By: Steve Sitter & Clinton Cole
PALM SPRINGS, Calif – Rosters have been announced for the 2017 SCCBL All-Star Game and Home Run Derby, hosted at Palm Springs Stadium.
All six SCCBL teams will have at least six representatives on the two teams. The teams will be divided into East and West All-Stars. The Palm Springs POWER, SoCal Bombers, and Riverside Bulldogs will represent Team East, and the San Diego Force, Inland Valley Bucs, and Arroyo Seco Sentinels will represent Team West.
Directly preceding the All-Star Game will be the Home Run Derby, and will feature one player from each team in a two-round contest to determine the 2017 SCCBL home run king. The participants are Ryan Mota (POWER, 9 HRs), Jimmy Smith (Bombers, 3 HRs), Pierson Loska (Bulldogs, 2 HRs), Tanner Pinkston (Force, 3 HRs), Christian Lyman (Bucs, 2 HRs), and River Fawley (Sentinels, 0 HRs).
There will be plenty of players to look for during the All-Star Game, as well. Cody Ducote (University of New Orleans), representing the POWER, enters the game with a .481 batting average, twenty-two RBIs, and twenty-nine runs scored. Aaron Meers (Neosho CC), representing the Bombers, comes in with a .362 batting average and a 1.124 OBPS. Loska (Cypress College) has a .429 batting average to go along with his two home runs. Avery Tuck (San Diego State) of the Force, a 2016 Houston Astros draft pick, has a .419 batting average and a 1.099 OBPS. Hayden Pearce (Cal State San Bernardino), in twenty innings pitched, has a 1.80 ERA with a 25-2 strikeout to walk ratio. Brandon Posivak (Lafayette College) of the Sentinels enters with a .600 slugging percentage.
The Home Run Derby will begin at 6:05 PM, to be followed immediately by the All-Star Game. Tickets can be purchased at the gate of Palm Springs Stadium the day of the event.
HR DERBY PARTICIPANTS
Power…………Ryan Mota
Bombers…….Jimmy Smith
Bulldogs…… Pierson Loska
Force………….Tanner Pinkston
Bucs…………..Christian Lyman
Sentinels…….River Fawley
East All-Stars
POWER:
#1 Billy Johnson (OF) (York College)
#5 Cody Ducote (DH) (University of New Orleans)
#7 Taylor Grace (3B) (Michigan State)
#8 Skyler Hunter (SS/OF) (Purdue)
#14 John Mauldin (OF) (University of New Orleans)
#15 Hayden Schilling (SS) (University of New Mexico)
#16 Jordan Dreibelbis (RHP) (Vanguard University)
#24 Bryan Menendez (RHP) (UNLV)
#28 Taylor Meilleur (C) (St. Mary’s College)
#30 Jacob Rebar (LHP) (University of Utah)
#36 Sawyer Gipson-Long (RHP) (Mercer University)
#37 Ryan Mota (DH) (Cal Baptist)
Bombers:
#5 Andrew Miner (RHP) (Brigham Young University)
#6 Joey Magro (INF) (Biola University)
#8 Logan Frye (LHP) (University of La Verne)
#21 Aaron Meers (OF) (Neosho CC)
#22 Chris Sandberg (C) (Mount San Antonio College)
#23 Connor Shepherd (3B/OF) (Florida International)
#30 Anthony Villegas (RHP) (Biola University)
#35 Jimmy Smith (OF) (Central Wash. University)
Bulldogs
#2 Jesse Villalobos (UTIL) (Citrus College)
#3 Jacob Castillo (P, 1B) (MSAC)
#9 Zack Bowman (INF) (Saddleback College)
#10 Joel Avina (RHP) (Bethesda University)
#19 Max Mirkovich (OF) (University of Rhode Island)
#22 Connor McCollum (RHP) (Cypress College)
#24 Pierson Loska (1B/LF) (Cypress College)
West All-Stars
Force:
#12 Haruto Nakano (UTIL) (Chigasaki, Kanagawa, Japan)
#13 Carl Schwettmann (OF) (Palomar College)
#14 Byron Smith (C) (Point Loma Nazarene)
#19 Don Roethler (UTIL) (Shasta College)
#24 Avery Tuck (OF) (San Diego State)
#26 Logan Cordeiro (INF) (University of Antelope Valley)
#30 Tanner Pinkston (1B) (Cal State Fullerton)
#31 Brandon Bentson (P) (CSU San Marcos)
#32 Matt Bergandi (RHP) (Fresno Pacific)
#42 Brad Moreno (P) (San Diego Mesa)
#50 Connor Martin (DH) (College of St. Joseph)
Bucs:
#3 Jacob Castillo (So) – MSAC (RHP)
#10 Adrian Guzman (RHP) (Citrus College)
#11 Jordan Hernandez (OF)
#16 Hayden Pearce (RHP) (Cal St San Bernardino)
#20 Joey Riherd (C) (University of Pacific)
#35 Aaron McCann (1B) (Point Loma University)
#41 Austin Nazabal (RHP) (Cal St LA)
Sentinels:
#2 Johnny Malott (OF) (Cincinnati)
#4 Brandon Posivak (OF) (Lafayette College)
#5 Brock Bell (3B) (Cal State Northridge)
#8 River Fawley (C) (Biola University)
#10 Froy Smith (2B) (Hawaii Pacific)
#25 Race Gardner (RHP) (Pasadena City College)
#32 James Giambalvo (RHP) (Glendale CC)
#55 Matt Colomes (OF) (Glendale CC)