Gil Adds Player of Year Honors to an Already-Packed Resume

It’s been a busy week for baseball player Benji Gil. But it has also been the kind of week Gil envisioned when the 1991 high school season began in early March.

After the completion of a 29-game season at Castle Park High, Gil returned to his off-season team in Tijuana for an 11-inning game last Saturday, then played in the annual Jack Taylor Memorial all-star game Sunday night at San Diego State.

Monday morning, Gil was notified that the Texas Rangers had selected him in the first round of the major league amateur draft. Then he rushed off to an awards luncheon at the Hall of Champions.

On Tuesday, he was back on the diamond for a Palomino League game, and Friday afternoon he left for a three-game California North-South all-star series in Fresno.

During the week, he also met with representatives of the Rangers and mailed off his national letter of intent to Miami.

Without mentioning one statistic, is it any wonder Gil has been named the San Diego Section player of the year?

“Yeah, it’s been a busy week,” said Gil, a 6-foot-2 shortstop/pitcher. “But it’s been fun. This is a great honor. There’s a lot of talented guys out there that could have won it. They’re all MVPs in their own rights.”

Gil, however, was clearly the best in 1991.

He batted .443 with seven home runs, 25 runs batted in and 13 stolen bases for a young Castle Park team that finished 20-9 after losing a memorable 1-0 game to Metro Conference rival Montgomery in the 3-A semifinals.

On the mound, Gil was 9-3 with a county-leading 0.58 earned-run average and 125 strikeouts in 73 innings. He walked only 12 batters all season.

He had a no-hitter, in which he struck out 17 and assisted on three of the other four outs, and allowed only two hits in 10 innings of two playoff games.

Gil, second on the section’s all-time hit list, is a three-time selection on the All-Section first team.

The rest of the first team, as selected by seven sports writers from around the county in conjunction with the Hall of Champions, is as follows:

Mike Spears, pitcher, Grossmont, Sr.--Spears, a 5-foot-11, 165-pound left-hander was the Foothillers’ ace. With a 10-0 record and five saves, a 1.61 ERA and 65 strikeouts, Spears was a big reason Grossmont (29-1) captured its second consecutive 2-A championship. In addition to throwing a two-hit shutout against Mission Bay in the final, Spears had a perfect game earlier in the year against Fallbrook. He finished his high school career with a 17-0 mark.

Mike Bovee, pitcher, Mira Mesa, Sr.--In a year without Gil, Bovee probably would have taken player-of-the-year honors. He finished 11-2 with a 1.19 ERA and a county-leading 142 strikeouts in 78 innings. He, too, had a no-hitter this season and allowed only five hits in two complete playoff games, including a three-hit shutout of Montgomery in the 3-A championship. When he wasn’t pitching, Bovee batted cleanup and had a .333 average. On Monday, Bovee was taken in the sixth round of the major league draft by the Kansas City Royals.

Ryan O’Coyne, pitcher, Granite Hills, Sr.--One of the top pitchers in the county over the past three seasons, O’Coyne, a left-hander, was 8-1 with a 2.30 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 76 innings this season and led the Eagles (17- 10-1) to the Grossmont 3-A League championship and into the 3-A semifinals. He also hit .300, had two home runs and 19 RBIs and signed a letter of intent with UC Santa Barbara.

Rodney DeLeon, pitcher, Vista, Sr.--After a 5-7-1 nonleague start, DeLeon led the Panthers to their first Palomar League championship in 11 years. A right-hander, DeLeon finished with a 9-3 record and 1.70 ERA. He also had 101 strikeouts in 89 innings and batted 3.50 with 14 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. He will attend Pacific in the fall.

Todd Cady, catcher, Grossmont, Sr.--Statistically, the switch-hitting Cady is the most prolific hitter in the history of the section. With a .397 average, seven home runs and 37 RBIs this season, Cady owns section career records for hits (150), home runs (27) and RBIs (149) and is second in runs scored (115). His total of 62 RBIs last season was a single-season section record. During four varsity seasons, Cady also had 19 doubles, eight triples, 43 stolen bases, and a remarkable .409 batting average. The player of the year in 1990, Cady has earned a scholarship to Arizona State in the fall.

Jason Enomoto, catcher, Mission Bay, Sr.--At 5-feet-6 and 180 pounds, Enomoto packed a punch into the Buccaneer lineup this spring. In addition to scoring 43 times, he hit .419 (second in the City Western League) and drove in 23 runs. In the 2-A championship against Grossmont, Enomoto got one of only two Buc hits and walked two other times.

Kiko Palacios, catcher, Castle Park, Sr.--Regarded as the best defensive catcher in the county, Palacios also hit .472 with three homers and 25 RBIs. Batting fourth behind his cousin, Gil, opposing pitchers were forced to face two of the county’s most dangerous hitters back-to-back. A second team selection as a sophomore, Palacios is one of only two juniors on this year’s first team.

Justin Woodard, infield, San Marcos, Sr.--A power-hitting first baseman, Woodard, 6-1, 180, tied for the county lead in home runs with eight and was tied for third among 2-A and 3-A players in RBIs with 30. He also batted .381 and helped the Knights (21-4 overall) to a 14-0 Avocado League season.

Saul Rodriguez, infielder, Montgomery, Sr.--A cog in perhaps the county’s finest defensive team, second baseman Rodriguez was a big reason Montgomery advanced to its first championship game. He and Aztec shortstop Jose Lorenzana formed one of the best double-play combinations in the county, and on one occasion they teamed on a triple play. Rodriguez, who batted second, hit .358 and drove in 16 runs.

Rob Hoffman, infielder, Madison, Sr.--Hoffman led the county in home runs for most of the season before tailing off at the end. He finished with six. He also hit .443 and drove in 29 runs, leading Madison to the City Central League title and into the 2-A semifinals, where the Warhawks lost, 18-17, to Grossmont.

Mike Jones, outfielder, Madison, Sr.--A double threat, Jones hit .411 and had two homers and 39 RBIs for the Warhawks. On the mound, he was 7-3 with 91 strikeouts. In the first round of the playoffs, Jones allowed only four hits in 10 innings then drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 12th. In the semifinals, Jones keyed a seven-run seventh inning with a two-run double off the wall to tie the score, 17-17.

Wynter Phoenix, outfielder, Grossmont, Jr.--One of only two juniors on the first team, Phoenix made quite a name for himself in 1991. In driving in 36 runs, Phoenix had two home runs, six triples, 10 doubles and a .326 average. One of those triples was a run-scoring drive to deep right center in the 2-A championship game at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium. Phoenix is also an excellent center fielder.

Todd Tuggle, outfielder, Ramona, Sr.--Tuggle was one of the season’s remarkable success stories. Overcoming a lingering injury to his right shoulder by learning to throw with his left arm, Tuggle, who played junior varsity last season, also battled a severe eye infection in March but went on to lead all 2-A and 3-A players in hitting this season with a .569 average.

Only three 2-A and 3-A players listed in the section record book have had a higher batting average.

Tuggle, who will attend NCAA Division II power Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the fall, also had two home runs, 15 runs batted in and 16 stolen bases.

On Sunday, he was named the most valuable player of the annual Jack Taylor Memorial all-star game, and he later learned that he had been selected as an All-San Diego Section first team member.

Said Ramona Coach Bill Tamburrino, “The only negative thing I can say about the kid is he ruined two good pairs of pants because he played so hard.”

All-San Diego County Baseball Team

Pos. Player School Yr. Key Statistics P Mike Spears Grossmont Sr. 10-0, 5 saves, 1.61 ERA, 65 Ks P Mike Bovee Mira Mesa Sr. 11-2, 1.19 ERA, 142 Ks P Ryan O’Coyne Granite Hills Sr. 8-1, 2.30 ERA, 108 Ks P Rodney DeLeon Vista Sr. 9-3, 1.70 ERA, 101 Ks C Todd Cady Grossmont Sr. .397 BA, 7 HRs, 37 RBIs, 13 SBs C Jason Enomoto Mission Bay Sr. .419 BA, 23 RBIs, 43 R C Kiko Palacios Castle Park Jr. .472 BA, 3 HRs, 25 RBIs IF Justin Woodard San Marcos Sr. .381 BA, 8 HRs, 30 RBIs IF Saul Rodriguez Montgomery Sr. .358 BA, 16 RBIs IF Benji Gil Castle Park Sr. .443 BA, 7 HRs, 25 RBIs IF Rob Hoffman Madison Sr. .443 BA, 6 HRs, 29 RBIs OF Wynter Phoenix Grossmont Jr. .326 BA, 2 HRs, 36 RBIs OF Todd Tuggle Ramona Sr. .569 BA, 2 HRs, 15 RBIs, 16 SBs OF Mike Jones Madison Sr. .411 BA, 2 HRs, 39 RBIs

Second Team: Pitchers--Cesar Martinez (Chula Vista) Sr., Ryan Dunne (San Marcos) Jr., Pedro Ramirez (Montgomery) Soph., Brendan Hause (Mira Mesa) Jr.; Catcher--Matt Miller (Mt. Carmel) Sr.; Infielders--Mike Bryant (St. Augustine) Sr., Jeff Williams (Patrick Henry) Sr., Eric Morton (San Marcos) Sr., Brock Marsh (Poway) Sr.; Outfielders--Jose Gonzalez (Fallbrook) Sr., Mike Wazal (Montgomery) Sr., Andre Douglas (Lincoln) Sr., Antoine Henry (Clairemont) Sr.; Utility--Mike Saipe (University City) Sr.