Beyer, Gregori baseball teams sweep Modesto Metro Conference’s major awards

The baseball programs at Beyer and Gregori high schools dominated conference play, finishing in a virtual dead heat, so it’s only fair they share the spoils.

The Modesto Metro Conference co-champions swept the five major individual awards at the recent coaches’ meeting, a fitting conclusion to a season that saw Beyer and Gregori separate themselves from the rest of the Modesto City Schools.

Beyer junior Jack Large was named the MMC’s MVP after batting nearly .500, while skipper Dom Duran was named Coach of the Year following his second league title in three seasons.

Beyer finished tied atop the MMC standings with Gregori at 11-1 but earned the conference’s No. 1 playoff seed by winning a one-game playoff.

Large was the offensive catalyst for the Patriots (21-8), who were eliminated from the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I South playoffs by Tracy on Tuesday.

The first baseman-outfielder paced Beyer in nearly every statistical category, including average (.494), hits (39), RBIs (31), doubles (eight), triples (five) and home runs (two).

Gregori swept the final three major awards. Senior Jeff Gray was named Pitcher of Year, and senior Tyler Janitz was selected the Offensive Player of the Year. Junior third baseman Dom Carrillo was recognized for his glove, earning the Defensive Player of the Year honor.

Gray was dominant in his final prep season, amassing a 9-0 record with a 1.24 ERA, and he had 75 strikeouts compared to 22 walks.

He and first-team pitcher Anthony Dugo gave the Jaguars a formidable 1-2 punch that was evident in their 3-2 victory over Lodi in the first round of the playoffs. With Gray slowed by the flu, Dugo took the ball and pitched into the sixth inning. He eventually gave way to Gray, who earned the win by retiring five of the six batters he faced.

Janitz provided the pop for Gregori, which won a school-record 20 games and reached the elimination round of the playoffs at Pacific’s Klein Family Field.

One of the Stanislaus District’s top all-around athletes, Janitz led the Jaguars in average (.419), runs (20), hits (31), RBIs (21) and triples (one).

Carrillo committed one error in 24 games at the hot corner, and with Janitz (three errors) at shortstop, the two locked down the left side of the infield for coach Rob Steves.

Three Patriots joined Large on the all-MMC first team: pitcher Micah Hall (12-1), infielder Ryan Frakes (.441, 30 hits) and outfielder Caleb Saalfeld (.388, 11 stolen bases, team-high 28 runs).

Gregori infielder Robert Flores (.359, 23 hits, six doubles, two errors) and catcher Andrew Urrutia (.288, seven doubles, one error) were named to the first team.

Infielders P.J. Wilson of Downey (.300, 18 stolen bases, .967 fielding percentage) and Dylon Jackson of Modesto (.288, team-high 11 RBIs), and Enochs outfielder Austin Pires (.957 fielding percentage, 21 hits, 12 runs) rounded out the first team.

This story was originally published May 20, 2015 at 8:04 PM with the headline "Beyer, Gregori baseball teams sweep Modesto Metro Conference’s major awards."