By MICHAEL COIT
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
The strength of Empire college baseball programs was evident with Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State placing the equivalent of a starting lineup on all-conference teams.
Santa Rosa had five players earning Big 8 Conference selection: Brett Obranovich, Anthony Bender, Chase Stafford, Matt LoCoco and Brandon Hagerla.
Making the California Collegiate Athletic Association all-conference teams were: George Asmus, Eric Ehlow, Jackson Stogner and Jourdan Weiks.
Both teams reached the postseason after strong runs in very competitive leagues.
Santa Rosa’s picks were led by starting pitcher Obranovich, from Napa High, with an 8-1 record and 1.86 earned run average going into this weekend’s playoffs. Reliever Bender, from Casa Grande High, led the conference with seven saves.
Infielder and top hitter Stafford, from Casa Grande, had a .320 batting average and led the Bear Cubs in slugging.
Outfielder LoCoco, out of Piner High, was second in hits and the team’s stolen-base leader.
Making the Big 8 second team was Hagerla. The starting pitcher was 8-2 with a 1.79 earned run average.
Sonoma State was led by CCAA first-team pick Asmus. The Seawolves ace, from Pleasanton, was 6-1 with a league-leading 1.06 earned run average.
Earning second-team honors was Ehlow. A catcher from Laguna Nigel, Ehlow hit .325 and was second on the team in RBIs, knocking in 25 runners.
Third-team honors went to Stogner and Weiks. Stogner, a second baseman from Analy High, led Sonoma State with 12 doubles and 28 runs batted in on the season. Leadoff hitter Weiks, from Olympia, Wash., led the Seawolves with 32 runs scored and 13 stolen bases.
SRJC, SSU strong on softball lists
The best Santa Rosa Junior College softball season in a decade can be measured in six players earning all-conference honors.
Another standout campaign by Sonoma State’s softball campaign helped place four Seawolves on all-conference teams.
Santa Rosa had three Big 8 Conference first-team selections. Krystina Pardoski, an outfielder from Garberville, hit .402 and knocked in 25 runners. Megan Winters, a pitcher and infielder from Analy High, led the team in innings pitched and complete games while hitting .400 for the season. Dana Thom-sen, a pitcher from Petaluma High, led the Bear Cubs with a 13-3 record.
Outfielder Chauntel Cesna, a second-team pick out of Fairfield, led Santa Rosa in runs batted in and slugging.
Earning honorable mention were infielders Alexandra Coirds, from Petaluma High, and Samantha Bartee, from Maria Carrillo.
Leading the Sonoma State selections to California Collegiate Athletic Association teams is ace Amanda Llerena. The right-hander from San Jose went 22-14 with a 2.09 earned run average, earning first team and league most valuable pitcher honors.
Also making the first team was outfielder Megan Konieczka, from Lake Forest. She led Sonoma State in hitting, including 16 home runs and 54 runs batted in on the season.
Second-team honors went to first baseman Amanda Rossetta, from San Jose, second in hits and knocking in runners. Infielder Hayley Condon, from Santa Monica, was honorable mention.
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