1994 PREP BASEBALL All-STARS : A Cinderella Finish

Surprise!

This was the theme of the 1994 City Section 3-A Division baseball season.

Nothing was more unexpected than Huntington Park’s Cinderella season in which the Spartans left a legion of stunned teams and fans in its wake.

“Everyone looked past us,” Huntington Park Coach Mark Chacon said. “This team played with more heart, drive and determination than other teams (I’ve coached).”

For his outstanding efforts this season, Chacon was named the City Times Coach of the Year, succeeding South Gate’s Mike Ryan.

Bell’s Yamel Delgado was named Player of the Year, the second year in a row for a pitcher. South Gate’s Alonzo Lopez won last year.

Huntington Park finished the regular season in a tie with Bell and Garfield for the fourth-best record in the Southeastern Conference.

However, Huntington Park defeated fifth-seeded and 1993 runner-up Crenshaw, 7-6, fourth-seeded Roosevelt, 5-1, and top-seeded Lincoln, 2-1, during its unpredictable march to the finals, in which Huntington Park lost to Franklin, 2-1.

Defending City 3-A champion South Gate, which had been expected to make a return trip to Dodger Stadium this year, lost to eventual champion Franklin, 7-3, in the semifinals.

A look at the 1994 City Times first team:

Richard Alcantar, South Gate--The senior center fielder/pitcher was voted Southeastern Conference co-player of the year along with Roosevelt’s Alex Rodriguez. Alcantar batted .450 with one home run and 19 RBIs. His slugging percentage was .683 and his on-base percentage was .522. Alcantar pitched eight games, going 5-2 with a 3.12 ERA. He struck out 49 batters in 49 innings.

Cesar Castaneda, Lincoln--The Northern League Player of the Year batted a spectacular .625 with three home runs and 30 RBIs. The junior shortstop will be the cornerstone of Lincoln’s team next year.

Yamel Delgado, Bell--The Eagle’s right-handed ace was 4-1 in league play with a 0.90 ERA. The part-time shortstop was also impressive with the bat, hitting .494 on the season, with two home runs and 31 RBIs. The All-Eastern League senior also stole 21 bases.

Lico Erami, Lincoln--Another All-Northern League player for the Tigers, Erami hit .477 with three home runs and 13 RBIs. The first baseman provided invaluable leadership this season as a senior.

Rene Herrera, Wilson--Herrera was selected to the All-Northern Conference first team with a .456 batting average. The powerful right-hander hit five home runs with 25 RBIs. Herrera also pitched for the Mules, with a record of 1-1, and had a personal-best 11 strikeouts in a victory over Manual Arts.

Pedro Loza, Bell Gardens--Loza, who was named Almont League Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive year, also makes a return appearance on the first team. The senior center fielder batted .498 with 19 RBIs in the No. 3 spot. Loza also pitched for the Lancers, going 7-1 with a 1.24 ERA and 48 strikeouts. Loza stole 22 bases in 24 attempts.

Mike McNeely, Crenshaw--One of the best defensive shortstops in the area, McNeely also gave the Cougars a lift on offense. The senior hit .382 with one home run and 22 RBIs. The All-Southern Pacific Conference performer stole 10 bases and had 20 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings as a pitcher.

Jose Montenegro, South Gate--The senior shortstop/catcher makes his second consecutive appearance on the City Times first team. Montenegro’s true value to South Gate was the flexibility he added to Coach Mike Ryan’s lineup. His .269 average included 17 walks, four doubles, a triple and eight RBIs. Montenegro had a .658 slugging percentage and a .424 on-base percentage. As a pitcher, Montenegro was 4-0 with a 0.79 earned-run average. Montenegro struck out 31 batters in 26 innings while giving up 17 hits.

Johnny Moreno, Bell--The junior right-hander makes the leap from last year’s second team. Another member of the area’s top pitching staff, Moreno was 7-1 with a 0.89 ERA. Moreno pitched a team-high five complete games, surrendering 21 hits in 43 innings. In the cleanup spot, Moreno hit .380 with two home runs and 19 RBIs.

Wesley Rachels, Loyola--Rachels, a member of last year’s first team, admittedly didn’t see the same pitches this season as last season, when he hit .493. Regardless, Rachels hit .424, drove in 15 runs and was walked 30 times. Rachels was a member of the All-Mission League first team and was named one of the nation’s top prospects by Collegiate Baseball magazine. Rachels’ university options include USC, Pepperdine and Notre Dame.

Alex Rodriguez, Roosevelt--Rodriguez was a member of the second team last year with a .372 batting average but made the first team this year with a team-high .463 average. Rodriguez was the leader of Roosevelt’s hit brigade, going three-for-three with three RBIs in a 9-5 win over City 3-A runner-up Huntington Park earlier this season. Rodriguez was named Southeastern Conference co-player of the year along with South Gate’s Richard Alcantar.

Juan Carlos Rodriguez, Roosevelt--Rodriguez, an All-Eastern League selection, hit .439 with three home runs and 18 RBIs. Rodriguez also stole 16 bases.

1994 Prep Baseball ALL-STARS Name: Michael McNeely

School: Crenshaw

Position: Infielder

Year: Senior

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Name: Lico Erami

School: Lincoln

Position: Infielder

Year: Senior

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Name: Wesley Rachels

School: Loyola

Position: Infielder

Year: Senior

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Name: Pedro Loza

School: Bell Gardens

Position: Outfielder

Year: Senior

*

Name: Jose Montenegro

School: South Gate

Position: Utility

Year: Senior

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Name: Johnny Moreno

School: Bell

Position: Pitcher

Year: Junior

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Name: Juan Carlos Rodriguez

School: Roosevelt

Position: Infielder

Year: Senior

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Name: Rene Herrera

School: Wilson

Position: Infielder

Year: Senior

*

Name: Richard Alcantar

School: South Gate

Position: Outfielder

Year: Senior

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Name: Yamel Delgado

School: Bell

Position: Pitcher

Year: Senior

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Name: Alex Rodriguez

School: Roosevelt

Position: Catcher

Year: Senior

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Name: Cesar Castaneda

School: Lincoln

Position: Infielder

Year: Junior

City Times Second Team

POS. PLAYER SCHOOL YR. P Mario Arambula Huntington Park Sr. IF Manual Arana Bell Gardens Sr. IF Juan Arita Crenshaw Sr. OF Brandon Brown Dorsey Sr. IF Ed Fernandez Salesian Sr. OF Joseph George Washington Sr. IF Ernie Gomez Jordan Sr. P Alonso Lopez South Gate Sr. C Jose Lopez Bell Sr. IF Uvaldo Montoya Jefferson Jr. U Archie Underwood Los Angeles Sr. IF Greg Vidales Cathedral Sr