Dragons Baseball 2005 Div III State Champs...A look back: Welcome
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Tuesday, June 9
JEFF KOBERNUS TAKEN AS FIRST PICK IN 2ND ROUND BY WASHINGTON NATIONALS
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Tuesday, June 9
5TH PLAYER OVER COACH JOEL'S 7 YEAR VARSITY TENURE GOES PRO
JONNY ASH 2000 (ASTROS)
STEVE SINGLETON 2003 (TWINS)
CHRIS HOPKINS 2003 (BLUE JAYS)
TYSON ROSS 2005 (A'S)
JEFF KOBERNUS 2005 (NATIONALS)
Thursday, June 5
Oakland A's Draft 2005 Ace Tyson Ross in 2nd Round
CONGRATULATIONS TYSON!!!
"Tyson was the best pitcher that I have ever coached and was the most humble team player to boot. Having him be an Oakland Athletic is a fantastic reward for his hard work." Coach Joel Kaufman, Bishop O'Dowd Varsity Coach 1999-2005
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Friday, June 6
Star CF Chris Hopkins Selected in 24th Round by Toronto Blue Jays
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Congratulations Chris!
"O'Dowd Centerfielder Chris Hopkins becomes the 2nd O'Dowd player off the 2004 team to be drafted in the Major League Draft. Chris was one of the quickest and top defensive outfielders that I have coached. He was also one of my team captains as he set a good example in his daily work ethic" Coach Joel
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Monday, February 18
Many of Coach Joel's Dragons Now Coaching Baseball
The greatest thing for a coach is to see the kids he coached going on to coach baseball. I know that Matt Powers, Joe Demir, Brendan Burke and Nick Meyers are all coaching high school age baseball players. I kind of have two feelings. One is probably like Bill Walsh, having his assistants all move on to head coaching jobs. The second feeling is that maybe I am getting old. But hats off to 4 of my outstanding Dragon players who will make a difference in many kids lives.
Monday, February 18
Daniel Poniatowski's Success Continues after High School
Daniel is now a senior at Wesleyan University (CT) and has been named co-captian of the 2008 team by a vote of the team. Wesleyan in the NESCAC (New England Small College Athletic Conference) and plays such notable small schools as Amherst University, Tufts University and Williams College. Daniel has been a 3 year starter and looks forward to opening the season against Menlo College (Northern California) for a 3 game series in March before heading to Southern California for an 8 game road trip. He is a double major in economics and sociology and has accepted a job after graduation with Mitchell-Madison Consulting Firm in New York City.
Sports Focus Show No Longer But Memories Will Always Be there
End of the Year Sportsfocus Tape Recognizing Dragons as Undefeated in Regular Season and #1 in State
In other news, Tyson Ross is expected to be one of the top Major League Draft picks in the upcoming draft in June 2008. Cal should be a fun team to watch with Tyson and fellow Dragon teammate Jeff Kobernus. Meanwhile, Rashad Tucker has moved over to Sonoma State and is joined by Dragon teammate Ryan Moura who is one of three freshman still active on their fall roster. Those 3 pitchers along with closer Rob Howard made the 2005 season one for the ages.
Tuesday, June 12
Kobernus Named Freshman All-American
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This past spring, Kobernus was named honorable mention All-Pac-10, starting 49 of 55 games and batting .331 with five doubles, a triple, a home run and 22 RBI. He led the Bears with 13 stolen bases (seventh in the Pac-10), and was second on the team to sophomore standout David Cooper with 59 hits and 19 multiple hit games. Kobernus was high school teammates with All-Pac-10 right-hander Tyson Ross at Bishop O'Dowd High School.
Tuesday, June 12
Bryce Mendonca Signs with Pepperdine, Hopkins to College World Series
A couple more great events for early 2000 Dragons....
Bryce Mendonca, the SS of the 2005 State Champions has signed with Pepperdine. Congrats to Bryce.
Chris Hopkins, the starting CF for Oregon State, is going to the College World Series in Omaha.
(Coach Joel will be in town for that event with his 18U Smoke team playing in a tournament).
It is expected that David Williams, star outfielder from the 2005 State champs, will resume his playing career at UCSD after transferring from Sonoma State.
Friday, February 2
Jeff Kobernus gets 2 Hits in 1st Collegiate Start
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Tuesday, June 6
Singleton Drafted in 11th Round by Mnnesota Twins
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| 11th Round Draft Pick with his High School Coach | |
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Tyson Ross Gets 1st Collegiate Victory
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Monday, March 27
Coach Joel Visits San Diego to See 2 Former Collegiate Dragons
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Signing Ceremony Held for Jeff Kobernus
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| Jeffrey Signs with his father and Coach Joel present | |
who has committed to UC Berkeley on Sunday December 11th at Triple Play Batting Cages in San Leandro.
In attendance were his teammates off the 2005 Div III State Championship team: Bryce Mendonca (SS-'05), David Williams (LF-'05), Rob Howard (P-'05),Chris Marshall (IF-'06), Carlos Perez (2B-'06), Trevor Samson (C-'06), Max Shupe (IF/OF-'06), Andy Spellman (OF-'06) along with Jeff's parents and sister.
Coach Joel commended Jeff on his dedication and leadership to the baseball program and presented him with a photo plaque
to commemorate his achievement. According to Coach Joel, "Jeff brought a serious work ethic to the field each day and was instrumental in O'Dowd's successful run into the state and national rankings." With a .423 batting average and 24 RBI's along with a 3-0 record, he sparked the Dragons. His shutout of perennial offensive powerhouse James Logan in the West Coast Classic propelled the Dragons to win the prestigious tournament. Jeff was recognized as a first team HAAL player and one of the top players in the Bay Area by Student Sports. Coach Joel expects Jeff to be a very successful student and baseball player for Cal Berkeley.
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| 2005 Dragons Celebrate with Jeff |
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Kobernus Inks Scholarship to Cal
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batted .423 with 2 homeruns and 24 rbi's. He played a flawless 3rd base for the Dragons and had two huge pitching outings against James Logan and Mt. Eden to keep O'Dowd's winning streak alive. According to Coach Joel, "Jeff is the most intense player that I have ever coached. He is all business on the ball field and strives for excellence in every moment in the game.
He will be very successful at Cal".
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News:
O'Dowd Dragons
2005 Div III
State Champions
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| A MEMORY WE WILL NEVER FORGET | |
1. (1) Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) 25-1
2. (6) Ocean View (Huntington Beach) 25-5
3. (5) Temecula Valley (Temecula) 25-6
4. (2) La Quinta (Westminster) 27-5
5. (9) Buhach Colony (Atwater) 25-6
6. (nr) Miramonte (Orinda) 22-5
7. (10) Serrano (Phelan) 21-1-1
8. (nr) University (San Diego) 21-12
9. (3) Valhalla (El Cajon) 23-8
10. (4) Campolindo (Moraga) 20-5
11. Gahr (Cerritos) 23-6
12. Oakdale 23-7
13. Casa Grande (Petaluma) 18-9
14. Petaluma 25-2
15. El Segundo 24-9
16. Charter Oak (Covina) 24-5-1
17. Colony (Ontario) 21-6
18. Coronado 21-12
19. Mission Bay (San Diego) 23-10
20. Palm Desert 23-4
Dragons to Host 1st Semi-Final at Home Park
The Dragons have made it to the semi-finals of NCS 3 times over the past 6 years and will be hosting the semi-final game at home for the 1st time. In 2000, the game was at San Leandro ballpark where the Dragons lost in 12 innings and in 2005 the game was at De La Salle. It is advised that all fans arrive early for a seat in the stands or enjoy our great outfield view. With the win over Berkeley, the Dragons have equaled the all-time win total of 25 wins in a season by the 2000 team (they had 2 extra games because of league playoffs) and have guaranteed themselves of the best winning percentage in O'Dowd baseball history.
May 30, 2005
Updated State Baseball Rankings
Mark Tennis & Andrew Drennen
CalHiSports Staff
(After games of Monday, May 30)
(Previous week's ranking in parentheses)
1. (1) Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) 25-0 The Dragons got through the first two rounds of the North Coast Section Class 3A East Bay playoffs to set themselves up for a shot at a historical title since they would also finish undefeated and untied. Their first win was by 5-1 over Arroyo of San Lorenzo, which featured Tyson Ross with a one-hitter and 13 strikeouts plus a three-run homer. The second game was more nail-biting as Berkeley tied it up in the sixth inning on a monster home run by Michael Durant, one of the top pro slugging prospects in the state. But O'Dowd prevailed, 3-2, and will now play Monte Vista of Danville in the semifinals on Wednesday. A win in that game and the Dragons would go for it all over the weekend against either De La Salle of Concord or California of San Ramon.
BASEBALL AMERICA NAMES DRAGONS #7 IN COUNTRY!
NCS Round #2 Highlights: O'Dowd 3 Berkeley 2
Rashad Tucker was masterful in his 5 innings of work allowing only one run. After throwing 92 pitches, he was relieved by Tyson Ross who pitched the final 2 innings. The only blemishes to the well pitched game were 2 home runs to Mike Durant by each of the Dragon aces. Carlos Perez provided the outstanding defense of the game at 2nd base and drove in the 2nd run of the game with a single. Nikko Wahl's steal of 3rd base and the overthrow provided the margin of victory.
NCS Round #1 Highlights: O'Dowd 5 Arroyo 1
Tyson Ross pitched a masterful game striking out 13 and hitting a 3-run 1st inning home run.
Andrew Prince had two hits to power the offense and Nikko Wahl drove in the insurance run.
O'DOWD #1 SEED IN NCS PLAYOFFS
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#16 Arroyo @ #1 O'Dowd, Wed 5 p.m.
#9 Newark @ #8 Berkeley
#13 Mt Eden @ #4 Monte Vista
#12 Foothill @ #5 Amador Valley
#15 San Leandro @ #2 De La Salle
#10 Castro Valley @ #7 Logan
#14 Deer Valley @ #3 Cal
#11 Livermore @ #6 Clayton Valley
May 24, 2005
Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area Top 20 Rankings
Harold Abend
CalHiSports Associate Editor
No matter what happens in the playoffs, the Bishop O'Dowd Dragons will still bask in the glory of the finest baseball season in the 55-year history of the school. Not only have they never finished the regular season undefeated but coach Joel Kaufman's nine has garnered the No. 1 ranking overall in the state for the first-time at some point during a season, which is something only the boys basketball team at the school has ever achieved. "It's great to be number one in the state and the top seed (in the NCS 3A East Bay playoffs) and the kids have really earned it with hard work," Kaufman says. "But every game is a new season now."
1. (1) Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) 23-0
2. (2) Bellarmine (San Jose) 34-4
3. (3) Mitty (San Jose) 26-6
4. (5) De La Salle (Concord) 17-4
5. (8) Monte Vista (Danville) 17-5-1
6. (6) Justin-Siena (Napa) 24-0
7. (11) California (San Ramon) 19-4
8. (2) Amador Valley (Pleasanton) 20-4
9. (12) St. Francis (Mountain View) 24-9
10. (9) Petaluma 24-1
11. (10) Clayton Valley (Concord) 20-4
12. (13) Campolindo (Moraga) 19-4
13. (14) Los Gatos 24-5
14. (7) Serra (San Mateo) 19-8-1
15. (19) Santa Cruz 27-7
16. (18) Livermore 16-8
17. (20) Carmel 29-4-1
18. (15) Miramonte (Orinda) 19-5
19. (nr) Santa Clara 21-11
20. (17) Valley Christian (San Jose) 21-11
Game #23 Highlights: O'Dowd 4 Castro Valley 1
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REGULAR SEASON CONCLUDES: DRAGONS GO 23-0
WIN LEAGUE TITLE FOR 3RD STRAIGHT YEAR
#1 SEED IN NCS PLAYOFFS
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| A great season as Dragons set all time win record for school |
Game #22 Highlights: O'Dowd 7 Mt Eden 3
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| AJ sparks Dragons with Laser homerun | |
News Alert:
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Cal-Hi Sports has ranked the Dragons as the #1 team in California for the first time in Bishop O'Dowd High School history on Tuesday after losses by Defending National Champion Chatsworth of Southern California and Clovis West of Fresno this week.
See article below:
May 16, 2005
BOD, Clovis West Lead New Baseball Top 20
Mark Tennis
CalHiSports Editor
It's going to be a wild finish to the California prep baseball season and the dream matchup could be in the North Coast Section if Bishop O'Dowd of Oakland gets to the Class 3A East Bay title game with an unbeaten record and perhaps faces Amador Valley of Pleasanton, which may get to that game with just one loss.
It's the possibility of such a matchup taking place which also is one of the main reasons why the Dragons are moving to the top of the state overall rankings this week. If O'Dowd, for example, was stuck in some lower-enrollment based division and didn't have the opportunity to play much tougher teams like Amador Valley, De La Salle of Concord, defending champion San Ramon Valley and perhaps others in one of the state's best playoff divisions, it would not have been placed in the No. 1 position this week.
Rashad Tucker of Oakland Bishop O'Dowd is one of two pitchers on the squad headed for a major Div. I college.
One of the critical factors in the state rankings system we've developed is to look ahead and build a No. 1 case for teams should they win out for the rest of their seasons. The worst thing you can do in any high school ranking is to drop a No. 1 team if it continues to win. The point is to do your deliberating well in advance and make it possible as the various seasons end for the No. 1 teams to stay there as long as they keep winning.
Previous state No. 1 Chatsworth, No. 2 Clovis West and No. 4 Poway all lost games last week to create room for O'Dowd, which would now have the best case to be No. 1 at the end of the season. Chatsworth's loss came by an 11-5 score to league rival El Camino Real of Woodland Hills.
We're well aware that there are some media members and coaches in the San Francisco Bay Area who do not even think that O'Dowd should be No. 1 in its region, let alone the state. The Dragons do not play in a strong league, but they did head down to San Jose over the Easter break and won top honors at one of the state's top tourneys, the West Coast Classic, and if they do finish unbeaten which is quite rare in California prep history, Chatsworth's 35-0 last year notwithstanding it will include the championship of a very strong playoff division.
Last week, Bishop O'Dowd continued its domination of Hayward Area Athletic League opponents with easy wins of 18-2 over Hayward, 10-1 over Tennyson of Hayward and 12-1 over San Lorenzo. Head coach Joel Kaufman didn't even use No. 1 pitcher Tyson Ross so he could gain some rest before the playoffs, but that didn't prevent O'Dowd from expanding its season scoring advantage over all opponents to 192-34.
Clovis West of Fresno began last week in the No. 2 position and will stay there this week despite losing early in the week to arch-rival Clovis, 3-1, in eight innings. The reason the Golden Eagles stayed so high is that they bounced back later in the week to rip Clovis, 11-5, and won their league title. In fact, if you look at the three teams that Clovis West has lost to Central of Fresno, Buchanan and Clovis those also are three teams that the Golden Eagles have beaten twice. J.J. Jelmini paced Clovis West's big bounceback win by ripping a bases-loaded double and hammering a solo homer.
All of the losses around the state last week were also beneficial to two other Bay Area schools, Amador Valley and Bellarmine. Unlike O'Dowd, those two teams do play in very difficult leagues. Amador Valley avenged its only loss, which came to Livermore, by blanking the Cowboys, 1-0, in a game last week. The Bells have already set a school record for most wins in a season and last week they followed up their round-robin title in the storied West Catholic Athletic League by taking the WCAL playoff crown. In many years, the team that wins the WCAL round-robin championship tends to get beat in the playoffs. Bellarmine has not beaten every team it has lost to (which is the case for Clovis West), but that could be a situation that will be taken care of in the Central Coast Section playoffs.
Bellarmine coach Gary Cunningham certainly hopes his team doesn't suffer the same CCS fate as what happened to St. Francis of Mountain View last year. The Lancers were right there with Chatsworth and were unbeaten until late in the season. They lost in the WCAL playoffs and then were eliminated in the very first round of the CCS playoffs by Palo Alto.
In the CIF Southern Section, meanwhile, Riverside Poly has assumed a favorite's role for the Division I title in recent weeks and was ahead of Chatsworth in the L.A. Times' rankings even before the Chancellors lost to El Camino Real. The Bears were hoping to learn Monday that they've been seeded No. 1 in their division. The Southern Section also has two other teams with just three losses on the season Saugus and Royal of Simi Valley and another team with four losses that owns a head-to-head win over Riverside Poly Capistrano Valley of Mission Viejo that may have what it takes to climb into the race for No. 1 in just a few weeks.
Chatsworth will have to drop behind Bishop O'Dowd, Clovis West, Riverside Poly and Amador Valley in this week's rankings, but remains a real threat to be No. 1 in the state for the second straight year. Despite their 11-5 loss to El Camino Real, the Chancellors still earned the top seed for the L.A. City Section playoffs and still won their league title. The best case scenario for Chatsworth is to even out its season series against El Camino at 2-2 by beating the Conquistadors in the playoffs, ending another successful run for the section title and hoping that all of the teams ahead of them get upset. This is baseball, folks, and upsets (if you can even call them that) are the norm.
Also dropping behind Riverside Poly and Amador Valley this week, not to mention Bellarmine and Saugus, is Poway. The Titans saw their recent hot streak cooled by a 6-0 loss to traditional power Rancho Bernardo. They still own two wins over the Broncos this year and have already clinched the Palomar League title. The extra loss doesn't hurt Poway much on the section level, but because of all of the other strong teams in the state with sterling records, it does mean that for the Titans to have any chance at being No. 1 in the state they will now have to win all of their playoff games and no longer have the luxury of losing a game and coming back to win the title in the section's double-elimination tourney. The Sac-Joaquin Section is the only other section in the state that utilizes a double-elimination element within its baseball playoffs.
Here are this week's overall state top 20 rankings:
(Writeups of all teams plus updated divisional and regional rankings will be posted on Tuesday)
1. (3) Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) 21-0
2. (2) Clovis West (Fresno) 24-3
3. (5) Poly (Riverside) 22-3
4. (6) Amador Valley (Pleasanton) 20-1
5. (1) Chatsworth 26-3
6. (7) Bellarmine (San Jose) 32-4
7. (8) Saugus 23-3
8. (4) Poway 24-4
9. (9) Capistrano Valley (Mission Viejo) 21-4-1
10. (10) Royal (Simi Valley) 24-3
11. (11) El Camino Real (Woodland Hills) 24-4*
12. (14) Rancho Bernardo (San Diego) 25-5
13. (12) Buchanan (Clovis) 23-6
14. (13) Norco 20-4*
15. (15) Fallbrook 22-6
16. (16) Mitty (San Jose) 24-6
17. (17) Centennial (Bakersfield) 25-4
18. (19) Granite Hills (El Cajon) 23-5
19. (nr) Canyon (Anaheim) 21-5
20. (nr) De La Salle (Concord) 17-4
Dragons reach 20 win Total for 3rd Year in a Row
The Dragons (21-0) have accomplished a 20+ win season for the 3rd consecutive year and 5 out of the last seven years. This season, as special a season as one can imagine, has been dedicated by Coach Joel, in memory of his uncle who passed away last summer.
Team Rules Regarding Night Before Games and NCS Playoffs
With events coming up such as proms, Star Wars debuts....it is best to remind of our the baseball team rules regarding curfews:
(1) All players must be in their own house with a 11 p.m. curfew on nights before games.
(2) Players must be home within one hour of the end of the prom as there will be batting practice the following day.
When you decide to play for the O'Dowd baseball team, it is assumed that you will be preparing your body for the rigors of playoffs. The CV game is essentially a playoff game and all players must be in their homes at 11 p.m. When you change the sleeping pattern of your body, your bat speed changes. I have 6 years of NCS history to point out examples of how certain players that looked tired...played in the games. Events such as Star Wars and Disneyland will still be there weeks from now....but the chance to be State Champs is once in a lifetime.
Game #21 Highlights: O'Dowd 13 San Lorenzo 1
Jeff Kobernus pitched 6 innings allowing only one unearned run. Tyson Ross was 4 for 4 to pace the Dragons.
Game #20 Highlights: O'Dowd 10 Tennyson 1
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| Closer Rob gets the start | |
Game #19 Highlights: O'Dowd 18 Hayward 2
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| 2nd Baseman Carlos Perez | |
The defense was led by 2nd baseman Carlos Perez.
Game #18 Highlights: O'Dowd 3 San Leandro 0
Tyson Ross picked up his 8th win of the season and Jeff Kobernus and Tyson supplied the offense in the 3-0 win.
Game #17 Highlights: O'Dowd 13 Moreau 2
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| David should be pumped up after a 7 for 7 week | |
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| Catcher Trevor Sampson solid behind plate |
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Game #16 Highlights: O'Dowd 7 Castro Valley 1
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| Tyson wins his 7th game vs Castro Valley | |
(David Williams (3x3), Jeff Kobernus (4x4)
According to Coach Kaufman, his team came out focused and determined to stay in 1st place in the HAAL. Trevor Sampson did an excellent job of catching in this big game.
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| Kobernus goes 4 for 4 to dismantle Castro Valley |
O'Dowd Pitchers Have Team Dancing
O'Dowd pitchers have team dancing
Talented trio has Dragons 15-0 going into showdown
Rusty Simmons, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
The Bishop O'Dowd baseball team's stretching routine looks strikingly similar to a party.
The beat bellows out of a huddle of players in left field. One by one, a player breaks from the huddle and sprints toward the center-field fence. Each jumps into the mesh wall and the dancing begins.
The Dragons appear totally unaffected by the pressures of being undefeated.
Of course, there isn't much pressure when your pitching staff consists of Tyson Ross, Rashad Tucker and Jeff Kobernus, the only trio in California with as many as 13 wins and no losses.
"We run into some teams that think they've lucked out because Tyson is not throwing," O'Dowd coach Joel Kaufman said. "The other two can be just as dangerous.
"I'll take my chances with any of them."
The Dragons will put that philosophy and their 15-0 record to the test today, when they are scheduled to play Castro Valley, the only other undefeated team in the Hayward Area Athletic League.
Ross, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound Cal-designate, will be on the mound. Major- league scouts believe his 90-mph fastball and usually dominant slider make him a top-10-rounds selection, and opposing players already treat Ross as if he were a major-leaguer.
"In league play, we had one guy ask for his autograph," Kaufman said, "and another just wanted to shake his hand."
Team One Baseball director of scouting Blaine Clemmens received an e-mail from Ross after he pitched in one of the organization's showcases in Arizona.
"He just wanted to say he appreciated the opportunity and say sorry for not thanking me in person," Clemmens said. "That's the kind of kid he is." Not to mention his ability on the mound.
"Someone wouldn't get fired for taking him in the top-10 rounds," Clemmens said. "There are more polished pitchers out there, but he's got a quick, loose arm and can be a 93-94-mph guy with a plus slider in the future."
At the Amador Valley-Monte Vista game in early April, scouts put down their radar guns to talk to Ross and Tucker, who were in the stands. A few innings later, the umpire turned around and joked with the duo.
"It's nice that people know who we are," said Tucker, a 6-3, 210-pounder who has committed to Fresno State. "It's gotten to the point where you just focus and forget that they're all watching."
The left-hander, who has devastating movement on his fastball, proved his concentration in the West Coast Classic against Mitty. He entered the game with the bases loaded and Georgia Tech-bound Jason Haniger at the plate.
"His eyes were glowing like something from hell," Kaufman said. "He was just like, 'Here's the fastball. See if you can hit it.'
Tucker got out of the inning without a run scoring, and O'Dowd won 9-6.
Kobernus, a 6-1, 180-pound junior, already has pitched in similarly stressful situations. As a sophomore, he kept O'Dowd in a one-run game against North Coast Section power De La Salle.
"He's the one pitcher in my seven years here that I let call his own game, " Kaufman said. "He knows how to set hitters up, and he's one of the most intense players I've ever had."
The intensity is hidden at practice as Kaufman reminds the players of their goals.
"Baseball is probably the toughest sport to go undefeated," he said. "It's almost ludicrous to make that one of our goals. We just want to win the league and advance through NCS."
Then, the real party can begin.
Game #15 Highlights: O'Dowd 1 Mt Eden 0
Jeff Kobernus pitched a complete game shutout of Mt Eden in a cold and windy affair at Mt Eden. Byrce Mendonca was the player of the game defensively.
Game #14 Highlights: O'Dowd 9 Arroyo 1
Tyson Ross pitched a complete game allowing only 1 run as O'Dowd thumped Arroyo for the 2nd time this season.
Game #13 HIghlights: O'Dowd 17 Moreau 2
Just call this a happy birthday to Max Shupe. On his b-day, Max came up big with a 4-5 day with a single, double and 2 home runs. Throw in a 13 strikout day by Rashad Tucker and all around team hitting and what a day for the Dragon. Bryce Medonca set the pace with a 4 hit day in the leadoff spot.
O'Dowd Baseball Team Almost Too Good to be True
By David Schoen, STAFF WRITER, OAKLAND TRIBUNE
HAS THERE BEEN a more dominant team this spring than the Bishop O'Dowd High baseball squad?
The Dragons, ranked No. 2 in this week's East Bay poll, are off to a 12-0 start (5-0 in the Hayward Area Athletic League) and have so thoroughly dominated opponents that many fans in the area wondering whether they can complete a perfect regular season.
O'Dowd has outscored the opposition by an incredible 79 runs (103-24) thus far and doesn't appear to be slowing down any time soon.
The Dragons already earned the championship at the prestigious West Coast Classic, beating the likes of Westlake-Westlake Village, Archbishop Mitty, James Logan and defending Nevada 4-A state champion Reno.
And in the HAAL, O'Dowd is clearly the favorite. The Dragons have already crushed San Leandro and Arroyo, but they have games remaining against Castro Valley on April 27 and May 19 (the regular-season finale).
The Trojans feature catcher Jason Castro, who signed with Stanford, along with pitchers Jason Huber and Danny McDaniel. Huber tossed a perfect game April 5 against San Leandro, while McDaniel is a hard thrower who is expected to return next month.
As long as the Dragons have pitchers Tyson Ross and Rashad Tucker, who have signed with Cal and Fresno State, respectively, they will be in every game. Throw in proven players such as Bryce Mendonca and Jeff Kobernus, along with Niko Wahl and Max Shupe, among many others, and O'Dowd is even tougher to stop.
Will the Dragons have enough to run the table? We'll find out in the next month or so.
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A FIRST IN HISTORY: O'DOWD #22 IN BASEBALL AMERICA RANKINGS
Click on above link for full article.
For the 1st time in Bishop O'Dowd baseball history we have made it into the Top 25 in Baseball America Magazine.
This is a terrific honor for the program and all players, coaches and families should be extremely proud.
Game #12 Highlights: O'Dowd 10 Hayward 2
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| Max had a strong day at the plate | |
on the season. David Williams, Max Shupe, Tyson Ross and Jeff Kobernus sparked the offense.
And then there was Nikko who continued his hitting streak with another 3 run homer.
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| Bryce anchors the defense |
Game #11 Highlights: O'Dowd 11 Tennyson 0
Ace Lefty Rashad Tucker struck out 13 of 15 batters as O'Dowd beat Tennyson 11-0 in an abreviated 4 1/2 inning game called for the 10 run rule. Rashad pitched a no-hitter against the overmatched Tennyson hitters. David Williams and Chris Marshall provided much of the offense. Nikko Wahl continued his hitting streak. Carlos Perez also provided some offense in the nine spot. Pinch hitter AJ Simmons drove in the 10th run to seal the victory.
Game #10 Highlights: O'Dowd 10 San Leandro 2
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| Chris Marshall leads the attack | |
the Dragons powered to a 10-2 route of San Leandro with Tyson Ross (5-0) getting
the win.
Game #9 Highlights: O'Dowd 13 San Lorenzo 5
Rashad Tucker pitched 3 excellent innings striking out 7. Nikko Wahl blasted two more home runs as he leads the team
in bombs.
Game #8 Highlights: O'Dowd 12 Arroyo 1
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| Chad Santos gets 1st Varsity hit | |
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| Ryan Moura gets 1st Varsity hit |
DRAGONS WIN WEST COAST CLASSIC
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| Coach Joel watching ace Tyson Ross warmup |
West Coast Classic Articles
Mitty baseball team falls in championship game 9-6
BUT COACH CAN SEE POSITIVES IN LOSS
By David Kiefer
Mercury News
What makes a champion? For the Archbishop Mitty High baseball team, it's scoring immediately after allowing runs. Or, starting rallies with two out and none on.
While addressing the team, Mitty Coach Bill Hutton said he admired its ability to do just that. The only problem was, Hutton was speaking to Oakland's Bishop O'Dowd, which beat the Monarchs 9-6 in the championship game of the 16-team West Coast Classic at Buck Shaw Stadium on Thursday.
But in presenting the championship trophy, Hutton paid the Dragons the ultimate respect, by complimenting them on their ability to win in the manner his team aspires to.
``That's what championship teams do,'' Hutton said. ``It was good for both teams,'' good for O'Dowd (7-0) in a victory, and good for Mitty (12-2) to see a team make it happen.
After Mitty rallied from a 6-0 deficit with six runs in the fifth, O'Dowd scored three runs in the sixth, all after Mitty reliever Bryon Wolf induced two groundouts to open the inning.
Mitty sought to prepare itself for the quality of pitchers it will face in the rugged West Catholic Athletic League. In four games, the Monarchs faced four major-college pitching recruits.
``Everybody is looking for something from this tournament,'' Hutton said. ``We got out of this tournament what we needed.''
Though the Monarchs managed only two hits in four innings off Cal-bound Tyson Ross, a hard-throwing right-hander who can change speeds, they quickly pounced on his relief, with five hits, a walk and a hit by pitch.
Jason Codiroli, who saved two runs in the third with a diving catch in center field, smashed an opposite-field double to left with the bases-loaded to draw Mitty to within one.
What followed was even more encouraging to Hutton, who already knew what Codiroli, who has received a scholarship to Cal State-Fullerton, could do. Trevor Moore fouled off five pitches before drilling a single through the legs of pitcher Rob Howard to complete a 10-pitch at-bat and tie the score.
``I didn't have the greatest at-bats,'' said Moore, who struck out on three pitches his first time up. ``So I knew he was going to come at me.''
Moore has struggled with confidence since being placed at No. 4 in the batting order behind Codiroli.
``That's a huge responsibility,'' Hutton said. ``He's going to see a lot of breaking balls and not get a lot of good pitches to hit. This was huge for him. It'll give him confidence.
``That's part of the master plan for playing in this tournament. Right now, I feel like it's worth it.''
Contact David Kiefer at dkiefer@mercurynews.com
O'Dowd is first to win West Coast title twice
STAFF REPORTS
SANTA CLARA Fresno State-bound senior Rashad Tucker pitched out of a jam in the bottom of the seventh inning at Buck Shaw Stadium as Bishop O'Dowd High's baseball team beat Mitty 9-6 on Thursday in the championship game of the West Coast Classic.
The Dragons (7-0) became the first team to win the prestigious tournament twice, having also won it in 2000.
Tucker, a reliever, faced a bases-loaded, one-out threat in the seventh. He was up to the challenge, striking out Mitty's best hitter for the second out, then inducing a pop fly to second base to start O'Dowd's celebration.
O'Dowd scored four times in the third inning to take a 6-0 lead, but Mitty (12-2) scored six times to tie it in the fifth.
Andrew Prince's drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth to put O'Dowd ahead to stay at 7-6, and David Williams followed with a two-run double to pad the lead.
O'Dowd starter Tyson Ross, who worked four scoreless innings before giving way to Rob Howard, was named tournament MVP.
Ross, bound for Cal, pitched six strong innings in the Dragons' 6-1 win over Westlake of Westlake Village on Tuesday.
Game #4 Highlights: O'Dowd 6 Westlake (Southern Cal) 1
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| Tyson Ross is ranked a 3rd-10th round draft pick | |
The Dragons next face Reno, the defending Nevada State champion in round #2 of the West Coast Classic on Wednesday March 30th.
CC Times Article on Game #1 vs Westlake
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O'Dowd Dragons #25 in Preseason National Rankings
After years of climbing into the State Rankings, Bishop O'Dowd Baseball has finally
cracked into the National ...
League Opener Preview: San Leandro vs O'Dowd
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| Team Captain David Williams | |
Dragon Captain David Williams has the highest career batting average against the Pirates at .667 and is currently batting .400 for the 2005 season. David is a 3 Year Varsity player and sets an excellent example for the players on the team with his work ethic. David was a 1st team All-League HAAL selection last season and is certainly an MVP candidate as a senior.
There is still a possibility that the Moreau game for the Varsity at Moreau at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday might happen.
We will be wearing Grey tops and grey pants. Check this website on Thursday late morning for the official word. The JV game vs Moreau @ O'Dowd is highly doubtful and most likely will be officially postponed tomorrow.
Hayward Area Athletic League Preview- Daily Review
Game #3 Highlights: O'Dowd 9 Encinal 1
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| Player of the Game: Nikko Wahl | |
the Dragons improved to 3-0. The hitting hero was Nikko Wahl who was 3 for 3 with a single, double and home run. Coach Joel could not have been happier for Nikko who works hard, never complains and is the ultimate team player. Chris Marshall added a monster blast for a 2 run home run to pad the lead. (Click on the cmarshall video icon below to see the home run blast....let load fully before doing anything)
Game #2 Highlights: O'Dowd 8 Skyline 3
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| Player of the Game: Rashad Tucker | |
Game #1 Highlights: O'Dowd 7 Irvington 0
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| Co-Player of the Game: Tyson Ross | |
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| Co-Player of the Game: Bryce Mendonca |
2005 Baseball Schedule Released
All 3 teams: Frosh, Soph and Varsity will be playing a challenging schedule in 2005.
The Varsity will scrimmage Campolindo and Berkeley and then open their preseason with:
Irvington, Encinal, Skyline and De La Salle. They will then play two league games before entering the prestigious West Coast Classic in San Jose. All Soph pitchers should be available for this Easter break (several may come to trip with varsity).
The Soph and Frosh play a strong field including Deer Valley, De La Salle, James Logan and Livermore. Additionally the Freshman will compete in the 1st annual Frosh Crown Dublin tourney featuring: Serra, De La Salle, Deer Valley, Monte Vista, San Ramon Valley and Clayton Valley. This is a look into the future of the Bay Area's best baseball programs.
Ross, Williams and Kobernus to Puma All-American Tourney
Dragons Send 3 Players to All-American Team
Tyson Ross Named to US Jr National Team
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| Rashad Tucker and Tyson Ross at Area Codes | |
Tyson Ross Named to US National Team
Additionally, both Tyson and Rashad were honored by selection to the Area Code teams.
Rashad Tucker Gives Verbal Commitment to Fresno State
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| Senior Lefty Rashad Tucker |
Tyson Ross Gives Verbal Commitment to Cal Berkeley
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More Honors for Dragons
Eric Walterhouse's selection to the All-State Div III team by Cal-Hi Sports was expected as
he now joins Jonny Ash, Robby Brethauer and Steve Singleton as All-State players over the last four years. Additionally, Walterhouse and Tyson Ross were selected to the 1st TEAM ANG joining Ash, Brethauer, Durham-Hammer and Singleton as 1st team selectees to the Alameda Newpaper Group's top honor.
Dragons Finish #3 in Final ANG Poll, #6 in State Div III
FINAL ANG EAST BAY BASEBALL POLL
1. San Ramon Valley (27-8)...90 points
2. De La Salle (26-6)...82 points
3. Bishop O'Dowd (22-9)...76 points
4. Newark Memorial (24-13)...68 points
5. Foothill (24-7)...63 points
6. Deer Valley (16-12)...55 points
7. Antioch (17-9)...50 points
8. Monte Vista (24-10)...45 points
9. Castro Valley (22-9)...41 points
10.Clayton Valley (22-11)...39 points
11.Miramonte (22-5)...29 points
12. Berkeley (17-10)...19 points
13. Amador Valley (16-10)...18 points
14. Acalanes (21-7)...18 points
15. Alameda (18-8)...15 points
Points based on one point for a 15-place vote and 15 points for a 1st place vote.
CAL HI-SPORTS STATE RANKINGS (DIV III)
DIVISION III
1. (2) Burlingame 27-3
2. (3) Mission Bay (San Diego) 27-7
3. (5) Corona del Mar (Newport Beach) 25-5
4. (1) La Quinta (Westminster) 28-2-1
5. (4) Buhach Colony (Atwater) 29-2
6. (6) Bishop ODowd (Oakland) 22-8
7. (9) Miramonte (Orinda) 22-5
8. (7) Menlo School (Atherton) 24-5
9. (10) Tesoro (Las Flores) 20-11
10. (8) Acalanes (Lafayette) 21-7
NEXT: 11. Temple City 23-4-1; 12. East Union (Manteca) 22-7; 13. St. Augustine (San Diego) 23-10; 14. Santana (Santee) 22-10-1; 15. Vanden (Travis AFB) 20-7; 16. Northwood (Irvine) 20-11; 17. St. Paul (Santa Fe Springs) 24-7; 18. Mountain View (El Monte) 20-7; 19. Santa Cruz 24-13; 20. San Dimas 19-9.
6 YEARS OF OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS
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| Coach Kaufman enjoys another tourney victory | |
NCS Berths - 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004
Tournament Wins - Willie Stargell (1999), West Coast Classic (2000)
Gordie Classic (2002), Runnerup Crowne Chevrolet Classic (2003)
Graduating Dragons Playing College Baseball (19)
1999 - Record 23-4
2000 - Record 25-3
2001 - Record 16-9
2002 - Record 14-10
2003 - Record 22-7
2004 - Record 22-9
Overall League Record: 82-19
Non-League Record: 40-23
Overall Record: 122-42
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| Promising Soph Jeff Kobernus should bring depth to the pitching staff |
2004 Bishop O'Dowd Baseball Team Awards:
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2004 Bishop O'Dowd Baseball Team Awards:
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Eric was the H.A.A.L. Player of the Year and batted .561 for the year with 9 home runs and 46 RBI's.
Best Defensive Player: Tyson Ross
Tyson was 9-3 on the year with a 2.64 ERA, pitching in many of the toughest games including wins against Castro Valley, Clayton Valley, Mt. Eden and James Logan.
Most Improved Player: Chris Perri and Daniel Poniatowski
Chris Perri improved from a bench player as a sophomore into the starting right fielder for the Dragons. He batted .339 on the season with no errors in the outfield.
Daniel Poniatowski stepped right into Pat Mulshine's difficult shoes with spectacular defense at 3rd base this season and a .317 overall batting average.
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O'Dowd Finishes Off Great Season with 7-4 Loss to DLS
Well the high school season is over. And just maybe the Dragons took the wind out of De La Salle. After the 7-4 win over the Dragons, the Spartans looked slugish and were dominated by San Ramon Valley 9-1.
The Dragons finished the season with a 22-9 record, posting their 4th 20-win season in the last six. They finished with their 4th league championship in six years and made the semi-finals of NCS with impressive wins over James Logan and defending NCS champion Deer Valley. Our five seniors: Eric Walterhouse, Chris Hopkins, Daniel Poniatowski, Justin Riche and Sean Kennealy depart with the majority of them headed off to play college baseball.
So what are the Dragons left with. All their pitching. A tremendous returning offense with the gaps filled in by strong JV players. Without a doubt, the team will be even stronger next year. A very intense fall baseball program which includes a Southern California trip, along with the utilization of the new weight room, will send the upbeat Dragons into the 2005 season with the goal of winning the NCS title.
The most important thing that the 2004 season showed was the sportsmanship and never give up attitude of the Dragons. In both of the final two games, the Dragons were down 4-0 and 5-0, and bounced back to win the first game and closed the 2nd one to a 5-4 game. It was certainly a year to be proud of.
Jeff Kobernus sends O'Dowd into NCS Semi-Finals!
With 6 1/2 innings of one run allowed relief, Jeff Kobernus posted the win in a great team effort come from behind win. Down 4-0 in the 1st inning, the Dragons out scored Deer Valley 11-1 behind clutch hitting by many players including Justin Riche, David Williams and great baserunning of Chris Hopkins.
The Dragons now face #1 De La Salle on Wednesday.
Dragons Beat Logan in Round #1 of NCS
Behind the pitching of Tyson Ross and Rob Howard, the Dragons won the 1st round of NCS over James Logan High of Union City 6-4. The defensive player of the game was 3rd baseman Daniel Poniatowski who made several defensive gems. Eric Walterhouse's 2 out bases clearing double was one of the key hits of the game to go along with the 2 hit games of both Chris Cobb, Chris Hopkins. Chris Perri and Daniel Poniatowski also provided key hits to open up the game early in O'Dowds favor.
The Dragons now play Deer Valley which beat Monte Vista 2-1. This game will be played at O'Dowd on Friday at 5 p.m.
Dragons Clinch Back to Back HAAL Baseball Titles
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| Staff Ace Tyson Ross led the Dragons to many wins. | |
The Dragons have posted four 20+ win seasons in the last 6 years. Congratulations to all Dragon players and coaches for this tremendous accomplishment.
Title Clinching Article in Montclarion
Walterhouse Record Year - San Francisco Chronicle
Player Spotlight: Catcher Justin Riche
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His work as the battery mate with the pitchers has produced a league leading 1.64 ERA, the best ERA in school history.
According to Coach Kaufman, "Justin brings a strong work ethic to both the practices and the games. He plays the game the way it is supposed to be played. He is a good teammate, a very coachable player and is a true Dragon".
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Dragons Baseball Receives National Honor
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| From National Baseball Coaches Association Newspaper March 19, 2004 | |
Bash Brothers at BOD
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| Dragon P/1B Tyson Ross | |
and are expected to put tremendous pressure on opposing pitchers.
David Williams and Tyson Ross share many of the same attributes and it is obvious why they are good friends. "They both take the game very seriously, are hard workers both on and off the field, are excellent team players and are extremely coachable." according to Coach Joel Kaufman.
Tyson has improved so much in his two years at our school. He is now the projected starter on the mound and hits in the cleanup spot in the batting order. He has drawn interest from many of the top baseball colleges already.
David has become an all around player through hard work. Although always a good hitter (2nd in batting order), the dividends of his work have paid off as he is now an excellent outfielder. David has already been accepted into the prestigious Stanford All-Star camp this summer.
"These two players are pivotal for us to achieve our goals this year...they thrive on the pressure of leading O'Dowd to the next level."
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| Dragon LF David Williams |
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Var/JV/Frosh 2004 Schedules are Complete
The Schedules are now complete for the 3 Dragon teams. Coach Kaufman feels he has put together the most competitive schedule for all 3 teams in O'Dowd history. The non-league schedule does not include any team with a losing record.
Captain Eric Walterhouse Commits to USF
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Eric has been the driving force for the Bishop O'Dowd Dragon baseball team the last two years according to Coach Kaufman.
He was a 1st team All-League Player the past two years as a Pitcher/1st baseman and Outfielder.
He has led O'Dowd the past two years in homeruns and RBI's.
Eric has just completed surgery which moved a nerve from his arm into a different location so that it would not be irritated from the throwing motion. If Eric returns to the mound as we expect, look for O'Dowd to lead the HAAL in pitching in 2004.
We look for a strong senior year from Eric both offensively, defensively and on the mound to lead us towards an NCS championship run.
Montclarion/CC Times Article on Eric Walterhouse
Oakland Tribune/Daily Review Article on Eric Walterhouse
USF Don's Recruits
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Speed and Defense: Hopkins looks for Big Senior Year
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| Speed and Defense are Chop's game | |
to Chris Hopkins. Just watch him run down footballs
too as he led all O'Dowd wide receivers and most of the
Bay Area in yardage after catches.
But he is outright dangerous in a baseball uniform.
Ground balls hit to third become basehits. Balls in
the gap are rundown by him with Willie Mays like grace.
Look for this senior outfielder to make his stamp on
the O'Dowd outfield this season.
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| 2002 Dragon Captain Zach Blatteis picks up 1st win of 2004 at Hawaii Pacific |
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2002 Dragon Zach Blatteis picks up Win for Hawaii Pacific
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A Great Dragon Div I Moment
USD Freshman Steven Singleton batting with opposing Cal Poly Junior Catcher Jon Marshall catching. Jon Marshall was the JV Catcher for Coach Joel and moved up with him as the Varsity Catcher.
One of Jon's greatest moments as a Dragon was the tie-breaking Grand Slam Jon hit against Moreau Catholic in the bottom of the 6th, to lead O'Dowd to back to back HAAL championships. One of Stephen's greatest moments was the 3-run walkoff homer against De La Salle on a 0-2, 2 out pitch in the bottom of the 7th.
Jon and Steven are 2 of the best Dragons in the decade and will surely be contributors to their college baseball programs.
Dragons: Postseason All-League Awards
1st Team All League:
Bryce Mendonca, SS
Chris Hopkins, CF
David Williams, LF
Eric Waltehouse, 1B
Tyson Ross, P
2nd Team All League:
Justin Riche, C
Pitcher of the Year:
Tyson Ross
Player of the Year:
Eric Walterhouse
Coach of the Year:
Joel Kaufman