HMB's Garcia Leads All-PAL Ocean Baseball Team

Half Moon Bay High's Julian Garcia and Capuchino’s Tim Gretter headlined the Peninsula Athletic League Ocean Division baseball awards that were released on Wednesday. Burlingame's Zac Grotz and El Camino's Steve Knudson led the Bay Division honorees.

Garcia was selected the PAL Ocean Division pitcher of the year after his team steamrolled to a 13-1 record and the Ocean championship. The senior compiled a 7-2 record and a 1.42 ERA in Half Moon Bay's 27 regular-season games. The workhorse right-hander threw 69 innings even before his two postseason starts, allowing 14 earned runs and 12 extra-base hits. Garcia, who hurled seven complete games in the regular season, limited opponents to a .197 batting average while striking out 75 and walking 18.

Half Moon Bay coach Steve Terraszas was selected the PAL Ocean coach of the year. The second-year coach led the Cougars to the program's third trip to the Central Coast Section semifinals, where they lost 12-1 to Santa Cruz on Tuesday night. Half Moon Bay finished 23-7.

Capuchino's Gretter earned PAL Ocean Division player of the year honors after a superb junior season. Playing in all of the Mustangs’ 27 games, he led his team in most offensive categories. Gretter hit .479, scored 40 runs, totaled 31 RBIs and stole 11 bases for the PAL Ocean runner-up. He finished with 10 doubles, five triples and one home run – while drawing 20 walks and striking out just 11 times. Gretter, who had a .585 on-base percentage and slugged .723, also logged a team-high 53 1/3 innings on the mound. He went 5-3 with a 3.54 ERA, recording 50 strikeouts and 19 walks.

Burlingame's Grotz was named the PAL Bay Division pitcher of the year after compiling a 7-1 record and a 1.16 ERA in the Panthers' 27 regular-season games. The senior right-hander recorded 52 strikeouts in 54 1/3 innings heading into the Central Coast Section playoffs, allowing 37 hits while issuing just 15 walks. Grotz saved perhaps his for the postseason, striking out a career-high 12 batters and allowing five hits while going the distance in a 2-1 loss in eight innings at Los Altos in a Division II opener.

Knudson landed PAL Bay Division player of the year honors after leading El Camino to the program’s first Bay championship at 11-3. The senior hit a smooth .500 as the Colts finished 15-11-1, and he also wielded plenty of pop. Knudson, who hit safely in all but three of his 26 games, totaled 12 doubles, four home runs and 27 RBIs while striking out just 10 times. A year after being named the PAL Ocean Division player and pitcher of the year, Knudson reached base at a .626 clip and slugged .833. He was also an impact player on the mound, going 4-3 with a 2.96 ERA in 49 2/3 innings.

Here are the complete PAL Bay Division and Ocean Division teams:

PAL Bay Division player of the year, Steve Knudson, El Camino, senior

PAL Bay Division pitcher of the year: Zac Grotz, Burlingame, senior

BAY DIVISION FIRST TEAM

Daniel Madigan, pitcher, Carlmont, senior

Justin Eclavea, pitcher, El Camino, senior

Kody Barden, outfielder, Hillsdale, senior

Nick Lange, outfielder, Menlo-Atherton, junior

Trevor McNeil, outfielder, Aragon, senior

Kyle Zirbes, infielder, Menlo-Atherton, senior

Kyle Barret, infielder, Carlmont, freshman

Tyler Outzen, infielder, Aragon, senior

Armando Fajardo, infielder, Hillsdale, sophomore

Colton Hicks, catcher, Carlmont, senior

Trevor Kelly, catcher, El Camino, senior

Tyler Rios, utility, El Camino, senior

Ryan Anderson, designated hitter, El Camino, senior

BAY DIVISION SECOND TEAM

Bradley Levine, pitcher, Carlmont, senior

Robbie Foiles, pitcher, Hillsdale, junior

Grant Cecil, outfielder, Hillsdale, senior

Chris Blanton, outfielder, Burlingame, senior

Jake Mauldin, outfielder, Sequoia, junior

Steve Pastora, infielder, El Camino, sophomore

Vince Arobio, infielder, Burlingame, sophomore

Mitch Auer, infielder, Aragon, senior                                    

Casey Eason, infielder, Menlo-Atherton, senior

Alex Kinder, catcher, Sequoia, senior

Nick Manessis, utility, Terra Nova, junior

Austin Parker, designated hitter, Hillsdale, senior

BAY DIVISION HONORABLE MENTION

Cam Winn, Menlo-Atherton, senior

Myles Brewer, Menlo-Atherton, senior

Merrick Belding, Burlingame, junior

Bryan Kuh, Burlingame, senior

Willie Baroncini, Carlmont, senior

Nic Bongi, Carlmont, junior

David Jimenez, El Camino, junior

Marcus Roman, El Camino, junior

D.J. Peluso, El Camino, junior

Clint Kastrop, Sequoia, senior

Matt Eastman, Sequoia, senior

Bryce Smith, Hillsdale, senior

Tyler Kelly, Hillsdale, senior

Aldo Severson, Aragon, sophomore

Sam Pacholuk, Aragon, senior

Ray Marshall, Terra Nova, senior

Justin Gubser, Terra Nova, junior

PAL Ocean Division player of the year: Tim Gretter, Capuchino, junior

PAL Ocean Division pitcher of the year: Julian Garcia, Half Moon Bay, senior

PAL Ocean Division coach of the year: Steve Terraszas, Half Moon Bay         

OCEAN DIVISION FIRST TEAM

Ramzy Azar, catcher, South San Francisco, junior

Brian Hidalgo, infielder, Mills, junior

Derek Azzopardi, infielder, Woodside, junior

Omar Noriega, infielder, San Mateo, senior

Cory Faubel, infielder, Capuchino, senior

Juan Miguel Perez, utility, Westmoor, senior

Jon Wild, outfielder, Capuchino, senior

Greg Bildhauer, outfielder, South San Francisco, senior

Brett Berghammer, outfielder, Half Moon Bay, freshman

David Moody, pitcher, Half Moon Bay, senior

Joseph Marcucci, pitcher, South San Francisco, junior

Maligi Maluia, designated hitter, South San Francisco, freshman

OCEAN DIVISION SECOND TEAM

Daniel Standig, catcher, Mills , senior

Peter Bacich, infielder, Half Moon Bay, sophomore

Luciano Molina, infielder, Capuchino, junior

Alex Jenkins, infielder, Half Moon Bay, junior

Randall Castane, infielder, Westmoor, senior

Bradley Degnan, outfielder, Woodside, freshman

Miguel Diaz, outfielder, South San Francisco, senior

Matthew Sabala, outfielder, Westmoor, junior

Matt Erlick, pitcher, San Mateo, senior

Rolph Mejia, pitcher, Woodside, senior

Joey Carney, utility, Mills, junior

Juan Ayon, utility, Half Moon Bay, senior

OCEAN DIVISION HONORABLE MENTION

Christian Bautista, Capuchino, sophomore

Dominic Fama, Half Moon Bay, senior

Anthony Carlevaris, Half Moon Bay, senior

Chris Zografos, San Mateo, senior

R.J. Asuncion, San Mateo, senior

Sereno Esponilla, Mills, sophomore

Jon Alioto, Mills, senior

Ricki Hoffer, Woodside, junior

Eric Tam, Woodside, junior

Nick Malabed, Westmoor, sophomore

Joseph Moro, South San Francisco, senior

Ryan Mohr, South San Francisco, junior

Eddie Cecchi, Capuchino, sophomore