshman at Monrovia High School, the Walker’s got a phone call […]

By Brian Baiotto


Baseball/ Feb 03 2021

Rio Hondo Prep Overcomes Early 4-Run Deficit; Kares Rally, Hold Off Costa Mesa, 9-7, to Claim D-6 Championship on Saturday

When Rio Hondo Prep took the field at UC Riverside on Saturday evening in the CIF-SS Division 6 title game, Pasadena area baseball programs had already gone 0-3 in championship games earlier in the day. Poly and La Canada were both shut out and Marshall was dominated in a 10-run defeat. RHP seemed to keep […]

By Brian Baiotto


Baseball/ Feb 02 2021

Pasadena City College Freshman Gabriel Arellano Leads State With 42 Hits; Former Monrovia Star on Record Pace

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor Even for the most talented of athletes, there is typically a slight learning curve or minor adjustments that one makes while transitioning from high school to college baseball. That hasn’t been the case for PCC freshman Gabriel Arellano. The Lancers’ center fielder leads the entire state of California with 42 […]

By Brian Baiotto


Baseball/ Feb 02 2021

Arcadia Two-Sport Star Chris Wilson Does Nothing But Win; Apaches’ Football, Baseball Player the Ultimate Competitor, Teammate

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor Just after the 2017 football season had ended, more than 15 players from skilled positions left La Salle for what they believed were greener pastures. And each had their own reason for the departure. On that list, quarterback CJ Montes (Long Beach Poly) and receiver Justin Lockhart (Serra) were probably […]

By Brian Baiotto


Baseball/ Feb 02 2021

Evan Foor, Jake Lang, Jack Van Cleve Have Led Rio Hondo Prep into Saturday’s CIF D-6 Title Game Against Costa Mesa

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor When Rio Hondo Prep (17-7) takes the field on Saturday at 4:15 at UC Riverside, the Kares will be making their first appearance in the CIF-SS (Division 6) title game since 1999. If RHP defeats Costa Mesa (15-11), it would be the school’s first championship in baseball. The Mustangs have […]

By Brian Baiotto


Baseball/ Feb 02 2021

Easter, Lopez, Tello, Castillo & Allen Lead No. 1 Arcadia in Search of D-2 Title; Apaches Claimed Pacific League Championship

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor The 2019 season has already been a historic one for the Arcadia baseball team. The Apaches won their first Pacific League championship since 2011, thanks to a two-game sweep of Crescenta Valley last week. Arcadia went 13-1 in league play, with credit going to both a remarkable pitching staff and […]

By Brian Baiotto


Softball/ Feb 02 2021

Westridge Freshman Hailey Yoshida Ends Dream Season as Prep League’s Most Valuable Pitcher

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor Hailey Yoshida has accomplished so much in her high school career. And yet she just turned 15. Yoshida (and her teammates) led Westridge to the CIF-SS Division 7 title game for the first time in school history. The Tigers won postseason games over Coastal Christian, Vasquez, Whitney and Mayfield, before […]

By Brian Baiotto