Porterville Pair Are NorCal Player/Pitcher of Week #1

Porterville College's duo of Josh Myers and Chris Blanco are the CCCBCA NorCal Players of the Week #1 (Jan. 23-25).

At designated hitter, the freshman Myers, from Idaho Falls, Idaho, slugged home runs in each of the three games the Pirates played, a win over Rio Hondo and a split v. Diablo Valley.

Batting 5-for-10 (.500), all of his hits were for extra bases as he added a triple, a double while also driving a grand slam among his round-trippers. He had 7 RBI and slugged at a 1.700. Myers stole a base and hit a sacrifice fly as well.

Blanco, a freshman from Denver, Colo., is the region's top pitcher after firing a 7-inning, complete-game, 4-hit shutout v. DVC, a 3-0 Porterville win on Jan. 24 in the nightcap of a doubleheader. Blanco struck out nine, walked two and hit a batter, throwing 60 of his 98 pitches for strikes. 

Other North Region Conference Players of the Week

Bay Valley--Player: Zane Al-Esawi, Yuba (.538, 2 HR, 8 RBI); Pitcher: Dylan Feeny, Mendocino (5.2 IP, Win, 1 hit, 7 K)

Big 8--Player: Connor Barth, Folsom Lake (.444 AVG, 1 HR, 4 RBI); Pitcher: Myles Standish, Santa Rosa (6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 8 K)

Central Valley-Myers, Blanco, Porterville

Coast North--Player: Patrick Sanchez, Canada (.500 AVG, 1 HR, 6 R, .667 OBP); Pitcher: Joseph Coupland, Chabot (3 IP, Save, 1 H, 0 R, 4 K)

Coast South--Player: Ellis Lubiens, Cabrillo (.818 AVG, 9 H, 6 R, 4 2B, 5 BB, 8 RBI, 13 1.182 SPCT); Pitcher: Matthew Foley, Ohlone (5 IP, Win, 1 H, 0 R, 4 K)

Golden Valley--Player: Mason Montoya, Lassen  (.438 AVG, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 5 SB, 3 BB, 2 HBP, .571 OBP); Pitcher: Tomas Torres, Butte (4.1 IP in relief, Win, 2 H, 0 R, 4 K)