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Former Mira Costa High baseball standout Jake Jelmini recently signed a national letter of intent to attend the University of Oregon on a baseball scholarship.
Jelmini was a Daily Breeze all-area player and helped Mira Costa capture the Bay League title in 2010 and played at College of the Canyons last season, where he batted .268 with four home runs, six doubles and 16 RBIs in 123 at-bats overall and .339 with a slugging percentage of .435 in Western State Conference play.
Jelmini will finish his second year this season at College of the Canyons, then matriculate to Oregon in September.
During his junior year at Mira Costa, he hit .400 with three home runs and 33 RBIs. His senior year, Jelmini hit .417 with two home runs and 14 RBIs before his season was cut short due to a freak accident where he had his jaw broken.
"I am humbled with all of it," Jelmini said. "I want to thank my coaches at Mira Costa, I could not have done this without them, not to mention a great bunch of teammates at Mira Costa."

 

   A proposal to create a double-elimination postseason baseball tournament in the CIF Southern Section beginning in 2013 was rejected on Thursday by a vote of 46-26 at the Southern Section Council meeting.

   Some coaches have wanted to replace the single-elimination playoffs with a double-elimination tournament for Divisions I through IV. The San Diego Section has had a double-elimination tournament.

   Concerns about travel costs and adding up to seven additional games for teams in the playoffs were among the reasons it was voted down.

   According to the double-elimination proposal, the regular season would have ended one week earlier to allow for an extra week of playoffs, and there would be single-elimination wild-card games to create a 32-team field for each playoff division.

   Once the field is set, the 32 teams would have been broken into four eight-team brackets, with teams seeded one through eight in each bracket.

   Each eight-team bracket would have played a traditional double-elimination tournament over a two-week period, which would consist of two rounds the first week, and three rounds the second week to determine a champion of each bracket.

   To determine home games, CIF rules would still apply.

   Higher seeds and league champions would host first-round games, and teams with the fewest home games would automatically host subsequent rounds, with coin flips determining tie-breakers when both teams have had the same number of home games.

   Once teams reached the championship game, the team that advanced without a loss would automatically host the championship of each bracket, and a second game if needed.
Once the semifinalists were determined, the semifinal and championship rounds would have been a best-of-3 to determine the champion.

   In the current format, a team must win five consecutive games to win a championship. In a double-elimination, it could take as many as 12 games or as few as eight games to win a title.

   If the proposal were adopted, one of the downsides was there likely would not have been championship games at Dodger or Angel Stadium for the top four divisions.
Instead, the semifinalists and finalists would have agreed on a neutral site to play the best-of-3, which most likely would be at a community college or high school capable of supporting a large crowd.

   The San Gabriel Valley Tribune's Fred J. Robledo contributed to this story.

An 18U South Bay club team, the Priority Baseball Outlaws, dropped its first three games of the Perfect Game/Evoshield National Championships in Scottsdale, Ariz., Friday and Saturday, but gained valuable experience and big exposure.
The Outlaws lost to the Arizona Valley Dogs, 4-0; MVP Baseball 12-9; and ABD Boxers 8-1. Here's a rundown of how the games went:

Game 1: Arizona Valley Dogs 4, Outlaws 0: Teddy Kerwin (sitting at mid-80s with his fastball) hurled a complete game, allowing only two earned runs, while only giving up four hits and striking out six against one of Arizona's top teams. Jack Canady and Vince Medina each went 2 for 3. In the first inning, the Outlaws had a chance to take control of the game with runners on first and second no outs, but Wolfie Tash lined into a double play.
"Teddy pitched great and kept their hitters guessing," Outlaws coach Mike Debelak said. "He just made two bad pitches. He has really dominated this summer and fall against some very good teams. We had plenty of opportunities to score, but we just didn't cash in."

Game 2: MVP Baseball 12, Outlaws 9: Matt Jarvis went 2 for 2 and Canady had a triple and three RBIs, but the Outlaws made five errors, which led to six unearned runs.
" We can't give teams 13 free base runners and expect to win," Debelak said. "No one can. We had no business losing this game."

Game 3: ABD Boxers 8, Outlaws 1: Canady dazzled scouts on the mound and at the plate. His fastball sat in the mid-80s and his off-speed pitches were effective. At the plate he went 2 for 3 with a double. Jarvis knocked in the only run. The game was tied at 1-1 in the fourth when a base running mistake ending the inning with two runners on.
Canady led off the next inning with a double that would have easily scored both runners the previous inning and given the Outlaws the lead. Instead, the Boxers took advantage and scored four runs, with the big blow being a three-run double by their third baseman.
"Many schools were in attendance and stuck around to see Canady pitch and hit," Debelak said. "His off-speed stuff was nasty and really made some good hitters look bad. This was another game where we were just a couple of pitches away from winning. We had beat the Boxers earlier this summer and had a lot of confidence going in, but for some reason we couldn't get the timely hits."
Despite the losses, the tournament has been great for the Outlaws.
"I am happy that our players are getting to play in front of a lot of college coaches," Outlaws coach Mike Debelak said. "The exposure here is awesome. We've had coaches from many different universities attend our games. As much as we want to win, the main goal was to expose our players to some college coaches. I'd much rather go 0-3 and have half my guys get college scholarships, than win the whole thing and have them get nothing."

Angelo Gumbs (Torrance High) was hitless but played an error-free second base, as the Single-A Staten Island Yankees swept the Auburn Doubledays, 9-2 and 2-1 in the best-of-3 New York-Pennsylvania League championships, which concluded on Tuesday night.
Bryce Ortega  (Palos  Verdes High) was 1 for 4 with a double for Auburn in a losing cause on Tuesday.
Both players wrapped up solid seasons. Ortega batted .314 with 21 RBIs and 23 stolen bases and Gumbs batted .264 with three homers and 29 RBIs with 11 stolen bases for the Yankees.

The New York-Pennsylvania League championship series matchup is set. On Friday night, the Bryce Ortega-led Auburn Doubledays defeated Vermont 7-2 in Game 3 of the best-of-3 semifinals. On Saturday night, Angelo Gumbs (Torrance High) and the Staten Island Yankees defeated Brooklyn 1-0 in Game 3 of its best-of-3 series.
The teams will meet in the three-game championship series starting Monday at Auburn.
Ortega (Palos Verdes High), playing shortstop for the Doubledays, was 2 for 4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored in Game 3.
Gumbs, playing second base for Staten Island, was 0 for 2 with a walk in Game 3 for the Yankees.
To follow the championship series, visit http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/index.jsp?sid=l127.

A few South Bay baseball players ended up in the New York-Pennsylvania League this summer, and a pair currently are still going in the playoffs.
The NYPL is a Single-A short-season league, which is where Palos Verdes High's Bryce Ortega, Torrance High's Angelo Gumbs and South Torrance High's Vance Albitz all landed.
Ortega, drafted this year in the 41st round by the Washington Nationals out of the University of Arizona, is batting .314 with 23 stolen bases and an OBP of .410 for the Auburn Doubledays, which dropped the first game of a three-game series against Vermont on Tuesday night. They were rained out tonight and will try to resume play on Thursday.
Gumbs, drafted in the second round last year by the New York Yankees out of  Torrance High, is batting .264 with three home runs and 29 RBIs with 11 stolen  bases and 32 runs  in 197 at-bats for Staten Island, which has had its playoff opener rained out two nights in a row. They will try again on Thursday.
Albitz signed with an independent minor league team, the Lincoln Saltdogs, out of UC  San Diego last year. He played most of this season with the Saltdogs, before being picked up by the NYPL's Batavia Muckdogs, an affiliate of the St. Louis  Cardinals. Albitz hit .283 and scored nine runs in 46 at-bats with the Muckdogs, who did not make the playoffs.

   Many of you likely saw the weekend story about recent Serra graduate Marqise Lee being named Cal-Hi Sports' Boys State Athlete of the Year. 

http://www.dailybreeze.com/preps/ci_18588902

   Columnist Mike Waldner also touched on Lee in a column this morning about Lee and his former Serra/current USC teammates George Farmer and Robert Woods.

http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_18606191

   To put in perspective the elite list Lee just joined (and Woods joined the year before), here's the all-time Cal-Hi list, which includes retroactive selections for athletes before the 1978-79 school year.

   El Segundo's Scott McGregor is also on there, but so are the likes of Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams, John Elway, Jason Kidd, Mark Spitz, Greg Louganis, Darryl Strawberry and C.C. Sabathia among a host of others.  Any way you slice it, some pretty elite company for a pair of Cavaliers who appear to have bright futures at USC and beyond.

   Here's the list ...

ALL-TIME BOYS STATE 
ATHLETES OF THE YEAR 
(Selected by Cal-Hi Sports) 

2010-11 - Marqise Lee, Gardena Serra (football, basketball, track) 
2009-10 - Robert Woods, Gardena Serra (football, track) 
2008-09 - Tyler Gaffney, San Diego Cathedral Catholic (football, baseball) 
2007-08 - German Fernandez, Riverbank (cross country, track) 
2006-07 - Mike Stanton, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (football, basketball, baseball) 
2005-06 - Chase Budinger, Carlsbad La Costa Canyon (basketball, volleyball) 
2004-05 - Drew Shiller, Burlingame (football, basketball, baseball) 
2003-04 - Kenny O'Neal, Oakland Skyline (football, track) 
2002-03 - Steve Smith, Woodland Hills Taft (football, basketball, track) 
2001-02 - Aaron Piersol, Newport Beach Newport Harbor (swimming) 
2000-01 - Antwon Guidry, San Jose Leigh (football, basketball, track) 
1999-00 - D.J. Williams, Concord De La Salle (football, track) 
1998-99 - Chris Lewis, Long Beach Poly (football, volleyball) 
1997-98 - C.C. Sabathia, Vallejo (football, basketball, baseball) 
1996-97 - Ken-Yon Rambo, Long Beach Poly (football, track) 
1995-96 - Chris Claiborne, Riverside J.W. North (football, basketball) 
1994-95 - Eric Guerrero, San Jose Independence (wrestling) 
1993-94 - McKay Christensen, Fresno Clovis West (football, baseball) 
1992-93 - Calvin Harrison, Salinas North Salinas (track, basketball) 
1991-92 - Jason Kidd, Alameda St. Joseph (basketball, baseball) 
1990-91 - Rob Johnson, El Toro (football, basketball, baseball) 
1989-90 - Ryan Hancock, Cupertino Monta Vista (football, baseball) 
1988-89 - Lorenzo Neal, Lemoore (football, wrestling) 
1987-88 - Adam Keefe, Irvine Woodbridge (basketball, volleyball) 
1986-87 - LeRon Ellis, Santa Ana Mater Dei (water polo, basketball, track) 
1985-86 - Brian Johnson, Oakland Skyline (football, baseball) 
1984-85 - George Porter, Lompoc Cabrillo (basketball, track) 
1983-84 - John Williams, L. A. Crenshaw (basketball) 
1982-83 - Mike Smith, Hacienda Heights Los Altos (football, basketball, volleyball) 
1981-82 - Jim McCullough, Hemet (football, wrestling) 
1980-81 - Kevin Willhite, Rancho Cordova (football, track) 
1979-80 - Darryl Strawberry, L.A. Crenshaw (basketball, baseball) 
1978-79 - John Elway, Granada Hills (football, baseball) 
1977-78 - Jesse Vasallo, Mission Viejo (swimming) 
1976-77 - Brian Goodell, Mission Viejo (swimming) 
1975-76 - Greg Louganis, El Cajon Valhalla & Santa Ana (diving) 
1974-75 - Bill Cartwright, Elk Grove (basketball) 
1973-74 - Tim Shaw, Long Beach Wilson (water polo, swimming) 
1972-73 - Lonnie Shelton, Bakersfield Foothill (football, track) 
1971-72 - Scott McGregor, El Segundo (baseball) 
1970-71 - Anthony Davis, San Fernando (football, baseball) 
1969-70 - James McAlister, Pasadena Blair (football, track) 
1968-69 - Jeff Burroughs, Long Beach Wilson (football, baseball) 
1967-68 - Mark Spitz, Santa Clara (water polo, swimming) 
1966-67 - Mickey Cureton, Compton Centennial (football) 
1965-66 - Tim Danielson, Chula Vista (track) 
1964-65 - Paul Wilson, Downey Warren (track) 
1963-64 - Don Schollander, Santa Clara (water polo, swimming) 
1962-63 - Tommie Smith, Lemoore (football, basketball, track) 
1961-62 - Forrest Beaty, Glendale Hoover (track) 
1960-61 - Ulis Williams, Compton (track) 
1959-60 - Dennis Ralston, Bakersfield (tennis) 
1958-59 - Dale Story, Orange (track) 
1957-58 - Willie Davis, L. A. Roosevelt (basketball, baseball, track) 
1956-57 - Bill Kilmer, Azusa Citrus (football, basketball, baseball) 
1955-56 - Fred Lacour, S.F. St. Ignatius (basketball) 
1954-55 - Dick Bass, Vallejo (football) 
1953-54 - Don Bowden, San Jose Lincoln (track) 
1952-53 - Ronnie Knox, Santa Monica (football) 
1951-52 - Marty Keough, Pomona (football, basketball, baseball) 
1950-51 - Charlie Powell, San Diego (football, baseball) 
1949-50 - Lang Stanley, L.A. Jefferson (track) 
1948-49 - John Henry Johnson, Pittsburg (football, basketball, track) 
1947-48 - Bob Mathias, Tulare (football, track) 
1946-47 - Bill McColl, San Diego Hoover (football, basketball, baseball) 
1945-46 - George Stanich, Sacramento (basketball, baseball, track) 
1944-45 - Jackie Jensen, Oakland (football, baseball) 
1943-44 - Bill Sharman, Porterville (football, basketball, baseball) 
1942-43 - Glenn Davis, La Verne Bonita (football, baseball) 
1941-42 - Irv Noren, Pasadena (basketball, baseball) 
1940-41 - Tommie Fears, Los Angeles Manual Arts (football) 
1939-40 - Howie Dallmar, San Francisco Lowell (basketball, baseball) 
1938-39 - Jim Jurkovich, Fresno (football, track) 
1937-38 - Frankie Albert, Glendale (football, baseball, tennis) 
1936-37 - Jackie Robinson, Pasadena Muir (football, basketball, baseball) 
1935-36 - Bobby Doerr, Los Angeles Fremont (pro baseball) 
1934-35 - Ted Williams, San Diego Hoover (baseball) 
1933-34 - Hank Luisetti, San Francisco Galileo (basketball) 
1932-33 - Don Budge, Oakland University (tennis) 
1931-32 - Corney Johnson, Los Angeles (track) 
1930-31 - Frank Sobrero, Oakland (football, basketball, baseball) 

Note: List continues back to 1890-91 in the Cal-Hi Sports State Record Book & Almanac. All selections prior to 1978-79 done retroactively through research by our founder, the late Nelson Tennis

MARINE LEAGUE STANDINGS
1. San Pedro    20-6, 6-1
2. Banning       18-9, 6-1
3. Narbonne     19-8, 5-2
4. Carson         5-19, 3-4
5. Gardena       8-17, 1-6
6. Washington  1-12, 0-7

Outlook: San Pedro did itself and Narbonne a favor with its epic 2-0 win over Banning in 13 innings on Tuesday.
Now the league title race is wide open with San Pedro, Banning and Narbonne all with a chance to snag the championship with three league games left for each team.
San Pedro hosts Banning in the second game of the two-game series on Friday afternoon, then finishes with a  two-game series against Carson. So a San Pedro win on Friday could mean the title for the Pirates, who expect to take care of business against five-win Carson.
A Banning victory on Friday would keep the team in the title race going into the last week of the regular season, when the Pilots play Narbonne in a two-game series.
If Banning wins on Friday, which is preferable for both Narbonne and, of course, the Pilots, then the Gauchos need to sweep the Pilots to capture the league championship. Narbonne certainly welcomes the opportunity to go into the last week of the regular season with a chance to win the title. A Banning win over San Pedro on Friday would give Narbonne that chance.

 

PIONEER LEAGUE STANDINGS
1. Torrance          21-5, 7-0
2. North Torrance 13-12, 5-2
3. El Segundo      14-12, 4-3
4. South Torrance 13-13, 4-3
5. Centennial        4-15, 1-6
6. Lawndale          9-11, 0-7

Outlook: Torrance has all but clinched the Pioneer League title. A Torrance win over  Lawndale on Friday and an El Segundo win over  North Torrance would give the Tartars the  title with a week left in the regular season.
If North wins on Friday, it keeps its hopes of winning at least a share of the league title alive, and it finishes with two games against Torrance next week. So North's game on Friday at El Segundo is its biggest game of the season.
South also is in the mix battling for a playoff spot. The Spartans play Centennial on Friday, then finish with two crucial games against El Segundo.
With four strong teams in the league, a wild card is possible for the fourth-place team. But finishing in second or third to guarantee a playoff spot is preferable if you are North, South or El Segundo.

 

Six-time all-star and former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Kenny Lofton is coming to the South Bay to host a charity baseball clinic for kids at the Beach City Baseball facility in El Segundo.
Lofton, who holds the Major League Baseball record for postseason stolen bases and was the American League leader in steals five times, will give tips and suggestions on improving participants' baseball skills and batting form.
Lofton hit .299 with 1,528 runs and 2,428 hits in 17 seasons, doing most of his damage with the Cleveland Indians.
Reserve a spot by calling 310-322-3955. The cost is $200 per person and payment must be made in advance. Beach City Baseball will donate all proceeds from the event to local charities.