Preps take their field of dreams at Petco Park

Petco Park remains the field of dreams for high school baseball players who compete within the San Diego Section.

The Padres’ ballpark stands as a gateway to Major League Baseball. Its attraction is immediately alluring for those who want to someday play in it.

Some may just get their chance from the latest class of locals selected to play in the 2021 Padres High School All-Star Game on June 24.

The East Team, coached by Santana head coach Rigo Ledezma, featured a lineup heavy on East County and South County high school talent.

Players from 12 Grossmont Conference schools were represented on the roster, including three each from Granite Hills, Grossmont and Steele Canyon high schools, two from Santana High School and one from Monte Vista High School. El Cajon’s Christian High School also contributed one player.

Assistant coaches included Monte Vista’s Craig Neu, Christian’s Mike Mitchell and Santana’s Aidan Rasmusson and Elden Whisman.

Six players from South County programs (Victory Christian Academy and Otay Ranch, Eastlake and Bonita Vista high schools) helped round out the East team’s 24-man roster while three players with local roots competed for the West team, which was coached by Madison’s Robert Lovato with assistants Ryan Madsen (Sage Creek) and Sonny Merlo (Oceanside).

Representatives from the Metro Conference on the East team included Otay Ranch senior shortstop Ali Camarillo, Eastlake senior pitcher Ray Cebulski, Otay Ranch pitcher-outfielder Xavier Martinez, Bonita Vista senior shortstop-outfielder Daniel McElveny and Eastlake senior first baseman Nico Varrarelli.

Victory Christian Academy senior pitcher-shortstop Michael Bishop rounded out the South County contribution on the East squad.

Montgomery High School had two players compete for the West team: junior infielder-pitcher Adrian Herrera and senior outfielder Manny Huerta.

Former Sweetwater Valley Little League standout Ariel Armas suited up for St. Augustine High School while also representing the West team.

The East team snapped a five-all tie with two runs in the top of the eighth inning in the nine inning game to prevail 7-5 in front of a smattering of family, friends and other well-wishers.

Participants were naturally appreciative to get the opportunity to play in a MLB stadium.

“It’s everything,” said Vallarelli, who helped guide the Titans to this year’s San Diego Section Open Division championship. “This is what we dream of. I just want to experience it, take it all in and enjoy it, appreciate it.”

“It’s exhilarating,” said Cebulski, who will continue his playing career at Long Beach State. “It’s a first time for me. I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time. To step on the mound the Big Leaguers step on, I’m just trying to soak it in.”

Vallarelli and Cebulski entered the Padres all-star tilt as rare two-time Open Division champions.

Eastlake won the 2019 Open Division championship, then had the 2020 season canceled after the declaration of the coronavirus pandemic. The Titans finished runner-up to Bonita Vista in this spring’s Mesa League standings, then received the No. 8 seed in the posh double-elimination Open Division playoffs.

Eastlake won its first game with a 2-1 upset of top-seeded San Marcos but had to successfully navigate the double-elimination bracket to reach the June 19 championship game against the fifth-seeded Grossmont Foothillers.

The Titans punctuated the section playoffs with an 8-3 win in which Cebulski picked up the win by scattering four hits and striking out 1`0 batters in 6.1 innings of work on the hill while Vallarelli scored one run and drove in one run in four plate appearances.

Vallarelli, who finished the 2021 season with a .336 hitting average, 30 RBI, nine doubles and two home runs, called it “an honor” to repeat as Open Division champions. There were other reasons to make it emotionally satisfying, he said.

“Seeing the seniors who couldn’t play last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, I wanted to play for them and give them something special they couldn’t have,” he said.

“We had a great group of guys,” said Cebulski, who finished 7-2 on the mound with a 2.52 earned-run average and 86 strikeouts in 66.2 innings. “We put in a lot of hard work to win the championship. It means a lot to my teammates, my school … Words can’t describe it.”

McElveny was among eight players who competed in the pregame home run derby. He joined East teammates Jake Entrekin (Steele Canyon senior catcher), Isaiah Gomez (Grossmont senior third baseman-catcher) and Grant MacArthur (Granite Hills junior first baseman) in the long ball showcase while West team adverdsaries included Connor Blough (Sage Creek senior shortstop-second baseman), Trevor Fox (St. Augustine junior first baseman-pitcher), Duce Gourson (Point Loma senior shortstop) and Ryan Rivera (San Marcos junior third baseman).

“I had the time of my life,” said McElveny, who batted .435 in 29 games for the Barons this season with 37 runs scored, 22 RBI and five home runs. “I love seeing all the local talent. It was a great experience — one that I’ll remember forever.”

McElveny joined MacArthur in the finals of the event after both launched three balls into the outfield stands at Petco Park during the preliminary round.

MacArthur, a member of the recently crowned San Diego Section Division I champion Eagles, deposited four more balls beyond the fence to win the contest with seven home runs.

“It’s crazy,” said MacArthur, who stands 6 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 220 pounds. “Being a junior, I didn’t expect much. I was just hoping to hit one home run.”

MacArthur hit seven home runs during the regular season and added a walk-off three-run home run in Granite Hills’ 5-4 win over fourth-seeded Westview to avoid elimination in the section playoffs.

He and McElveny matched up on opposite sides of the diamond twice in the Division I playoffs. MacArthur had a double and drove in one run in a 7-0 first-round win for the top-seeded Eagles and topped that with two home runs and three RBI in a 7-5 third-round elimination game victory.

McElveny had two hits, stole two bases and scored a run in the latter game as the Barons concluded a 19-11 season after finishing 11-1 in Mesa League play.

It proved to be an eventful evening in particular for MacArthur, who finished the all-star game with the Most Valuable Player award after knocking in the game-winning runs during the East’s two-run rally in the top of the eighth inning.

Grossmont senior pitcher-outfielder Evan Vasiliou started the rally with a one-out single through the left side of the infield. Granite Hills senior outfielder-pitcher Austin Smith followed with a two-out single and a wild pitch moved both runners up a base. The bases were loaded following a walk to Gomez.

However, MacArthur promptly found himself behind in the count 0-2 against Mira Mesa’s Jackson Betancourt before things started to get very tense.

The Granite Hills hitter remained disciplined at the plate and took a pair of pitches to even the count at 2-2.

MacArthur slapped the next pitch for a basehit to score two runs.

“He had thrown me two sliders, both in the dirt,” the Eagle batsman said. “I knew he couldn’t afford to throw another one in the dirt with the bases loaded, so I was expecting a fastball. It was there.”

MacArthur finished the game with three hits.

“It’s a pretty cool experience being here as a fan and now as a player,” he said. “It’s an amazing feeling.”

“I knew we were going to win this all the time,” McElveny said. “It’s great to see the outcome.”

Batter up
The East scored three runs in the top of the third inning to take the early lead.

Smith and Gomez led off the inning with solid singles. McElveny reached base on an error when the ball went in and out of the left fielder’s glove, scoring Smith.

With Vallarelli at the plate with one out, Gomez scored on a wild pitch while McElveny advanced to third base. Vallarelli scored McElveny on a sacrifice fly to right field.

But the West countered with three runs of its own in the bottom of the frame to knot the score.

Cebulski walked Armas to start the West rally and Mission Vista junior Ian Halverson followed with a single, Armas eventually scored on an error and Betancourt doubled in two more runs.

Cebulski allowed three runs on three hits.

The East regained the lead at 5-3 in the top of the fourth inning as Steele Canyon senior Sebastian Granados and Rancho Bernardo Shunsuke Sakaiko both scored on wild pitches.

The West tied the game, 5-5, in the bottom of the seventh inning after loading the bases off Martinez. The Otay Ranch hurler struck out El Camino senior Michael Villani for the first out but yielded the hill to Scripps Ranch senior Carter Foss, who promptly allowed one run to score on a wild pitch to tie the game.

Foss walked Blough to re-load the bases but Entrekin prevented further damage when he alertly threw out a runner at first base before another runner heading home from third base could cross the plate.

The East used nine pitchers in the game. Grossmont’s Vasiliou started, followed by Rancho Bernardo senior Collin Rothermel, Cebulski, Monte Vista senior Andy Canedo, Granite Hills senior Noa Ponciano, Grossmont senior Jaden Wilcox, Martinez, Foss and Granados.

Canedo, who struck out 45 batters in 33 innings during the season for the Grossmont Valley League runner-up Monarchs, retired the side in order in his one frame of work. Granados, who struck out 108 batters in 57 innings to go with a 0.98 ERA, pitched the final inning, recording a pair of strikeouts.

Torrey Pines junior Zach Isaacman started for the West, followed by Mission Hills junior Cody Delvecchio, Madison senior Victor Arreola, Point Loma junior Blake Ledbetter, Herrera, Betancourt and Villani.

At the plate, Smith had two hits and scored two runs while Gomez, McElveny, Granados, Sakaino and Vasiliou each scored one run to boost the East squad.

Gourson tripled and scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fifth inning to make the score 5-4.

The teams combined for 20 hits.

“It’s a pretty surreal moment to play on the same field as Major Leaguers,” Vasiliou said. “It’s an awesome feeling.”

The feeling was the same for everyone involved.

“It’s a great experience,” said Canedo, who has committed to UC Riverside on a full-ride scholarship. “I was here as a freshman and got to come back as a senior. As a freshman I didn’t get to pitch because I played third base then. Now I’m pitching and got to be on the same mound as the Major League players pitch on.”

Southern exposure
Otay Ranch’s Camarillo and Martinez are both headed to continue their baseball careers at Cal State Northridge together.

Camarillo topped Otay Ranch with a .565 hitting average with 14 RBI, 29 runs scored and four home runs in 20 games.

He led off the East lineup in the game with a hit and stole second base in his first trip to the plate.

Martinez batted .300 with 14 RBI in 19 games.

“It’s an awesome experience to play with the best players in San Diego,” Camarillo said of his all-star experience.

Armas, who played in the 2015 Little League World Series with Sweetwater Valley and won the 2016 Pony-13 International World Series with Emerald El Cajon, called it a pleasure to play in the Padres prep all-star game.

“It’s a pleasure after all that’s happened, to be here after four years of high school,” Armas said. “It’s great to finish four years of high school at St. Augustine and what we accomplished.”

Armas logged a .392 hitting average with 33 runs scored and 28 RBI as the Saints posted a 24-8-1 record and earned the top seed in this year’s Division II playoff field.

“I still remember those fun times at the Little League World Series,” he said. “I still stay in touch with my former teammates, some of whom are now in college or getting ready to play pro baseball.”

“It’s a nice experience — I’d like to play here someday,” said Herrera, who made 10 pitching appearances for the 17-11 Aztecs this season. “It was great to bond with my teammates. We had a lot of chemistry on and off the field. We were like brothers. We were successful most of the time.”

The Big League backdrop helped make memories even more special for the graduating seniors.

“It’s pretty cool, I never thought I’d be playing at Petco, playing a great game on a great field,” Huerta said. “I wasn’t sure if we would even have a season this year but it’s great to be back.”