Top of the list: Modesto Metro Conference talent selected to Cal-Hi Sports’ all-state honor roll

Beyer pitcher Micah Hall is bound for the bump at Cal State Stanislaus.

Gregori shortstop Tyler Janitz will patrol the dirt spaces at Willamette College in Oregon.

Beyer outfielder Jack Large still has one more year to build his college résumé.

While the three Modesto-area baseball talents will go their separate ways in the fall, they’ll be forever linked on the 35th annual Cal-Hi Sports all-state honor roll.

Eleven players from the Stanislaus District were considered for all-state honors, but only three from the Modesto Metro Conference made the final cut.

“I definitely think the conference had one of the better years. Some people see the MMC as being not as competitive as the others, but I think our league is one of the most underrated,” Janitz said. “For three of us to be selected speaks a lot about the MMC and the area as a whole.”

Hall was named to the all-state second team after leading the Patriots (21-8) to a share of the Modesto Metro Conference championship and the conference’s No. 1 overall playoff seed.

The right-hander led the Sac-Joaquin Section in victories, finishing 12-1 with a 1.44 ERA. He was named The Bee’s All-District Player of the Year.

“It really is an honor. I’ve worked really hard to get to where I am today, and this just shows that my hard work really has paid off,” Hall said. “I still have a long way to get to where I want to be. There is always room to get better, and the worst I can be is the same as yesterday.”

Janitz was a third-team all-state selection. The rangy shortstop led the Jaguars, the co-MMC champions, in hits (31), RBIs (21) and runs scored (20).

The conference’s Offensive Player of the Year was just as adept in the field, where he committed only three errors in 25 games for Gregori (20-7), which won 20 games for the first time in school history.

“It’s a huge honor, first of all. It really sums up everything,” said Janitz, who will report to Willamette on Aug. 19. “It’s like icing on the cake to everything that’s been going at Gregori the past four years – building a program, being a freshman on the varsity team and working with coach (Rob) Steves, coach (Jim) Davis and coach (Justin) Harden to build Gregori into a powerhouse in the area.

“It’s a huge individual honor, but it really reflects all the work we did as a unit and a team.”

Large was the MMC’s Most Valuable Player as a junior, earning a spot on Cal-Hi Sports’ all-underclass second team. Large hit .494 with 39 hits, including a team-high five triples and two home runs. His 33 RBIs were also tops on the team.

“Micah and Jack receiving these honors does not surprise me,” Beyer coach Dom Duran said. “We’re seeing the results of the hard work they have put into this game. I strongly believe this is just the beginning of two very successful baseball players for years to come.”

This story was originally published July 20, 2015 at 9:47 PM with the headline "Top of the list: Modesto Metro Conference talent selected to Cal-Hi Sports’ all-state honor roll."