Millennium High second baseman Jose Avila had to leap for the ball and was unable to put the tag on Escalon High’s Josh Miguel on a steal during Friday’s Baseball All Star Classic at the University of the Pacific.
Bob Brownne/Tracy Press
Kimball High’s Katelyn Bomar connects during Friday’s Softball All Star Classic at the University of the Pacific.
Bob Brownne/Tracy Press
Tracy High’s Tanner Turner looks for his chance to advance after he doubled in the second inning of Friday’s Baseball All Star Classic at the University of the Pacific.
Bob Brownne/Tracy Press
Millennium High’s Melissa Vierra makes the play in the infield as Falcon teammate and West High’s Julia Ramirez provide backup during Friday’s Softball All Star Classic at the University of the Pacific.
Bob Brownne/Tracy Press
West High’s Rafael Tijero takes a swing during Friday’s Baseball All Star Classic at the University of the Pacific.
Bob Brownne/Tracy Press
But the all-stars appeared just as interested in the experience as winning the games that spotlight the top graduating seniors in the area.
West High second baseman Johnny Gori, playing for the South team, said he was happy to meet the players he’s faced over the past four years before he goes to Chabot College in Hayward.
“It's not every day that you get to play with great kids like this. It's a good experience,” Gori said. “I'm competitive, and I'm sure all of these other guys are, too. We like to win, but it's a fun game. We're just enjoying it.”
He and West teammates Jalen Ransome, Rafael Tijero and Steven Gonzales played for the South baseball team, which lost to the North, 4-2.
The North team also included Tracy High’s Jake Shull, Matt Loscavio and Tanner Turner; and Millennium players Jose Avila and Drew Carroll.
Turner, who played outfield for the North and heads to Cuesta College in California Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo in the fall, said it’s a good way to end the season after the intensity of playoffs.
“Everything out here is fun,” said Tanner, whose high school team finished two wins short of playing for the 2012 section title. “We get to play with guys we've played with before and played against. We just try to come out here and have fun. That's what it's all about.”
Millennium’s Drew Carroll, who will play baseball at San Joaquin Delta College, added it’s an honor to be selected.
“It's a big step for us, since we're a small school,” he said. “We can prove that we can play with the bigger schools. It shows us that we're growing.”
Nine softball players represented Kimball, West and Millennium high schools on the South team, which beat the North, 8-7.
Those all-stars included Katelyn Bomar, Montanna Bradley and Alexis Lopez from Kimball High; Jill and Jessica Anastasio, Julia Ramirez and Miranda Gannon from West High; and Melissa Vierra and Jaylyn Gutierrez from Millennium High.
“A lot of these girls I've played against, and some of them are my friends, so it's like a little reunion,” West catcher Jessica Anastasio said.
She and her sister Jill will attend Fresno State in the fall, but don’t plan to play softball. “We're basically like a big ginormous family tonight — no tension or anything,” Jessica Anastasio said. “We're just playing and having fun.”
Bomar, who played second base Friday and heads to Central Arizona College in Coolidge, Ariz., and her teammates are the first from Kimball to join the all-star team.
“This is our first year really getting our name out there,” she said. “We've showed that we're a new school, but we can prove ourselves at the same time.”
Millennium’s Melissa Vierra, who played third base and heads to Johnson C. Smith University in North Carolina, said her sights were set on the all-star game ever since her freshman year.
“It's great to play with all of the different girls that I've never played with,” Vierra said. “It's fun to see what everyone has and what they bring to the game.”
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