By Steve Ramirez, SGVN
twitter.com/DailyNewsSports
WHITTIER — The area’s best high school baseball and softball players will get one last chance to shine today.
The 16th annual Whittier Rotary Club All-Star Classic, which features the top 40 senior baseball players and the top 38 senior softball players, is today at York Field in Whittier.
The 10th annual softball game, which will feature reigning Daily News Player of the Year Maleena Esparza, of La Habra, is scheduled for 3 p.m.
The 16th annual baseball game, which will feature La Habra’s Aaron Porter and La Serna’s Alex Garcia, is slated for 6 p.m. There also will be a home run derby prior to the baseball game.
“I was fortunate to play in one of the first (all-star games), now I get to coach in it,” said Santa Fe’s Pierre Romo, who will coach the Red baseball stars. “I get to see the kids go through the experience that I went through. It’s a big opportunity for me.
“We want them to go out there and compete, but have fun at the same time. Hopefully, things go our way. It should be a good deal.”
The Reds are led by California outfielder Michael Esparza, who was Del Rio League co-MVP after hitting .342 and leading the Condors to a league title, and La Mirada pitcher/outfielder Ali Anthony, who was 6-4 with a 0.83 ERA and hit .320 with 15 RBIs.
The Reds also feature Cal infielder Michael Davis, who hit .413, and Montebello outfielder Silver Sanchez, who recovered from an injury to hit .432 with 22 RBIs.
The Blue team, coached by El Rancho’s Frank Llanes, is led by La Habra’s Porter and Josh Staumont; La Serna’s Garcia and Jared Wight and El Rancho’s Kevin Rodriguez.
Garcia, Del Rio League co-MVP with Esparza, led the area with nine home runs. He also hit .479 and had 32 RBIs. Porter led the area with 34 RBIs. He also hit .489, with eight home runs and had 11 doubles.
Wight and Staumont were two of the area’s better pitchers. Wight was 7-2 with a 1.24 ERA and earned first-team All-Del Rio League honors, with Staumont going 8-2 with a 2.12 ERA.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to coach these young men,” Llanes said. “They are a very diverse group of guys and (have) tons a talent. To get to coach guys like Alex Garcia, Spencer Long (La Habra), Porter … those guys are just tremendous.
“It’s a great opportunity. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s going to be a great night.”
The softball game is expected to be just as competitive and will feature four players who have signed to play for NCAA Division I colleges.
The group includes La Habra’s Esparza and Shanin Thomas and Whittier Christian’s Mandie Perez, who lead the Red team. Esparza, who has signed with Northern Illinois, hit .545 with an area-best 12 home runs in helping La Habra reach the CIF-Southern Section semifinals for the first time in 30 years.
Thomas, who will play at Michigan State, hit .443 with 26 RBIs. She also scored 34 runs and had two big hits during the playoffs. Perez, who will play at Arizona, hit an area-best .638, with 35 RBIs.
The Reds also feature Cal’s Christina Pantages and El Rancho’s Jamie Ramirez.
St. Paul’s Breana West, who has signed with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, leads the Blue team. West hit .450 with 30 RBIs for the Swordsmen.
The Blues will also feature La Serna infielder AJ Carrasco, who was Del Rio League MVP; Montebello’s Valerie Aguilar, who hit .539 and had 44 RBIs for the Oilers; and the Schurr sister duo of Jaimee and Jessica Rivera.
