POSTSEASON PRIME 31: 31-27

31. JACOB VINES

Junior, pitcher, Sacred Heart Cathedral

The Skinny: Dig deeper into Jacob Vines' 5-4 record and you find a hard-throwing right-hander who had the potential to dominate every time he took the mound. Every WCAL coach was aware of his stuff. In May, he was called on to pitch the seventh inning of a 9-6 upset of Saint Francis in Mountain View. His fastball hit 90 mph that day. That victory may have secured a CCS for the Irish. "Overall, it was a great season, and I had a lot of fun showing what I knew I could always do," he said.

Season Highlight: The pinnacle of Jacob Vines' season can be pinpointed to April 4. Coming off a loss to Archbishop Riordan three days earlier – the Crusaders first WCAL victory in three seasons – Vines made sure rivals from The City didn't begin a winning streak. He threw a no-hitter that day and struck out 16 in a 4-0 victory. "We were coming off a loss, so I had some extra feelings and energy toward that game. I had the best stuff I had all year, and I was in a flow state. Getting that last strike was a feeling I'll never forget."

"My season was a step in the right direction. There were new challenges, like being a starter in high school for the first time and my team having some key injuries."

The Numbers Tell the Story: He struck out 87 batters in 57 innings – No. 3 in the WCAL and the 12th most strikeouts in the entire CCS – and had a 2.06 earned-run average. Opponents hit just .195 against him.

Eye-Popping Stat: His 16 strikeouts against Riordan on April 4 were the most by a Peninsula pitcher this year. Consider that only five balls were put in play that day. That's domination.

What Others Say: "Jacob's leadership on and off the field is unmatched. He competes his tail off on the mound and that's someone you want to play behind. He makes everyone around him better. – Gregg Franceschi, Sacred Heart Cathedral coach.

30. WES PETERSON

Junior, pitcher, Menlo-Atherton

The Skinny: In March, Wes Peterson was a hard-throwing underclassman who was being regaled for committing to Duke University. By season's end, after helping Menlo-Atherton win the PAL Bay Division, "I became less of a thrower and more of a pitcher," he said. He added a changeup, which only made the heater more effective. Peterson had fewer strikeouts per inning than he did when he burst onto the scene as a sophomore, but he says he is a better pitcher. "I think this season was really important for me to grow as an athlete."

Season Highlight: You can point to Peterson's final start – a CCS-Division II quarterfinal victory over Pioneer – as proof of just how far he has come as a pitcher this season. He allowed only one hit in four innings and needed just 46 pitches to strike out five and call it a day.

"I think there were plenty of high highs and some low lows throughout the season, but overall, it was a good experience for me to be able to highlight my mistakes so that I could begin to train and learn from them, ultimately to get better."

The Numbers Tell the Story: Peterson allowed just seven earned runs in 46 1/3 innings. He wasn't used like many of the Peninsula's workhorse No. 1 starters, but he made starts against Saint Francis and Archbishop Mitty during the nonleague portion of the season, an indicator he was the Bears' ace.

Eye-Popping Stat: He held opposing hitters to a .125 batting average this season, while their on-base percentage – just 21 hits allowed and 14 walks – was a minuscule .234.

What Others Say: "Every game he was on the bump, the whole squad knew it was going to be a competitive game. ... He always put us in a good position to win." – Ryder Kelly, junior second baseman, Menlo-Atherton.

29. DREW OSTRANDER

Senior, infield, Sequoia

The Skinny: Which comes first, success or confidence? Drew Ostrander says he might have been in dire need of both after struggling last year to compete as an underclassman. He put that in the past. Success came. And so did his confidence – so much so, he admits to taking a peek his numbers regularly, something he dreaded doing in 2024. "I definitely did look at my stats this year," said the Sequoia senior who will be trying out for the club team at the University of Wisconsin immediately after arriving in Madison in August. "It was a great feeling. It felt like I was going to get a hit in every at bat." It sure seemed that way. After hitting a respectable .333 for the first month of the season, Ostrander went on a tear and finished the year by batting .402 in helping the Ravens to the CCS tournament.

Season Highlight: Ostrander ushered in the month of May with a three-hit, five-RBI performance in a 14-4 victory over Sacred Heart Prep. Included in that game was his second home run of the season.

"I'm trying to understand that you can't get a hit or do something great every at bat. You're going to fail sometimes."

The Numbers Tell the Story: .495 on-base percentage (33 hits and 14 walks). He also stole 12 bases this season for the Ravens.

Eye-Popping Stat: In 28 games, Ostrander had 10 multi-hit games and had just six oh-fers. His batting average never dipped below .350 in the months of April and May.

What Others Say: "Drew is one of those guys who flew under the radar. He has always had a great swing and a ton of potential. As soon as this season started, he was smashing the ball. He did that throughout the season. – Logan Mathias, catcher, Sequoia

28. JACK FREEHILL

Junior, shortstop, Menlo School

The Skinny: Menlo School capped a run of 21 victories in their final 22 games this month by winning the Northern California Division IV crown by beating Santa Clara, 2-1, in the final. Leading the way all season was junior shortstop Jack Freehill, a Columbia University commit, who ran away with PAL Ocean Division player of the year honors by batting leadoff and wreaking havoc. "I would say that's definitely part of my game," he said. "Finding ways to get on, make stuff happen on the bases and put pressure on the defense."

Season Highlight: As thrilling as the NorCal final was for the Knights, it was the 15-11 semifinal win over top-seeded Woodland Christian that resonated more with Freehill. The two teams battled throughout and went into extra innings before Menlo scored four runs in the top of the eighth inning. Two pitches into the bottom of the eighth, the umpires suspended the game. "We had to go home and drive two hours the next morning to finish the bottom of the inning, which took seven minutes," Freehill said. "It could have been really easy for us to be super upset that we had to take the trip back to play seven minutes, but we had a positive attitude."

"The biggest thing for me is not trying to do too much when I'm hitting. When I stick to my approach at the dish, which is to think left-center (field), I play my best. It took me a little time this year to get back to my approach, which led to me getting good results."

The Numbers Tell the Story: Freehill scored 31 runs, thanks to a .472 on-base percentage. He had 35 hits, including 12 for extra bases.

Eye-Popping Stat: A .535 slugging percentage and 1.007 OPS were more befitting of a cleanup hitter than a leadoff hitter. That indicates the number of ways Freehill can torture the opposition.

What Others Say: "Jack is a really a great defensive shortstop, one of the best I have played against. That kid can swing it, too. He hits the ball to all fields and is a tough out." – Cruz Torrez, Woodside junior outfielder.

27. RYDER KELLY

Junior, second base, Menlo-Atherton

The Skinny: Ryder Kelly trained hard in the fall and winter, gaining size, strength and muscle. It showed on the field, where he hit .363 for the Bears. He also became a leader of a Menlo-Atherton team that rolled to the PAL Bay Division crown and won a CCS game before falling in the semifinals. "We're definitely proud of what we accomplished throughout the season," said the UC-Davis commit. "We wish we could have gone further but winning the PAL was a huge accomplishment."

Season Highlight: Kelly says his biggest highlight came on March 28 when the Bears beat Sacred Heart Prep under the lights at Stanford's Sunkin Diamond. "That moment stood out the most to me," he said. "It gave us a sweep over the Gators in front of hundreds of fans. That game picked up the momentum for everyone on the team, going into the back half of the season."

"My biggest improvement was my fielding and my leadership role on the team. I didn't have the best fielding year in my sophomore year, and I made a huge jump this year. I'd say I was a better player this year through the confidence I gained."

The Numbers Tell the Story: Kelly collected 33 hits, drove in 19 runs and scored 29 runs. An on-base percentage of .468 set the table for the middle of Menlo-Atherton's batting order.

Eye-Popping Stat: Of his 33 hits, 16 went for extra bases, including 12 doubles.

What Others Say: "He's the kind of player that makes other kids want to train harder. ... I'd see him at before and after practice throwing a ball off the wall to himself to work on fielding or asking someone available to feel him soft toss." – Wes Peterson, Menlo-Atherton junior pitcher.