PCAC Pair, COD Slugger, RCC Ace Are SoCal Player/Pitchers Of The Week #9/#10

College of the Desert first baseman Derek Ball and Southwestern hurler Hunter Haase plus Grossmont utility player Anthony Thomas and Riverside City ace Ryan Jenkins are the CCCBCA SoCal Players/Pitchers of the Week for Week #9 (Mar. 16-22) and Week #10 (Mar. 23-29).

For Week #9, the 6-foot-3 freshman Ball, from Chaparral High in Parker, Colorado, crushed the ball (8-for-11, .727) in Desert's 3-game sweep over Victor Valley. He roped three doubles, a home run and knocked in nine RBI over the three wins.

Haase, 6-foot freshman righthander from Steele Canyon HS in Spring Valley, had one of the more impressive relief performances in a 9-4 win, 14-inning win by Southwestern over San Diego City on Mar. 19. Haase came into relieve to start the fourth inning and proceeded to go nine innings, allowing seven hits, two runs, and striking out 10 batters, leaving with a no decision after the 12th frame. The Jaguars scored five runs in the 14th to pull out a win.

In Week #10, Thomas, a 6-2 sophomore from Fallbrook High, was a laser show for Grossmont and evoked the names of Fred Lynn, Reggie Jackson, Nomar Garciaparra and Shohei Othani when he bombed three home runs and 10 RBI in the Griffins' 30-10 win over Southwestern on Mar. 24.

The lefty batter was 4-for-5, reached base six times (two walks) and he finished the 3-game series by batting 8-for-14 (.571) with four homers, two doubles, 12 ribbies and 22 total bases (1.571 slugging percentage). The four MLB greats mentioned were part of a list of just 16 players in pro history to have 10 or more RBI in a game.

Riverside's Jenkins, a 6-2 sophomore righty from Norco High, outdueled Saddleback's Landon Gordon (8 IP) in a magnificent, complete-game 5-hit shutout over the Bobcats, 1-0, on Mar. 26. Jenkins walked two and struck out four and fired 77 strikes in his 114 pitches.