October 14, 2006
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Sr. Pitcher Nick Barnese has verbally committed to Cal State Fullerton\
By Simi Valley Pioneer Baseball Staff
pioneerbaseball.org
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pioneerbaseball.org
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Nick Barnese, a senior right-hander with the Simi Valley High baseball team, has committed to Cal State Fullerton, according to Simi Valley coach Matt LaBelle.
\ Barnese, expected to be the Pioneers\' No. 1 pitcher next spring, is expected to sign his letter of intent in February.\
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Nick Barnese, a senior right-hander with the Simi Valley High baseball team, has committed to Cal State Fullerton, according to Simi Valley coach Matt LaBelle.\ Barnese, expected to be the Pioneers\' No. 1 pitcher next spring, is expected to sign his letter of intent in February.\
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After his performance this season, just call him \"The Dominator.\" In earning MVP honors on both the all-Marmonte League and Ventura County Coaches\’ teams, the 6-3, 191-pound junior led the entire Southern Section in home runs with 13 while batting .477 with 41 hits, 33 runs scored and 30 RBIs. He also was his team\’s ace pitcher in going 9-2 with a 2.05 earned run average and 84 strikeouts in 68 innings. His busy summer will include playing in the prestigious Area Code Games in Long Beach. Lambo is already considering such schools as Miami and Arizona State, and is interested in majoring in marine biology.
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Was the No. 1 pitcher on the No. 1-seeded Division V team. The 5-11 senior led the county in victories with 13 (13-1 overall), earned run average at 0.64 and strikeouts with 99 in 99 innings. He allowed only 51 hits, 14 walks and nine earned runs all seasons. From the plate, Abeloe batted .365 with 31 hits, 18 RBIs and 14 runs scored. He earned honors as the Tri-Valley League MVP, the co-MVP on the Ventura County Coaches small-schools team and a first-team all-CIF-SS Division V choice. Abeloe, who enjoys fishing and reading novels, will attend the University of Washington.
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He wrapped up a sterling high school career by pitching a complete game in St. Bonaventure\’s tough, 3-1 loss to Monrovia in the CIF-SS Division V championship game at UC Riverside. The versatile 6-2 senior ended up the season 7-2 overall with a 1.01 earned run average. He also batted .296 at the plate with 17 runs scored. He’s a first-team member of the all-Tri-Valley League, all-Ventura County Coaches and all-CIF-SS Division V teams, and attend Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. Among his off-the-field interests is wakeboarding.
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Prolific in the field and with the bat, Farinacci was a mainstay in the historic season for the Chargers that included a berth in the Division I championship game. The 6-2, 185-pound senior batted .392 with 38 hits, a team-best 27 RBIs and 18 runs scored. He notched 15 extra-base hits and tied for the team lead in home runs with six. He also rapped nine doubles. Farinacci is a first-team selection to the all-Marmonte League and all-Ventura County Coaches teams. In his off hours, he enjoys music, going to concerts and hanging out with his friends. He will play collegiately at UC Irvine.
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Among the most versatile players in the region, Fierro was a driving force in the Panthers\’ trek to the Marmonte League championship. Fierro batted .398 with 37 hits, 29 runs scored and a team-high 32 RBIs. He bashed 13 extra-base hits, including five home runs. From the mound, the 6-2 senior finished 4-1 with a 1.83 earned run average and 34 strikeouts in 34 innings. He\’s a first-team member of the all-Marmonte League and all-Ventura County Coaches teams, and a second-team member of the all-CIF-SS Division I team. He will play in college at the University of Nevada.
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He was a starter on Simi Valley High’s 2004 Division II championship team, but Giarraputo notched his best season as a senior. The 6-4 was among the regions\’ most productive hitters in batting .446 with 37 hits, 35 RBIs and seven home runs. His RBI total was good for No. 2 in Ventura County. For good measure, Giarraputo became Simi Valley’s No. 1 pitcher and finished with a 7-3 record, and 1.94 earned run average. He’s a first-team member of the all-league, all-Ventura County Coaches and all-CIF-SS Division I teams. Drafted in the 12th round by the NY Mets, Nick is now playing for the Gulf Coast League Mets (Rookie).
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The 6-foot junior is the latest in a long line of standout catchers produced by the Marmonte League. In helping Thousand Oaks finish third in the league race, Hannick was a force with his defensive play behind the plate and with the bat. This season, he batted .384 with 34 hits, seven home runs and 30 RBIs. Hannick is a first-team member of the all-Marmonte League and all-Ventura County Coaches\’ teams, and will represent Southern California this summer in the Mariners\’ Cup competition in Seattle. In his off hours, he enjoys working on cars and riding off-road vehicles.
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The smooth-fielding and hard-hitting shortstop played a major role for a St. Bonaventure squad that earned the No. 1 seeding in the Division V playoffs and advanced to the championship game. The 5-9 senior sparked the Seraphs\’ offense in batting .407 with 34 hits, 29 RBIs and 29 runs scored. He also collected nine doubles and a team-high 23 stolen bases. The senior finishes his high school career as a first-team selection to the all-Tri-Valley League and all-Ventura County Coaches teams. He will play collegiately at the University of Oklahoma.
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Johnston took the strong-armed approach to a standout year. The versatile senior, who played first base and the outfield when he wasn\’t on the mound, racked up an 8-2 record and a 1.90 earned run average. He notched 58 strikeouts in 55 innings while yielding only 17 walks. He was also a force at the plate in batting .400 with 30 RBIs and four home runs. The 6-1 senior finishes up as the co-MVP of the Ventura County Coaches small-schools team and as a first-team member of the all-CIF-SS Division V team. He plans to attend either L.A. Valley College or Pierce College.
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Jones started at third base, second base and shortstop in his last three seasons, and leaves as one of the most versatile talents to play in Camarillo\’s program. Not only did his handle shortstop as a senior, but he remained one of the area\’s top offensive threats. The 5-10 senior led the county in runs batted in with 38, and also batted .444 29 runs scores and three home runs. He was a first-team, all-Pacific View League selection the past three years. Jones, who enjoys fishing and snowboarding in his spare time, has signed a letter of intend at Cal State Fullerton.
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The fleet center fielder offers intriguing tools, as evidenced by his county-tops 28 stolen bases and six home runs this season. Rapoport finishes as the program\’s record holder for career and single-season stolen bases. The 6-foot senior batted .299 with 27 runs scored and 18 RBIs. After earning AFLAC all-American honors last summer and earning a spot in the Area Code Games, he finishes his high school career as a first-team member of the all-Marmonte League team. Rapoport, who enjoys paintball and car design, has signed a letter of intent for UCLA.
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Next stop, professional baseball? Or the University of Oklahoma? Shepherd now has options with his selection by the Minnesota Twins in round five of the Major League Baseball amateur draft. The 6-4 senior set up his future with a solid senior season for the Yellowjackets. He batted .405 with five home runs, 28 RBIs, 46 runs scored and 20 stolen bases. Shepherd, the MVP of the AFLAC All-American game last summer, is a first-team member of the all-Pacific View League and a second-team selection to the all-CIF-SS Division II team. He\’s also a first-team choice to the Ventura County Coaches team.
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No player was more responsible for Agoura\’s first trek to the CIF-SS Division I championship game. At the plate, the 6-1, 190-pound junior batted .456 with 41 hits, 29 runs scored and 25 RBIs. From the mound, Stock was 5-3 with a 2.69 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 62 1/3 innings. Stock played on the U.S. junior national team last summer, and was named the 2005 youth baseball player of the year by Baseball America. This year, he\’s a first-team selection to the all-Marmonte League, all-Ventura County Coashes and all-CIF-SS Division I teams. He\’s also a scholar-athlete with a 4.0 grade point average.
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The stalwart senior battled through injuries, including a season-ending broken ankle suffered in the playoffs\’ quarterfinals, to deliver a big season for the Chargers. The 6-2, 210-pound righthander was the ace pitcher on the Division I runnerup. Stoffel finished 8-2, with a 1.29 earned run average and 74 strikeouts in 65 innings. He allowed 44 hits and 23 walks, while holding opposing hitters to a .189 batting average. Stoffel is the Ventura County Coaches Pitcher of the Year, and is a first-team selection to the all-CIF-SS Division I team. Stoffel, who has signed with the University of Arizona, is a Playstation 2006 All-American.
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Call him MVP. On the heels of a big junior season, Vargas responded with a clutch senior season. The 6-2 shortstop/pitcher batted .356 with 26 hits, 20 runs and 28 RBs. He also belted five home runs. The impact was strong enough to earn Vargas honors as the Channel League Most Valuable Player, even from the league\’s third-place team. Vargas also helped out on the mound for his team, earning a 1-1 record with eight strikeouts in 11 innings of work. He also earned a spot on the first unit of the all-Ventura County Coaches team. Vargas will play next season at Ventura College.\
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Despite all the adversity faced this year by the Simi Valley baseball team, the Pioneers had played well enough to earn themselves a shot at the CIF Div. I playoffs.
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Tied for fourth place in the Marmonte League\'s baseball race, Simi Valley faces two of its biggest games of the season starting with today\'s contest against the Calabasas Coyotes.
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Most pitchers will tell you - they\'re only as good as the defense behind them.
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The Pioneers got on the scoreboard early thanks to a second-inning home run by junior outfielder Jordon Flores, who took Westlake starter Jake Fiss deep over the left-field fence with Jake Reed and Andrew Sandler aboard. It proved to be all the offense the Pioneers would need.
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Closers are a breed apart in high school baseball.
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Giarraputo on Thursday hit a fifth-inning grand slam, doubled and pitched 6 innings for his third win of the season to lead the Pioneers\' baseball team to a 5-4 Marmonte League upset of previously undefeated Agoura, which entered the game ranked No. 1 in the nation by Baseball America.\
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A grand slam by senior Nick Giarraputo on Thursday propelled Simi Valley to a 5-4 Marmonte League upset of Agoura, the top-ranked team in the nation.
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The 6-foot-5, 200-pound senior doesn\'t appear troubled by the added workload or expectations. Almost Gary Cooper-like, he\'s happy to amble out for a showdown at High Noon.
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