Grimes did have a great year for the Apaches and is very deserving, but Morgan Barchan led the team in every offensive catagory and was the catalyst for Arcadia. In addition, she had 20 stolen bases AND lead the team in home runs as a lead off slapper. This kid is fun to watch.

you guys might want to think about melissa vega for all league? she has the best era for rhl. and alex aguirre isn't having that hot of a season. i don't understand the hype on her.

area fan,
you have it right on the money

MICHELLE ESCAMILLA- Player of the year. ( I sure hope Alverno finishes this year!)

INF:

VERONICA GRANT (TC)(a ballplayer), ALEX HILLIER (Maranantha) Defensive wizard at 1st who swings a great bat especially in pressure situations, MUN(SP)Got better as the year went on.Came up big in big games. VIRGEL DE DIOS (Mayfield)super consistent... too bad she was hidden away in weak prep league,LEXI LONG(Monrovia)Put up great numbers in rebuilding year.

OF:

AGUIRRE(TC)another great all around athlete out of TC,Barchan(Arcadia)small package but comes to play,

Utility/Misc:

PARADA (SP)Tough competitor who brings it.
GRIMES (Arcadia)essentially carried an average team.
TRIPOLI (LaSalle)that kid can hit!
KIMMIE SOMMERS (maranatha) Powerful!

you forgot Katie Tripoli from La Salle

1st Team:

Player of the year-Michelle Escamilla (Alverno)
Coach of the year - KC Matthews (LaCanada)

Pitcher - Michelle Escamilla (Alverno)throws hard and is very consistent
Pitcher - Nicole Parada (South Pasadena)can have her off days but when she is on she is on
Catcher - Lexi Long (monrovia)has hit well over .500 all year and nothing gets by her
Utility - Kaitlin Ellingsworth (Temple City)pitches plays infield and swings a good stick
Infielder - Veronica Grant (Temple City)
Infielder - Tiffiny Rubin (Keppel)one of the best hitters i've seen
Infielder - Michelle Mun (South Pasadena)great glove even better bat
Infielder - Dusty Gibbs (Arcadia)plays shortstop well very quick
Outfielder - Alex Aguirre-Chavez (Temple City)excelent speed and anything hit near her she will make the play. dives does everything an outfielder should do
Outfielder - Sarah Barchan (Arcadia)quick and swings a good bat for a lefty
Outfielder - Marnie Hillier (Maranantha)

2nd Team:

Pitcher: Jessica Ferri (Flintridge Sacred Heart)
Pitcher: Lauren O, Leary (LaCanada)
Catcher: Caitlen grimes(Arcadia)
Utility: Kimmie Sommers (Maranantha)
Infielder: Amanda Mowry (Alverno)
Infielder: Shelby Gogreve (South Pasadena)
Infielder: Katrina Skogsberg (South Pasadena)
Infielder: Amy Vergel DeDios (Mayfield)
Outfielder: Kylie Mulligan (LaCanada)
Outfielder: Rebecca Arroyo (Keppel)
Outfielder: Jessica Loicaino (Temple City)

We haven't seen every game, nobody has. But we have seen all the top teams and players. Don't worry, we're not just going by the stats.

Scott,

I guess my point is that calling for input on a blog in some ways can be construed as "helping to decide." Whether it is true or not it may make some people feel like if I plead for someone to be in, that may get them in.

As far as it being political, I am pretty sure that there are teams in the area that get looked at more than others. And there are teams in the area who get a great record by not playing a lot of great teams so they are considered for awards on a different scale than other teams. This from from an outside point of view can be construed as political. But I do think that because of the unreliable state of statistics on maxpreps and the limited ability for the paper to see all of the games, it certainly becomes unscientific. But it is OK and not to much weight should be put on it and that is what I am trying to say.

I do not mean to say that you do not do a good job, because I think you do, but I do mean to say that who you decide is All Area does not necessarilly reflect who is the best at that position. There is plenty room for error with the information that is available.

I don't hate the forum, I just dislike what it was starting to become, people pleading for recognition. Plus I think the real test for a lot of the teams and players is CIF where everything is watched at a clutch time. For instance what if a candiddate for Player of the Year goes out in the first couple of rounds and someone unexpected takes their team to a CIF championship? Shouldn't that person be the player of the year. (And that is not directed to anyone specifically.)

Who said anything about using a blog to decide? It's about getting opinions on players. And I can assure you that the selections are far from political.

This is where using a blog in helping to decide who wins individual high school awards becomes a slippery slope.

I would suggest that whoever is pleading for an individual to win an award realize that it is probably not helping the kid and they should also realize that the PSN All Area Team is largely political or at best unscientific.

The problem is that there is no way in the world that anybody could or should criticize the kid to prove the "pleader" wrong. But, the last posts naturally call for that sort of response from other kid's relatives or fans who may want the award for the kid who they like. My suggestion is that the "pleader" puts in his or her suggested list and let that be the end of it for the good of the kid.

If you had any doubt in Kylie Mulligan being selected as "All Area" all you had to do was watch her yesterday against South Pasadena. She was everywhere in Center Field. She even ran into the fence to take away a home run from South Pasadena. What you don't know is that kid is playing hurt. She is tough and great. She also had two hits again yesterday to help her team.

Kylie Mulligan should be first team outfield - she is the best player on a team with a lot of good players and are in second place in the RHL. I think she leads the team in almost every offensive catagory and will play anywhere she is needed. Always positive and never has a bad word to say about anyone. All League as a freshman - as a junior she desreves to be All Area.

SP 6 - LC 4

That sets up the La Canada vs San Marino game on Thursday for second place in the RHL.

Big games in the prep league this week.

Poly took care of Chadwick and plays Flint Prep tomorrrow and Thursday, If they split them they are tied for first. Mayfield needs one of the teams to sweep so that they can get a tie for second now that they lost to RHP.

What happened in the Alhambra-Montebello game today?

Scott,

In our area, who do you think will go the furthest in their respective CIF playoffs? Maybe a new thread, In my opinion, CIF playoffs should help determine the All Area selections.

what about alex hillier from Maranantha? and Katie Tripoli from La Salle

I had Barchan listed as first team, I accidentally called her Sarah.

Arcadia has a centerfielder, Morgan Barchan, who may be the best outfielder I have seen in a long time. Not only that, she is a leadoff slapper batting over .500 and leads her team with 4 home runs. First team for sure.

I have to admit, I find this a very difficult question. The stats that are available are, well, a bit 'soft'. And, watching a single game, or even a couple of games, does not always give one a clear picture of a player.

Michelle Escamilla has been exceptional in the two games I've seen her. But, to be fair, several of the Prep League teams have had very credible outings against Alverno, and two of the top three teams in that league are relying heavily on freshmen pitching.

For example, Mayfield freshman Katie Clancy gave up just one earned run to Alverno, and that run was a missed tag away from being elliminated.

Poly freshmen Stephanie Tercero gave up four earned runs to Alverno, but three were late in the game during tournament play.

If Escamilla is player of the year, then I would say that players that have done well against her all deserve a look. As two posters have noted, Mayfield's Amy Vergel De Dios (SR) did well, as did Poly's Megan Latta (Soph).

Latta brings up the age old question of offense vs. defense. Her offensive production and plate coverage are impressive, but she has struggled with the glove at SS in the three games I have seen her.

But, again, defense can be hard to judge in just a game or two. For example, chkyrslf has Alverno's catcher Sarah Trevino among his picks, and she was one of yours last year. But, while I think catchers should always be given some credit for handling exceptional pitchers, she made two costly throwing errors in the two games in which I saw her and was saved from a third. Her OPS appears solid, but several catchers Prep and Rio Hondo are putting up similiar (slightly better actually) offensive numbers. And I have seen two of them put up some outstanding defensive plays (ex. teammates' mental and physical errors converted into outs).

I would agree with chkyrslf that Matthews has seemingly done a very good job in reshaping the La Canada program.

Sorry I don't have more to add! As I said, it is a hard question for me to answer. But thank you for asking it!

CIF-Deciding week of games:

Both Keppel and Alhambra need wins to decide second place in the Almont league.

Big game today to help decide second place in the Rio Hondo League. If South Pasadena beats LaCanada that will force LaCanada to beat San Marino on Thursday. LaCanada has lost six of their last ten games (3 in a row) and South Pasadena has won eight of their last ten games (5 of their last six.) Temple City already has first.

The Prep League is wild:

Poly plays Flintridge Prep twice this week and Mayfield has two relatively easy games to finish the season against Webb and RHP. It is a jump ball, Mayfield could win the league for the second year in a row and Westridge is probably out.

Arcadia will have to beat Crescenta Valley on Thursday to get a chance to go to CIF unless Burroughs loses to Pasadena and Burbank, (which is unlikely.)

Here we go:

(By the way, I am a big fan of seeing how things shape up for and in CIF before decisions are made. Most sports wait until the playoffs are well underway before awards are decided.)

1st Team:

Player of the year-Michelle Escamilla (Alverno)
Coach of the year - KC Matthews (LaCanada)

Pitcher - Michelle Escamilla (Alverno)
Pitcher - Nicole Parada (South Pasadena)
Catcher - Caitlin Grimes (Arcadia)
Utility - Kaitlin Ellingsworth (Temple City)
Infielder - Veronica Grant (Temple City)
Infielder - Tiffiny Rubin (Keppel)
Infielder - Michelle Mun (South Pasadena)
Infielder - Dusty Gibbs (Arcadia)
Outfielder - Alex Aguirre-Chavez (Temple City)
Outfielder - Sarah Barchan (Arcadia)
Outfielder - Marnie Hillier (Maranantha)

2nd Team:

Pitcher: Jessica Ferri (Flintridge Sacred Heart)
Pitcher: Lauren O, Leary (LaCanada)
Catcher: Sarah Trevino (Alverno)
Utility: Kimmie Sommers (Maranantha)
Infielder: Amanda Mowry (Alverno)
Infielder: Shelby Gogreve (South Pasadena)
Infielder: Katrina Skogsberg (South Pasadena)
Infielder: Amy Vergel DeDios (Mayfield)
Outfielder: Kylie Mulligan (LaCanada)
Outfielder: Rebecca Arroyo (Keppel)
Outfielder: Jessica Loicaino (Temple City)

I'm not sure you should leave Kylie Mulligan off the All Area list as she has played center field as good as any player in the area and short stop for the second place Spartans. Batting third on a second place team can't hurt.

All around player it would be hard to find a better one.

Kage, if that post was meant for me, please read the top of the post. It's last year's list. Thanks.

Kelsey Duling doesn't even attend Gabrielino anymore. She graduated last year......nice research.

Jenny Oliveres ss from Alhambra hitting over .600 and is very aggressive in the field and her teammate Cherish Heaton one of the best defensive catchers around and is hitting over .500

Why does the player of the year always have to be a pitcher?

Mark Keppel-Inf, Tiffany Rubin, OF- Brittani Hirose and Rebecca Arroyo

I would nominate Amy Vergel De Dios of the Mayfield Cubs. I know that the Pasadena Star News does not cover the Prep League much, but there are definitely some outstanding players, and Amy is one of them.

Amy is a quality 2B and has a fantastic bat. She was 2 for 3 against Michelle Escamilla and has only 2 K's in 57 plate appearances. Overall she is batting .490 with a .706 slugging pct.

Amy is a Senior on her way to Villanova next fall.