Staff photo by Sarah Reingewirtz

Player of the year: Elise McCarthy, Monrovia, senior
Speed has always been a key cog in the arsenal of Monrovia High School softball standout Elise McCarthy, but nobody knew it would ever take her this far.
If it’s possible, McCarthy got even faster this season. She did so by joining the Wildcats’ track and field team and the results on the softball field were downright amazing.
After hitting a eye-popping .667, scoring 32 runs and going a perfect 18-for-18 in stolen base attempts, McCarthy is the Star-News’ softball Player of the Year.

Full details, profiles and photos, go to: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/sports/20140617/star-news-softball-all-area-monrovias-elise-mccarthy-named-player-of-the-year

Coach of the year: Dave Guzman, Monrovia
First team
Pitcher: Adrienne Guerra, Monrovia, senior
Pitcher: DeeDee Logan, Pasadena Poly, junior
Catcher: Olivia Lam, La Canada, junior
Infield: Olivia Leyva, La Canada, senior
Infield: Kennedy Cribbs, La Salle, senior
Infield: Kellie Natham, Maranatha, junior
Infield: Katy Lee, La Canada, senior
Outfield: Beverlee Valerio, La Salle, senior
Outfield: Sierra Singer, Temple City, junior
Outfield: Derek Blow, Monrovia, senior
Utility: Alexis Parker, Rio Hondo Prep, senior
Second team
Pitcher: Anjelica Amezquita, Maranatha, senior
Pitcher: Paula Damas, La Salle, sophomore
Catcher: Caitlyn Callahan, San Marino, senior
Infield: Kelly Crowley, San Marino, sophomore
Infield: Jazmin Lewis, Temple City, senior
Infield: Brooke Mann, Monrovia, junior
Infield: Kinsley Washington, La Salle, freshman
Outfield: Brenna Gay, La Canada, senior
Outfield: Allison Lee, San Marino, senior
Outfield: Yeram Park, Arcadia, senior
Utility: Cassie Baca, South Pasadena, junior

Photo by Walt Mancini

Full details at: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/sports/20140616/star-news-all-area-baseball-alhambras-marcos-briones-named-mvp-san-marinos-mack-paciorek-earns-coach-honors

Player of the year: Marcos Briones, Alhambra, Sr.
They won’t soon forget about Marcos Briones around Alhambra High School. The record books make that a certainty.
Briones just recently wrapped up a prep baseball career, the feats of which surely won’t be repeated any time soon. For this season, though, he was a force both on the mound and at the plate.
After posting a minuscule 0.40 ERA in 70 2/3 innings pitched, winning nine games and saving four others, and hitting .333 with 16 RBIs and 15 runs scored, Briones is the Star-News Player of the Year.
Coach of the year: Mack Paciorek, San Marino
Not many coaches could lose their ace during nonleague and then proceed to win a league championship. That’s exactly what Paciorek did at San Marino this spring. The Titans lost pitcher Jeff Bain to injury during nonleague and still went on to win the Rio Hondo League championship. It was the school’s first league title in baseball since 1997. Paciorek never let his team skip a beat en route to winning 19 games and a CIF playoff game before a narrow loss to Oaks Christian in the second round of the playoffs.
First team
Pitcher: Miles Glazier, San Marino, Jr.
Pitcher: David Orndorff, Pasadena Poly, Sr.
Catcher: Max Warren, San Marino, Sr.
Infielder: Tyler Spitzer, San Marino, Jr.
Infielder: Zack Bern, Pasadena Poly, Sr.
Infielder: Nick Carino, Monrovia, Sr.
Infielder: Fernando Rosales, Arcadia, Jr.
Outfield: Kyle Cuellar, La Salle, So.
Outfield: Sumner Smith, Pasadena, Jr.
Outfield: Juan Quinonez, Monrovia, Jr.
Utility: Frankie Garriola, Pasadena, Jr.
Second team
Pitcher: Nick Esparza, Monrovia, Sr.
Pitcher: James Giambalvo, Alhambra, Jr.
Catcher: Johnny Selsor, La Canada, Sr.
Infielder: Andrew Prieto, Alhambra, Jr.
Infielder: Gabe Juarez, Temple City, Jr.
Infielder: Joey Harmon, Arcadia, Sr.
Infielder: Calvin Christiansen, Pasadena, Sr.
Outfield: David Saldate, Alhambra, Sr.
Outfield: Max Heefner, Maranatha, Jr.
Outfield: Kyle Beerman, Pasadena Poly, Sr.
Utility: Brendan McKiernan, Flintridge Prep, Sr.

Pasadena Poly baseball coach Wayne Ellis, who led the Panthers to the CIF-Southern Section Division 6 semifinals, has resigned after 27 years. He will remain an on-campus teacher.
The Panthers have won 25 out of the last 27 Prep League titles, including 19 consecutive league titles. They won a CIF-Southern Section Division 6 title in 2011, defeating Oxford Academy, 10-0, in the title game. The Panthers went 25-2-1 and he was the division’s coach of the year.
“The kids who showed up for practice are the ones we’ve gone with and it turned out that they played baseball the right way,” Ellis said of his teams.
Ellis, who was a basketball coach at Marshall High School, came to Poly in 1987 to coach the baseball team. He was hired by his brother, then-athletic director Chuck Ellis.
“Baseball was my first love and passion,” Wayne Ellis said.
His 2007 team, which went to the the semifinals, featured pitcher Rob Rasmussen, who plays for the Toronto Blue Jays.
“A lot of quality baseball players and a lot of quality teams have come out of Poly during Coach Ellis’ tenure and he deserves much of the credit for that,” Rasmussen said. “His passion for the game allows him to make the game fun for his players and has truly helped to grow the love for the game at Poly during his time. I’m very happy and proud to say that I played for Wayne and that I was able to help continue the winning tradition that he started.”
His 2008 team also went to the CIF-SS semifinals.
Ellis said his biggest accomplishment was that all but two of his players have been part of a Prep League championship team.
He finishes with a career record of 470-143-4, including a 252-36 record at home.

St. Francis High School baseball coach Aaron Milam will turn in his resignation as baseball coach on Tuesday.
Milam announced his decision on Monday.
He coached the Golden Knights for three years. He was a St. Francis assistant coach for the previous eight years.
St. Francis, playing in the tough Mission League, won only four of its 36 league games in those years. The Knights gradually improved every season, finishing 9-18 overall this season.
St. Francis did well out of Mission League play, defeating Temple City three times and Walnut once. The Knights lost their season opener, 3-2, to Monrovia.
Milam finishes with a 22-58 record.
“My decision to leave is both personal and professional and does not reflect a change in my opinion of the school, its administration, employees, or its students,” he said. “I have been employed by St. Francis High School since 2004, a greater part of my adult life, and have the utmost esteem for its mission.”
He will remain as the Arroyo Seco Saints coach during the summer.

Diamond Ranch’s John Picazo (#13) tries for a fly ball as they play in the annual San Gabriel Valley All-Star Game at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut on Monday June 9, 2014. (Photo by Keith Durflinger/San Gabriel Valley Tribune)

By Stephen Ramirez
steve.ramirez@langnews.com
@SteveRRamirez on Twitter
WALNUT — The Red team has held the advantage over its Blue counterparts in the annual San Gabriel Valley All-Star baseball game.
Until now.
The Blue team, which hadn’t won since 2006, broke the streak Monday at Mt. San Antonio College.
Diamond Bar’s Alek Jimenez beat out a ground ball for an RBI single in the second inning and Charter OaK’s Kory Brown and Monrovia’s Nick Esparza had RBIs in a three-run sixth to lead the Blue to a 4-3 victory before an over-flow crowd at Mazmanian Field.
“We definitely were thinking (of the streak),” said Esparza, who was game MVP. “I came out here wanting to win, have fun.”

The Red team tied it at 1-1 in the sixth, but Blue scored three runs in the bottom of the inning for a 4-1 advantage. Los Altos’ James Mendez led off with a single and the Blue then loaded the bases on back-to-back fielding errors. Charter Oak’s Kory Brown hit a sacrifice fly to right for a 2-1 lead. Esparza singled with two outs for a 3-1 advantage and a wild pitch made it 4-1.
“I was just trying to get an RBI there and break the game open,” Esparza said. “I got it done.”
La Canada’s Johnny Selsor doubled in two runs with two outs in the top of the eighth to cut the lead to 4-3. Diamond Bar’s Chris Sanchez struck out Baldwin Park’s Christian Barraza to end the threat.
The Blue earlier took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Pasadena’s Alex Baer singled with one out, stole second and scored on an infield hit by Diamond Bar’s Alek Jimenez. Baer was running on the play and scored easily as Jimenez beat the throw to first.
The Red tied it in the sixth. La Canada’s Justin Lewis led off with a single and Shun Tsunoda followed with an infield single, but a three-base throwing error allowed Lewis to score, with Tsunoda taking third.
La Salle’s Jordan Rodgers got the next three batters to keep the game tied at 1-1.
Former area coaches Kevin Smith of South Hills and John Romano of Nogales were inducted into the San Gabriel Valley Coaches Hall of Honor before the game.
Smith, now head coach at Mt. SAC, won almost 500 games and two CIF-Southern Section titles in a 35-year career.
Romano, who retired at Nogales this season after 37 years in coaching, won 635 games, including 621 with the Nobles.
Game awards were received by Diamond Ranch’s John Picazo (Defensive MVP), La Verne Lutheran’s Layne Henderson (Pitching MVP), La Canada’s Selsor (Most valuable hitter) and Esparza (MVP).