Santa Ana Dominates Baseball Awards

Santa Ana College’s Tony Alcantar was named baseball co-MVP, teammate Joe Rogers was named co-pitcher of the year and Don Sneddon was named coach of the year in the Orange Empire Conference.

Other Santa Ana players to earn all-conference first-team honors were relief pitcher Dale Thayer, infielder Aaron Escobedo and outfielder David Fischer.

Cypress pitcher Ray Aguilar, first baseman Jeff Ruziecki, outfielder Daylon Montette and designated hitter Jeff Tuttle are on the first team, as are Saddleback catcher Zach Dobek, infielder Jeff LaRue, outfielder Vinny Valiente and DH Scott Cheo.

Fullerton outfielder Brian Ziarnick and Orange Coast utility player Scott Beerer also earned first-team honors.

Alcantar shared his MVP award with Jason Fransz of Riverside and Rogers shared his award with Ryan Wing of Riverside.

Members of the second team include Ivan Ramirez, Dustin Wagoner, Justin Gerlach, Tony Calderon, Pat Breen and Greg Franklin of Santa Ana; Reid Santos, Ryan Williams, Jon Stephens and Chad Concolino of Saddleback; Phil Tripoli, Brett Becker, Joe Burgett and Chris Hanson of Golden West; Weston O’Brien and Al Estrada of Fullerton; Mark Courvoisier and Jose McCanne of Orange Coast; Sal DeAnda and Ryan Hubbard of Cypress, and Scott Zine of Irvine Valley.

* Stacy Parker, the first baseball coach at Irvine Valley, is leaving the program after one season to take over at Mt. San Antonio, an Irvine Valley spokesman said.

Parker, who played at Foothill High and UC Irvine, led the Lasers to a 7-32 record in their inaugural season. He takes over a Mt. SAC team that was 17-26 this season.

BASKETBALL

Ali Goodman, a forward from Irvine Valley College and Canyon High, has committed to play at Hope International, according to Hope Coach Jason Lowry.

* Santa Ana College’s Zac Fray will play at Salem International University in Salem, W. Va., according to Don Coach Ray Rodriguez.

SOCCER

Spencer McDearmon, a defender at Orange Coast, has committed to Cal State Fullerton and Geno Vitale-Sansosti, the Pirates’ leading goal scorer a year ago, has committed to Vanguard, Orange Coast Coach Laird Hayes said.

McDearmon and Vitale-Sansosti helped lead Orange Coast to a state championship in the fall. The Pirates finished the season No. 4 in the National Soccer Coaches Assn. of America rankings.

SOFTBALL

Marie Caballero of Santa Ana College has been selected to the California Junior College All-American team by the National Fastpitch Coaches Assn.

Caballero, the Southern California community college player of the year, led the Orange Empire Conference with a .500 batting average and a 0.11 earned-run average.

Lisa Schiro of Fullerton, Ana Velazquez of Santa Ana and Inez Vasquez of Santa Ana were named to the second team.

TRACK AND FIELD

John Knox, an assistant coach at Orange Coast College last season, has been promoted to head coach.

Knox, who previously coached at Santa Ana College and Century High, holds the OCC record in the decathlon. Knox replaces Gordie Fitzel, who retired.

WATER POLO

Jackie Frank, a Stanford sophomore from Los Alamitos High, was named Mountain Pacific Sports Federation women’s goalkeeper of the year.

UCLA’s Robin Beuregard, from Marina High, was named first-team all-conference. Stanford’s Brenda Villa and USC’s Sophia Konoukh were named co-players of the year.