POSTSEASON PRIME 31: 26-22

26. TOBY TROTTER

Senior, pitcher-first base, The King's Academy

The Skinny: When Toby Trotter steps onto the College of San Mateo campus in the fall, he'll have to weigh his options. Will he focus his attention on pitching or continue to swing the bat, too? Keep in mind, he exceled at both this year, but college coaches want someone to commit to a single craft. And being a southpaw with pretty good stuff and command of his pitches makes him a commodity for a school in a Power Four conference, which he says is his goal. "If it takes a year or two years, I want to get bigger and stronger and move onto a big school." Along the way, there are some things to hone when it comes to pitching. "I need to refine my game," he said. "I found myself getting ahead in counts with two strikes or 1-2 and throwing bad pitches that were hit for blook hits. I gave up a lot of two-strike hits. It's about taking pride in every pitch."

Season Highlight: Way back in March, the Knights opened the season at the Tamone Memorial Tournament in Santa Clara with a come-from-behind, walk-off win over Wilcox. "We were down three runs, and we got four straight singles with two outs to win," Trotter said. "That was special."

"This season helped to build my character. I had to fight through some things. It was a good season of learning."

The Numbers Tell the Story: Trotter had 27 hits and 17 RBI, but scored just four runs, an indicator of the lack of production King's suffered at the bottom of its lineup.

Eye-Popping Stat: In a storied career, Trotter hit .330, while striking out 178 batters in 156 innings of work.

What Others Say: "He struggled with his mechanics early but never quit. He worked through it. He got over the hump. His mindset of trying to do the best he could got him over the top." – Ethan Johnson, senior utility player, The King's Academy.

25. JACK LEEPER

Sophomore, centerfield, Saint Francis

The Skinny: After missing all of his freshman year, thanks to a knee injury suffered during football season, Jack Leeper burst onto the scene in a big way by playing centerfield and batting leadoff for the Lancers. He would eventually move to the No. 2 hole with the emergence of freshman second baseman Landon King – a move that lengthened the batting order – and continued to be a threat on the bases. He set a school record and led the WCAL with 27 stolen bases in his first year of high school baseball. "Hopefully, I can break it again next year," he says.

Season Highlight: Leeper hit a home run against St. Ignatius Prep just days after his grandfather, Jeff Leeper, died. Even though the Lancers lost the game – a loss they would avenge in the opening round of the CCS-Division I tournament — it was a moment he'll never forget. "It was emotional for sure – to do something like that for him," he said.

"I wasn't used to high school pitching yet (early in the season). Wags was good about making sure I was still trusting myself and my preparation and once league play started, I think I started to feel more comfortable and confident."

The Numbers Tell the Story: Leeper collected 35 hits, scored 30 runs and had an on-base percentage of .426.

Eye-Popping Stat: A shortstop all his life, Leeper moved to centerfield and has a 1.000 field percentage, making us wonder if he's found a new home or whether there will be a return to the infield.

What Others Say: "Jack really became a force for us offensively. ... He is a great speed and power combo player, and he played a near-flawless centerfield. We expect him to be our foundational leader on offense the next two seasons." – Erik Wagle, Saint Francis coach.

24. ANAKIN MANUEL

Senior, third base, Capuchino

The Skinny: Being the No. 3 hitter in the lineup comes with its share of perks – and at least one downfall, Anakin Manuel has come to learn. "I know as the three hitter, I will only get one pitch to hit – if that – so I try to make the most of it." It's a show of respect. Don't let that guy beat you. Take your chances with the next guy or hope No. 3 lacks the discipline to lay off the pitches out of the zone. Manuel has learned to lay off pitches he doesn't like, especially with runners in scoring position. "I'm typically more disciplined then," said the Skyline College signee. "I look to find a pitch I can crush and have no wasted movement in my swing." Batting third in a lineup that featured Andres Gomez and Lucas Zayac in front of him and Travis Ciardella behind him, no other PAL team had that kind of production from its top four hitters. It made for another solid season for Capuchino. "Our outcome wasn't what we were hoping for," Manuel said. "Losing in the CCS-Division II semifinals was disappointing, but I felt like our team chemistry was the best it's been.

Season Highlight: On May 7, Zayac broke a 4-4 tie with a two-run bases-loaded single in the top of the 10th inning and Manuel followed with a three-run homer – "the cherry on top," Manuel says – as Capuchino came from behind to beat Sequoia. "That game was electric."

"I've gained a lot of strength this year and my defense has improved a lot. I'm also able to hit for power to the opposite field. Now I want to work on getting faster and having better mobility and flexibility."

The Numbers Tell the Story: Manuel had 36 hits and a .527 on-base percentage to go along with a slugging percentage of .614. That's an OPS of 1.141. Defensively, he made just one error at third base and had a .977 fielding percentage.

Eye-Popping Stat: Manuel wrapped up his high school career with a .352 batting average and 88 hits.

What Others Say: "Anakin's bat always came through for our team. He made it playing shortstop very easy with all the ground he covered in the six hole." – Andres Gomez, senior shortstop, Capuchino.

23. LANDON KIM

Senior, pitcher, Saint Francis

The Skinny: Landon Kim's season can be divided into three pieces: An amazing first two-thirds that featured dominant complete-game victories, four bad starts to close out the regular season and a triumphant two-hit shutout in his final high school start. "Landon is a guy who is going to hit the glove," said Saint Francis catcher Gino Cappellazzo. "He'd hit his spot with the off-speed stuff. He wasn't a strikeout pitcher, but he got a lot of soft-contact outs." When he was on his game – when his sinker was sinking – he was one of the Peninsula's best pitchers. "I learned how to overcome and push through adversity," said the Williams College signee. "This was the first season that I really went through ups and downs. Navigating that was important."

Season Highlight: The Lancers opened the WCAL season with three straight wins – a sweep over Valley Christian and a victory over Serra in San Mateo – and Kim was the catalyst by recording two shutout victories in that span. "I had a good run," he said. "Back-to-back shutouts were a good way to start off the WCAL season."

"I know that this season will help me out a lot in college."

The Numbers Tell the Story: Reports of Kim's demise after four straight sub-part starts – two to end the WCAL season, one in the WCAL tourney and the fourth in the CCS semifinals – were greatly exaggerated and put that myth to rest when he tossed a two-hit complete-game shutout in the NorCal-Division II semifinals, 2-0 victory over Acalanes. He struck out five and needed just 84 pitches to go the distance.

Eye-Popping Stat: Kim threw 64 innings this season, topping last season's mark by an inning. In two seasons, he threw more than 127 innings with 105 strikeouts and had an earned-run average of 1.70.

What Others Say: "Landon was our unquestioned leader. ... He leaned into his profile as a sinker-slider pitcher, and he became extraordinarily good at pitching in a style that led to great success for him individually and for us as a team." – Erik Wagle, Saint Francis coach.

22. EMMETT JOHNSON

Senior, centerfield, St. Ignatius Prep

The Skinny: Here we are late in June and Emmett Johnson is a centerfielder without a home. Anybody who him play the last two years knows that makes no sense. There's a college program somewhere in need of a top-of-the-order outfielder with a great glove, speed and enough pop to light into one every now and then. If that means reshuffling the deck and playing juco ball for at least a year – perhaps at Ohlone College in Fremont – and then watching the four-year colleges line up for his services, then then so be it. Someone is going to get a good ballplayer. And a hungry one. "There are definitely things I can work on and continue to improve on," he said.

Season Highlight: There are some games that are remembered. And a handful of venues. For Johnson, his personal highlight featured both. Chase Gordon's bases-loaded double into Triple's Alley at Oracle Park snapped a 3-3 tie in the top of the seventh and gave St. Ignatius Prep a 6-3 victory over Sacred Heart Cathedral in the Bruce Mahoney Classic. "It was a crazy atmosphere and as the game got deep, we all settled in and came through at the end," said Johnson, who had two hits in the game, including a double that set the table for Gordon. "I was sped up in my first two at bats but found a way to slow myself down and help my team in my last two."

"I felt like I was able to handle the velocity we faced, but being able to consistently drive through and spin it against those arms is what sets guys apart. ... I'm working on being smooth and able to take that swing against higher velocity. That will lead to me back spinning it more and driving it."

The Numbers Tell the Story: Johnson had 30 hits and scored 23 runs, with an on-base percentage of .439.

Eye-Popping Stat: He played a flawless centerfield. In 50 chances, he had no errors.

What Others Say: He has just a ridiculous combination of speed and power. He's also a great player to be around. No matter where Emmett ends up, I know he will continue to dominate." – DJ Delaney, junior right fielder, St. Ignatius Prep.