Falcons trio garners first-team honors
GLENDALE — It was a resurgent campaign in the Pacific League for the Crescenta Valley High baseball team in 2010.
After rallying for a third-place finish the previous season, the Falcons remained in the thick of the league-title chase up until the final week of this season before finishing a solid second behind Arcadia, which accounted for two of the Falcons’ three league losses.
Crescenta Valley (19-7, 11-3 in league) landed three players on the all-league first team — more than any other team — in sophomore pitcher Elliott Surrey, sophomore right fielder Troy Mulcahey and sophomore pitcher Nate Rousey.
“When I go to an all-league meeting, I’m only gonna nominate guys I think are deserving,” Crescenta Valley Coach Phil Torres said. “If you get all-league from Crescenta Valley High, it means it’s something you really deserved.”
Surrey went 6-2 with a save, 55 strikeouts and a 1.02 earned-run average and was even better in league, going 5-0 with an ERA of 0.58.
He also hit well, batting .423 (.578 in league) with two home runs, 21 runs batted in and 19 runs scored.
Mulcahey was another threat on the mound and at the plate, leading the team in strikeouts pitching (72), RBIs (25) and doubles (11).
He batted .378 on the season and .478 in league and had a 2.12 ERA overall with a 2.86 mark in league.
“I’m very happy to get all league,” Mulcahey said. “I just wanted to do well and help my team win.”
Rousey, a right-hander, went 6-1 with one save on the season with a 2.67 ERA (4-0 in league with a 1.09 ERA) and batted .277 (.342 in league).
“I think it’s 50-50,” Torres said on whether the trio’s success can be attributed to being older and more experienced than when they broke in together as freshmen last season. “On one hand, they’re older and stronger, but every season is a new season and there are no automatics. Just because you hit .300 one season doesn’t automatically mean you’re gonna hit .400 the next.”
Crescenta Valley junior first baseman Kyle Pomeroy, Glendale junior first baseman Zach Fields and Hoover senior catcher Bobby Romero all earned second-team selection.
Romero led the Tornadoes in several offensive categories, including batting average (.444), hits (24), doubles (six), on-base percentage (.500), slugging percentage (.593) and RBIs (25), while also scoring 12 runs and drawing six walks.
“Bobby basically carried our team, not only offensively, but defensively and with his pitching,” Hoover first-year Coach Joe Cotti said. “I thought for sure he should have been a first-teamer.”
Fields led the Nitros with three home runs and batted .348 on the season.
“He was our outspoken leader who did everything he needed to do on the field,” Nitros first-year Coach Jesus Osuna said. “I was kind of disappointed he didn’t get first-team all-league.
“He did very well defense-wise at first base and also pitched us out of a couple of jams. He really was our biggest contributor as far as offense and defense.”
Pomeroy batted .250 (.286 in league) with 17 RBIs and 14 runs scored.
Honorable mentions went to Crescenta Valley freshman shortstop Cole Currie, Glendale senior third baseman Bennett Koss and Hoover senior infielder Tyler Delzell.
Currie excelled as the Falcons’ leadoff hitter, batting .307 (.362 in league) with 16 RBIs and a team-high 22 runs scored.
Delzell, a four-year varsity starter, batted .264 with a team-high 12 walks and scored 11 runs.
“He was a big presence in the middle of the lineup and a very patient and selective hitter,” Cotti said. “A lot of pitchers pitched around him. He had a fantastic senior season.”
Koss, also a four-year varsity starter, batted .340 on the season.
“[He was] another great player and we’re going to really miss him next year because he was a great third baseman,” Osuna said.
Burbank shortstop Lonnie Kauppila, a transfer from Crescenta Valley and the reigning All-Area Baseball Player of the Year, earned a first-team selection after batting .443 with three home runs, 22 RBIs, 35 runs scored and 21 stolen bases.
Arcadia senior Garrett Tuck was named player of the year, while Apaches’ Coach Nick Lemas was coach of the year.