Briefs: Carlson State player of the Year

Orange Coast College sophomore Chris Carlson tops a list of five players named to the All-State team as State Player of the Year as voted upon by the state’s baseball coaches.

Carlson, the Orange Empire Conference Player of the Year, hit .421 with seven home runs, 43 runs batted in, 37 runs and 11 stolen bases to help the Pirates (36-7-1) win their first outright Orange Empire crown since 1987 and reach the four-team state championship tournament.

In addition to being named the state’s top player, Carlson won the Big Stick award presented to the state’s top hitter. He is bound for New Mexico State University.

Sophomore pitcher Keegan Yuhl, freshman pitcher Brandon Brennan, sophomore outfielder Bijan Rademacher and freshman outfielder Boog Powell were also first-team all-state performers for the Pirates.

Sophomore shortstop Joel Licon was named second-team all-state.

Yuhl, the OEC Pitcher of the Year who has also committed to New Mexico State, was 11-2 with two saves and a 2.08 earned-run average. He struck out 76 in 95 innings.

Brennan, who began his career at the University of Oregon and has committed to the University of Houston, was 11-1 with a 1.25 ERA. He struck out 72 in 1081/3 innings and allowed two earned runs in three postseason starts, spanning 26 innings.

Rademacher, a Cal State Fullerton bounce-back, hit .349 with seven homers, 49 RBIs, 31 runs and nine steals. He also became the Pirates’ closer late in the season, recording four saves and allowing just one earned run in eight innings, while striking out 10. Rademacher has committed to Oral Roberts University.

Powell, who hit leadoff all season, led the team with 76 hits and finished with a .398 average. He scored 49 runs, drove in 25 and stole eight bases, while adding exceptional defense in center field.

Licon, who began his collegiate career at Loyola Marymount and has committed to Liberty University, hit .310 with four home runs, 31 RBIs, 37 runs and 61 hits for Coach John Altobelli.

Carlson is the third OCC player in four years to be named the state’s top player. Brett Wallach earned the honor in 2009 and Matt Moynihan was recognized in 2011.

Andrew Morales, who went 12-1 for Rio Hondo, was the State Pitcher of the Year.

Mario Porto of Moorpark was named Coach of the Year.

— From staff reports

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OCC pair win state

Orange Coast College sophomores Barron Maizland and Meghan Foley won individual titles at the California Community College Athletic Assn. state championships, completed Saturday at Cerritos College.

Maizland won the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 9 minutes, 18.95 seconds, nearly four seconds ahead of the runner-up.

The week before, Maizland set a school record by winning the Southern California Regional Meet in 9:16.71.

Foley won the women’s 1,500 in 4:37.08, more than two seconds better than the runner-up. Foley was also eighth in the 800 in 2:18.0

In the men’s decathlon, Andrew Cruikshank, OCC’s Male Athlete of the Year, used victories in the discus (141 feet, 5 inches) and shot put (43-31/4) to place third with 6,671 points.

OCC sophomore Analicia Silva was second in the 10,000 in 38:24.6.

Other top OCC finishers included: sophomore Patrick Douglas (fifth in the men’s 1,500 in 3:52.73 and eighth in the 5,000 in 14:59.81); Zach Ellis (fifth in the men’s steeplechase in 9:38.85), Grace Adams-Handy (sixth in the women’s steeplechase in 11:30.27); Jace Hinesly (eighth in the men’s steeplechase in 9:48.28); Austin Little (eighth in the men’s 10,000 in 32:14.89); and Hugo Gutierrez (11th in the men’s 1,500 in 4:00.01).

The OCC men’s team was ninth.

— From staff reports