Ventura Baseball Game to Feature All-Stars but Not Young

Although the Ventura County Baseball Coaches Assn.’s All-Star Game is intended to showcase the area’s finest senior talent, today’s contest will not include the county’s top player.

Rio Mesa High shortstop Dmitri Young, who was selected fourth overall by the St. Louis Cardinals in Monday’s amateur draft, has declined an invitation to play with the North team. The game will start at 1 p.m. at Moorpark College.

Young batted .488 during his four-year career and finished with the second-highest career hit total (159) in the state.

“He wanted to take some time off,” said Larry Young, Dmitri’s father. “He has a lot of things he wants to work on on his own.”

The nine-inning game will feature three players who were selected in Monday’s draft.

The North team, coached by Santa Paula’s Mark Magdaleno and Oxnard’s Tony Diaz, is led by Channel Islands center fielder Jacob Cruz. Cruz, who batted .443 with eight homers, was taken in the 40th round by the California Angels but intends to honor his letter-of-intent with Arizona State.

The South team is led by Simi Valley pitcher-shortstop Brian Vasey, Thousand Oaks second baseman Ryan Kritscher, Westlake center fielder Rob Neal and Camarillo shortstop Mike Muncy.

Muncy, who has signed with Arizona State, was drafted in the 10th round by the New York Yankees. Neal, who batted .407 this past season, was selected in the 14th round by the Minnesota Twins.

Vasey, who was 10-1 with a 2.09 earned-run average and batted .460, led Simi Valley to the Marmonte League title. Kritscher batted .446 and stole 36 bases.

Thousand Oaks right-hander Mike Lee, who was 6-1 with a 1.42 ERA, will start for the South. Lee has signed with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Another standout on the North team is Rio Mesa first baseman Mike Mitchell, who led the Spartans with a .457 batting average and will attend UCLA on a scholarship in the fall. Buena left-hander Jon Cooper, who was 4-1 with a 3.60 ERA, is expected to start for the North.

Today’s winner will meet an all-star team from West L. A. next Sunday at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium.