California All-Stars, Once Again, Prevail

Troy Tallman, among the best high school catchers the town of Napa has seen, “had heard of” Roger Burnett, whom folks in Broken Arrow, Okla., will tell you is that state’s finest young pitcher.

The two met this weekend for the 13th baseball series between their states’ top prep stars. And they hit it off, especially when Tallman discovered Burnett had decided to forego the minor leagues in favor of Stanford, where Tallman will be going.

“He’s a nice guy,” Tallman said. “We talked for about 1 1/2 hours.”

But while such a baseball series can foster friendships, when Tallman stepped into the batter’s box in the seventh inning against Burnett Sunday at San Diego State’s Smith Field, “it was like any other at-bat,” he said.

Tallman drove Burnett’s hanging slider about 410 feet to center for a two-run home run in the first game of a doubleheader sweep by the California all-stars. California won the first game, 4-3, and the second, 5-2.

California won the series, 4-1. It has won 11 times in the 13-year series.

“Football is the sport,” drawled the father of Oklahoma pitcher Brent Lablue, who hails from Blackwell, population 8,400.

So when the best prep baseball players in Oklahoma seek ace competition, they often face slim pickins. Or long drives. Schools are often small and scattered.

“They had some good players, some good people,” said Tallman, whose homer made it 3-0. “(The series) was better than a high school tournament. A state championship of American Legion is what it was like. It was a lot of fun.”

Lou Lucca, a third baseman from South San Francisco High who will attend Oklahoma State, was named most valuable player of the series. Sean Rees of Mission Bay drove in a run in the first game, and winner Tony Darden of Diamond Bar allowed only one earned run in the second.