Granda pitcher Parker Warner (4) delivers against De La Salle High in the seventh inning of NorCal Division I semifinal game at Granada High School in Livermore, Calif., on Thursday, May 30, 2023. The Matadors won 5-0. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
LIVERMORE — The brighter the lights, the better Granada’s Parker Warner played.
In the five postseason starts, the senior pitcher allowed no runs and struck out 16.
When Warner was asked to pitch in relief starting in the 10th inning of the North Coast Section Division I championship game against powerhouse De La Salle — a game that stretched across two fields, two counties, two days and 14 innings — the Stanford commit had one of his best performances of the year.
He allowed just two hits in four innings to lead the Matadors to their first section title in school history, the 1-0 victory ending De La Salle’s 33-game postseason win streak.
Warner was the heart and soul of a Granada team that finished 32-1 and won the CIF NorCal Division I crown, so it was only fitting that he caught the final out in left field as the Livermore school beat St. Mary’s- Stockton 6-4 to complete a historic season.
As a pitcher, the senior was 13-0 with a 0.93 ERA and 69 strikeouts. He did it on the offensive end, too, leading the Matadors in on-base percentage (.530) and runs scored (36).
Warner’s final season in a high school uniform was among the best in Bay Area history, making him an obvious choice for Bay Area News Group’s 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.”
Warner was so beloved and idolized that children often asked for his autograph after games. His electrifying pitching combined with his knack to know exactly where to hit the ball was tailor-made for a Granada team which had talent all over the field.
Warner was third on the team in RBIs (29) and had two home runs.
While Warner said he is excited to start a new journey across the Bay at Stanford, he will never forget all of the accomplishments he had with Granada this season.
“This group of guys is amazing,” Warner said after Granada’s NorCal finals win against St. Mary’s. “It still hasn’t hit me that this is the last game of my high school career. But I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else. This is a great team.”
