Mulcahey, Park get rewarded for work by CIF

GLENDALE — Expected to be staples in the top half of the lineup, things couldn’t have gone better for Crescenta Valley High’s Troy Mulcahey and Royce Park of Flintridge Prep.

The junior baseball players proved to be reliable at the plate, helping their teams finish second in their respective leagues.

Backed by their solid offensive work, Mulcahey and Park were named to the All-CIF Southern Section first team Monday afternoon. Mulcahey was placed on the Division II team, while Park was named to the Division VI team.

Mulcahey, an outfielder/pitcher, finished with a program-best nine home runs. He hit .425 (34 for 80) with eight walks, a .505 on-base percentage, a team-high 25 runs batted in and 23 runs scored.

On the mound, Mulcahey went 4-2 with a 1.21 earned-run average. The right-hander struck out 50 batters to 19 walks in 34 2/3 innings.

“I just tried to relax at the plate or when I was pitching,” said Mulcahey, who was named to the All-Pacific League first team after helping Crescenta Valley take second in league. “We had a real good team and I tried to help us be good.

“It’s a great honor to get All-CIF. Just to know you got it, it’s like a great gift. I’m real happy about it.”

Crescenta Valley Coach Phil Torres said Mulcahey, who earned the honor for the first time, had the ability to achieve an All-CIF nod.

“With Division II, it’s very tough to make,” Torres said. “His offensive numbers were hard to overlook and you saw what he was capable of doing.

“He’s got a lot of power. We expect big things from him next year, too.”

Park, a third baseman/pitcher, enjoyed another solid campaign for the Rebels en route to being named to the All-CIF team for the second season in a row.

At the plate, Park batted .427 (32 for 75) with 25 RBI, seven doubles and 30 runs scored. He finished with a .547 on-base percentage and a .587 slugging percentage.

On the bump, Park went 5-3 with two saves and a 2.24 ERA in 12 appearances. The right-hander struck out 62 and walked 16 in 56 1/3 innings.

“Getting All-CIF is one of the highest honors,” Park said. “It’s about the team first and there are so many great players in the division.

“Getting All-CIF wasn’t a goal of mine throughout the season. We had a younger team, so I wanted to come into the season showing up as a leader.”

Flintridge Prep Coach Buzz Cook said Park handled himself well in all situations.

“He had a fantastic year and I thought he deserved the award,” Cook said. “He was consistent throughout the year and he hit the ball hard and far.

“On the mound, we had a young team playing behind him. Unfortunately, our defense wasn’t that stellar, but he had a low ERA.”

Members of the Southern Section Baseball Advisory Board also selected a second team based on additional All-CIF nominations from coaches, although the All-Southern Section Second Team bears no official affiliation with All-CIF.

Crescenta Valley junior first baseman/pitcher Elliott Surrey was named to the second team.

In 41 innings, Surrey went 6-1 with a 1.02 ERA and 61 strikeouts. The left-hander walked just five batters and allowed a .161 opposing batting average.

At the plate, Surrey hit .361 (30 for 83) with 23 runs, 23 RBI and a team-high 11 walks for a .444 on-base percentage en route to being named to the all-league first team.

“He gave us what we expected,” Torres said. “He got the big hits for us and put up real good offensive numbers and he pitched well.

“It wasn’t luck. He put in the time [to get better].”