California Lg. prospect reports

Official League Website: calsummerball.com
2015 Summer Collegiate Top Prospect Index
California Collegiate League Top Prospect List (30)


The California Collegiate League championship game ended in dramatic fashion when the Neptune Beach Pearl defeated the Los Angeles Brewers 3-2 on a walkoff base hit by Logan Marston. The Pearl developed a knack for winning games in the playoffs in thrilling fashion, as Lucas Erceg's grand slam in the ninth inning in a playoff matchup with the Conejo Oaks pushed that game into extra innings, a contest the Pearl would eventually win to advance.

The Pearl also had an extra-inning win over the San Luis Obispo Blues, and Stephen Smith hit a three-run bomb in the sixth inning to put the Pearl ahead in their first championship series matchup against the Brewers.

Erceg, despite only playing in 29 games, made a big impression this summer, following up an exciting season with the Cal Bears. He hit .336 with four home runs and nine doubles in just 110 at-bats, receiving strong support as the league's top prospect, at least from those that had the chance to see him play.

The Santa Barbara Foresters, the best team in the CCL during the regular season with a 23-4 record, opted to compete in the National Baseball Congress World Series held in Wichita, Kan. in early August.


Year Established: 1993
States Represented: California
No. of Teams: 10
Regular Season Champion (best overall record): Santa Barbara Foresters (23-4)
Post Season Champion: Neptune Beach Pearl
No. 1 Prospect, 2015: Jon Duplantier, rhp, Santa Barbara (Rice)
First 2014 Player Selected, 2015 Draft: Matt Withrow, rhp, Santa Barbara (Texas Tech/Braves, 6th round)

Most Valuable Player: Jeremy Montalbano, c, Santa Barbara (Tulane)
Most Outstanding Player: Vahn Bozoian, of, Los Angeles (Concordia)
Most Outstanding Pitcher: Gary Cornish, rhp, Santa Barbara (San Diego)

BATTING LEADERS

Batting Average: Larry Barraza, 2b, Academy (Grambling State) (.430)
Slugging Percentage: Aaron Cisneros, 1b, Academy (UC Riverside) (641)
On-Base Average: Garrett Giovannelli, inf, San Luis Obispo (Cuesta JC) (.506)
Home Runs: Aaron Cisneros, 1b, Academy (UC Riverside) (10)
RBI: Aaron Cisneros, 1b, Academy (UC Riverside)(31)
Stolen Bases: Keyon Allen, OF, Academy (UNLV) (20)

PITCHING LEADERS

Wins: Ricardo Salinas, rhp, Neptune Beach (Rice) (6)
ERA: Angel Rodriguez, rhp, Conejo (CSUN) (0.72)
Saves: Adam Atkins, rhp, San Luis Obispo (Louisiana Tech) (5)
Strikeouts: Peter Bayer, rhp, Los Angeles (Cal Poly Pomona) (42)

BEST TOOLS

Best Athlete: Josh Rojas, 2b, Southern California (Hawaii)
Best Hitter: Josh Rojas, 2b, Southern California (Hawaii)
Best Power: Vahn Bozoian, of, Los Angeles (Concordia)
Fastest Base Runner: Nick King, ss, San Luis Obispo (Georgia)
Best Defensive Player: Nick King, ss, San Luis Obispo (Georgia)
Best Velocity: Gary Cornish, rhp, Santa Barbara (San Diego)
Best Breaking Ball: Peter Bayer, rhp, Los Angeles (Cal Poly Pomona )
Best Command: Garett King, rhp, Santa Barbara (Nebraska)


TOP 20 PROSPECTS

1. Lucas Erceg, 3b, Neptune Beach (Menlo College/JR in 2016)
Erceg proved to have a flair for the dramatic, both during the spring as a sophomore at Cal and this summer for the Neptune Beach Pearl. He only played in 29 games this summer, but had a huge impact during that time, producing a .336/.439/.527 triple slash line with nine doubles and four home runs. A lefthanded hitter, Erceg gets great extension with exciting pull-side power, hitting .303 in the spring with 11 home runs. For as good as he is at the plate, his single-best tool might be his arm strength, with the ability to throw in the low-90s as a righthanded pitcher, and he posted a 2.53 ERA during the spring over eight relief appearances. Due to academic reasons Erceg has transferred to Menlo College, an NAIA school, for his junior year, and as a result of his summer success Erceg was named to Perfect Game's Summer Collegiate All-America team as an honorable mention.