Granada’s Parker Warner (4) runs away from his teammates after hitting the game winning walk-off bunt against De La Salle in the 7th inning of their game at Granada High School in Livermore, Calif., on Friday, March 15, 2024. Granada defeated De La Salle 5-4. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
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BASEBALL: QUITE A RIDE FOR GRANADA STAR
It finally hit Parker Warner when he saw his Senior Day poster.
The five-foot-tall banner had two pictures side-by-side.
On the right was an elementary school photo of Warner in his Little League uniform. On the left, a photo of Warner from this season in his black and gold Granada jersey.
As the senior stepped off the field after Granada’s final regular season home game on Thursday, he quickly realized how much time had passed since he first wore the Granada colors four years ago.
“It feels like yesterday when I was a freshman watching the seniors get celebrated on Senior Day,” Warner said. “But being here with all my friends that I played Little League with and seeing everyone get in the game and do well, it was definitely a cool moment for all of us.”
Warner, a Stanford commit, had his own struggles as a freshman. Like a minor leaguer who was trying to stay in the show, Warner was shuffled between JV and varsity his first year at the Livermore school.
But since then, he has blossomed into the Matadors’ unquestioned leader. His 1.39 ERA and 49 strikeouts will put him in strong consideration to be the East Bay Athletic League Player of the Year.
“Parker has been an exemplary example of what we want in our baseball players,” Granada coach Corrigan Willis said. “It’s fun to see a guy that does everything right in the classroom, community and on the baseball field get some accolades.”
Granada and Warner aren’t finished yet.
The Matadors, who locked up the league’s regular-season title, are aiming high. They hope to close out season by capturing EBAL tournament, North Coast Section and NorCal regional championships.
“We set goals at the beginning of the year and it was never to go undefeated or anything like that,” Warner said. “But we have a lot of talent. But I definitely knew if we play the way we’re supposed to play that we would have a lot of confidence going into the playoffs.”
— Nathan Canilao
SOFTBALL: INJURED WOLICZKO FINALLY TAKES BREAK
McKenna Woliczko is as busy as a high school athlete can be, going from being a nationally-recruited basketball player in the winter to a top-notch softball star in the spring.
Throw school and a social life on top of her athletic responsibilities, and you get a young woman who always has something to do.
“I’ve definitely had to learn time management,” Woliczko said. “You can’t procrastinate.”
That packed schedule went on unabated until a slide into second base against St. Ignatius on April 17 resulted in a seriously-bruised knee and a couple weeks of inaction. For the first time in years – or possibly ever – Woliczko has had to slow down.
She hates it.
“This sucks,” Woliczko said. “I want to be out there playing with my team.”
The good news is that Woliczko avoided any serious tears or sprains, and is expected to be back on the softball field within the next week. The sophomore could be seen playing catch with teammates between innings of a game this week against Willow Glen.
After softball season, it’ll be on to AAU basketball.
In other words, Woliczko will be back to being her normal busy self.
— Joseph Dycus
BASEBALL: A’S BLCKBURN HONORED BY HERITAGE
Paul Blackburn, surrounded by friends and family at Heritage in Brentwood, hoisted his framed No. 24 at the end of Wednesday’s pregame ceremony. On the A’s pitcher’s day off, his high school alma mater retired his number before a rivalry game with crosstown Liberty.
“I haven’t been back here in a while, so to be able to come back here and have those memories pop up, it’s more than I could’ve ever thought of,” Blackburn said.
He didn’t have to think for very long before he came up with his favorite memory as a player at the Brentwood public school.
“I really remember my no-hitter against Deer Valley, because one of my best friends was playing for Deer Valley,” said Blackburn, referencing his eight-strikeout performance against Blake McAuley’s Wolverines on May 1, 2012.
Blackburn went 24-8 as a prep star, with a 1.04 ERA. A two-way player, Blackburn hit .347 as a senior in 2012. A few months later, the Chicago Cubs picked Heritage’s ace with their first-round pick.
He has spent his entire major league career (2017 to present) with the A’s, making the All-Star team in 2022 and getting off to a 2-1 start this season, the A’s last in Blackburn’s Bay Area.
“I grew up going to games there at the Coliseum and saw some really good teams,” Blackburn said. “I remember when they had the all-you-can-eat section in the third deck behind home plate where a lot of us would go when we were in high school. It is bittersweet with the move.”
— Joseph Dycus
SOFTBALL: NO SOPHOMORE SLUMP FOR WILLOW GLEN STAR
Willow Glen’s Alanna Clincy had a freshman season in which she went from an unknown newcomer to the ace of the NorCal Division II champions.
She’s been even better this season as a sophomore, striking out 146 in 85 innings for a team that has its sights on more postseason success.
After relying on her heater last year, Clincy has sprinkled in devastating breaking pitches to her arsenal.
“I’m trying to work more off the plate, because that’s how you should be pitching against good teams,” Clincy said. “You don’t want to give them anything over the plate.”
That fastball is still plenty effective, though, and so is her bat. She has put up a .508 average with two home runs and 25 RBIs.
— Joseph Dycus
SOFTBALL: PRESENTATION HAS ITSELF A YOUNG LEADER
Even though she’s just a sophomore, Julia Simón is already one of the best young players in the West Catholic Athletic League.
The Presentation catcher leads her team in batting average (.469), on-base percentage (.542), hits (23), RBIs (20), slugging percentage (.795) and extra-base hits (11).
Simón credits her dominant year to a change in approach from her freshman season.
“I was a big home run hitter last year,” she said. “But this year, I’ve been going for more base hits and doing my job at the plate. I’ve focused on moving a runner into scoring position because we don’t have the biggest hitters on our team. So I’ve just been playing small ball, getting on base and doing my job.”
Though not quite halfway through high school, Simón has already stepped into the team’s leadership role.
“It’s been easier this year because I was named co-captain,” Simón said. “I’m very communicative with my coaches about what everyone on my team needs. Just having that comfort level has also helped me be a leader on the field.”
While Presentation (5-13, 1-6) is still an improving team, the core group of players mostly consists of underclassmen. The Panthers will only graduate three seniors this year, meaning this group will have experience next season.
“I’ve seen a lot of our freshmen really grow since the beginning of the year,” Simón said. “At Presentation, we’re not the biggest team, but there’s so many girls that have so much potential. I’m really hoping we can all grow in the upcoming seasons.”
— Nathan Canilao
Originally published at Nathan Canilao, Joseph Dycus