Huntington Beach’s Danner, Pratto share Sunset League MVP award

Huntington Beach High seniors Hagen Danner and Nick Pratto shared the Sunset League MVP award for leading the baseball team to a league title.

Pratto was selected No. 14 in the Major League Baseball Draft, taken as a first baseman by the Kansas City Royals on June 12. Danner was picked in the second round (No. 61 overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays.

Danner and Pratto highlight two of six Oilers on the first team. The other four are sophomore Josh Hahn, the league’s Rookie of the Year, junior pitcher Nate Madole, senior shortstop Trevor Windisch and senior center fielder Ben McConnell.

Marina sophomore Cory Lewis was the league Pitcher of the Year.

Edison senior pitcher Vince Inman, senior infielder Kyler Arenado, sophomore infielder Ted Burton and junior catcher Connor Aoki, Fountain Valley senior catcher Justin Mazzone, senior outfielder Trent Sievers, freshman second baseman Sebastian Murillo and senior designated hitter Trevor Staffieri, and Newport Harbor senior right fielder Cade Seabold made the first team.

Behind Danner and Pratto, Huntington Beach (28-5, 13-2 in league) won its third league crown in four years. The top-seeded Oilers lost at home to El Dorado 4-1 in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs.

Danner, a three-time first-team selection, went 11-1 with a 1.21 earned-run average.

The right-hander struck out 92 and walked 19 in 63 1/3 innings.

Danner threw one complete game, coming in a 4-1 win against San Jose Bellarmine Prep in the Boras Classic state tournament championship at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium.

Danner, who also is a catcher, batted .350 with 12 home runs, a Huntington Beach single-season record, and 40 runs batted in.

Danner had a .790 slugging percentage and a .468 on-base percentage. He doubled eight times, scored 22 runs and walked 23 times.

Pratto, who was the MVP for the second straight year, hit .330 with nine home runs and 22 RBIs.

Pratto, a USC signee and first baseman, had a .496 on-base percentage and a .691 slugging percentage. He scored 33 runs, walked 30 times, had six doubles and one triple and stole seven of nine bases.

Pratto went 5-1 with a save and a 0.99 ERA.

The left-hander tossed two shutouts, and he had 66 strikeouts and seven walks in 49 1/3 innings.

Hahn hit .266 with five home runs and 24 RBIs. He had six doubles, 11 runs and 14 walks.

Hahn, a left-handed pitcher, went 1-0 with seven saves and a 0.95 ERA. He finished with 20 strikeouts and seven walks in 22 innings.

Madole went 6-0 with a 1.53 ERA. In 41 innings, the left-hander had 46 strikeouts and 12 walks.

Windisch batted .341 with three home runs and 17 RBIs. The Oregon commit had six doubles, 10 runs and 12 walks.

McConnell hit .330 with four homers and 15 RBIs. McConnell scored 33 runs, doubled four times and tripled once. He walked 15 times, was hit by a pitch seven times and stole nine of 11 bases.

Lewis made the first team for the second straight year. The right-hander went 8-2 with two saves and a 1.33 ERA, fanning 47 in 63 innings.

Lewis batted .312 with one home run and 12 RBIs. He had six doubles and eight runs.

Marina finished 12-18 overall and shared fourth place in league at 6-9.

Inman, Arenado, Aoki and Burton helped Edison (20-13, 8-7) split second place in league and qualify for the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs. The Chargers lost to Palm Desert 3-2 at home.

Arenado, a UC Davis signee, is a three-time first-team pick, while Inman is a two-time first-team selection.

Arenado batted .288 with 13 RBIs, six doubles and 28 runs.

Inman went 5-2 with a 2.06 ERA. He had 44 strikeouts in 44 1/3 innings.

Aoki batted .336 with 17 RBIs, eight doubles and 12 runs.

Burton hit .247 with 15 RBIs, four doubles and 13 runs.

Mazzone, Sievers, Murillo and Staffieri led Fountain Valley (12-16-1, 6-9) to a share of fourth place in league.

Mazzone, who is heading to Seattle University, made the first team for the second straight season.

Sievers is bound for Cal State Long Beach, Murillo is an Arizona commit, and Staffieri is going to Westmont College.

Seabold, a two-time first-team member, batted .333 with seven home runs and 26 RBIs. Seabold had a .489 on-base percentage and a .696 slugging percentage.

Seabold had five assists, throwing out three runners at the plate and two at third base.

Newport Harbor (12-16, 4-11) finished in last place in league.

The second-team members included Edison junior pitcher Riley Haddon and junior outfielder Derek Cleland, Fountain Valley senior pitcher Justin Yang and junior outfielder Conrad Villafuerte, Marina sophomore third baseman Steven Casas, and Newport Harbor freshman first baseman Clay Liolios, senior infielder Kyle Carmack, sophomore outfielder Cameron Mahaffy, AJ Stefano, a junior pitcher and third baseman, and junior catcher Max Crabbe.

— From staff reports

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