Three Providence players earn all-league baseball honors
For four years Thomas Keller and Sean Holt were cornerstones in the success of the Providence High baseball program.
This past season, the senior duo, along with senior Dante Cano, played a large role in keeping the Pioneers in contention for a league championship late into the year. The Pioneers eventually finished second in league behind Buckley.
For their contributions, Keller, Holt and Cano have been named to the singular All-Liberty League team. It is the fourth straight honor for Holt, the third for Keller and the first for Cano.
Keller and Holt also shared the team’s co-most-valuable-player award for the third consecutive season.
Keller, a pitcher/utility paced the Pioneers with a .410 average and had 34 hits, 31 runs scored and a .480 on-base percentage.¿¿ On the mound he was the team’s ace, going 4-1 with a 2.33 earned-run average and 39 strikeouts in 36 innings.
“Thomas has been the catalyst of our offense for four years and he is as solid as it gets on defense,” Providence Coach Steve Knez said. “He averaged 30 runs scored for each of the last three seasons and he scored 106 runs during his high school career. That’s a lot of runs.
“Thomas played the game the right way. I appreciate him for his hard work, focus and hustle.”
Holt, a pitcher/utility was most productive at the plate, finishing with a .373 average with 30 RBI, 28 hits, 22 runs, a .473 OBP and a .600 slugging percentage. He was also 5-4 on the mound with a 1.21 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 53 innings.
“Sean batted third in my lineup for four straight years and he has 124 career RBI,” Knez said. “Sean is as clutch as they come. He was always a threat for an extra-base hit.
“It was fun to watch when he came to the plate with a runner in scoring position.”
Cano, a utility player, hit .377 with 29 hits, 21 RBI, 15 runs and a .430 OBP.
“Dante was deserving of this award on two previous occasions, so it was awesome to finally see him make the all-league team in his senior year,” Knez said. “He carried the offense on his shoulders for the first half of the season. Dante played many roles on offense and defense.”
The only losses Providence (15-2, 8-2 in league) suffered in Liberty League play were to champion Buckley. The Pioneers won their CIF Southern Section Division VI first-round game against St. Margaret’s, 3-2, before falling to eventual semifinalist Flintridge Prep, 4-2.
Three Providence players earn all-league baseball honors
Baseball: Keller, Holt, Cano earn accolades after leading Pioneers to second-place showing in Liberty League.
For four seasons, Thomas Keller and Sean Holt were cornerstones in the success of the Providence High baseball program.
This past season, the senior duo, along with senior Dante Cano, played a large role in keeping the Pioneers in contention for a league championship late into the year. The Pioneers eventually finished second in league behind Buckley.
For their contributions, Keller, Holt and Cano were named to the singular All-Liberty League team. It is the fourth straight honor for Holt, the third for Keller and the first for Cano.
Keller and Holt also shared the team’s co-most-valuable-player award for the third consecutive season.
Keller, a pitcher/utility paced the Pioneers with a .410 average and had 34 hits, 31 runs scored and a .480 on-base percentage. On the mound, he was the team’s ace, going 4-1 with a 2.33 earned-run average and 39 strikeouts in 36 innings.
“Thomas has been the catalyst of our offense for four years and he is as solid as it gets on defense,” Providence Coach Steve Knez said. “He averaged 30 runs scored for each of the last three seasons and he scored 106 runs during his high school career. That’s a lot of runs.
“Thomas played the game the right way. I appreciate him for his hard work, focus and hustle.”
Holt, a pitcher/utility was most productive at the plate, finishing with a .373 average with 30 runs batted in, 28 hits, 22 runs, a .473 OBP and a .600 slugging percentage. He was also 5-4 on the mound with a 1.21 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 53 innings.
“Sean batted third in my lineup for four straight years and he has 124 career RBI,” Knez said. “Sean is as clutch as they come. He was always a threat for an extra-base hit.
“It was fun to watch when he came to the plate with a runner in scoring position.”
Cano, a utility player, hit .377 with 29 hits, 21 RBI, 15 runs and a .430 OBP.
“Dante was deserving of this award on two previous occasions, so it was awesome to finally see him make the all-league team in his senior year,” Knez said. “He carried the offense on his shoulders for the first half of the season. Dante played many roles on offense and defense.”
The only losses Providence (15-2, 8-2 in league) suffered in Liberty League play were to champion Buckley. The Pioneers won their CIF Southern Section Division VI first-round game against St. Margaret’s, 3-2, before falling to eventual semifinalist Flintridge Prep, 4-2.
--
Jeff Tully, jeff.tully@latimes.com
Twitter: @jefftsports