PAST PLAYER UPDATE: C.J. Maruyama has tremendous freshmen college season

Past Golden Era player C.J. Maruyama had a very solid freshmen season, pitching for Occidental College in Southern California.

C.J. tied for the team lead with five wins in his debut season season with the Tigers, posting a 3.20 ERA while pitching the second most innings (59.0).

In his collegiate debut, C.J. allowed only two hits in five innings against Austin College on Feb. 3...

Shut out La Sierra (Feb. 10), throwing 6.1 innings while striking out six...

Threw five innings, allowed one unearned run and recorded a win at Chapman (Feb. 16)...

Earned a win in only four innings as a starter at Caltech (March 9) as the Tigers won 19-6 in eight innings...

Added another four-inning win on March 30 at Whittier, tossing four innings of shutout baseball...

To read C.J's complete college profile please click here: http://oxyathletics.com/sports/bsb/2012-13/bios/maruyama_cj_66vg

ROCKY SIZEMORE'S BIG HIT LIFTS GOLDEN ERA TO TOURNAMENT TITLE

Golden Era's 11U squad filled with 2019 & 2020 grads kept their amazing season going this weekend, advancing to another Championship Game en-route to claiming the tournament title.

In the Championship Game Golden Era got matched up against a solid Nor-Cal Titans team and the game was back and fourth the entire way.

The Titans held the edge going into the final inning when Zion Michael reached base to start the inning, Aidan Pearce followed with a walk to place runners and 1st & 2nd with no outs.

Ryan Sasaki came to the plate and laid down a perfect bunt for a base hit and now the G.E. Elite squad had the bases loaded with Rocky Sizemore coming to the plate.

Sizemore was already 2-2 on the day when he hammered a line-drive into left field scoring two and giving Golden Era the lead for good.

Aidan Pearce and Ian Pascual both pitched three innings apiece keeping the team in the game, never allowing the Titans to go ahead by more than one run.

11U GOLDEN ERA HAMMER THE CONCORD PATRIOTS IN WIN

Ryan Mooar (Spring 2013)

The Concord Patriots before the semi-final tournament game huddled up, did a swaying dance, hyped themselves up...

Then were greeted when they took the field by a lead-off single by Ryan Mooar, followed by an RBI hit by Hunter Mott, then an RBI triple by Ian Pascual, followed by another RBI by McGrae Grace and it was 3-0 before the Concord Patriots recorded an out.

For all purposes, the game was already over at that stage because Golden Era starting pitcher Ryan Mooar was in dominant form.

With six runs in the first two innings, Golden Era left no doubt about the eventual outcome.

Ryan Mooar kept Concord Patriots off the scoreboard for all six innings he was on the hill. He pitched a shutout, allowing no opposing players to cross the plate on two hits while striking out five.

McGRAE GRACE THROWS NO HITTER

In one of those magical pitching season's, McGrae Grace (2019 Grad) threw Golden Era's fourth no-hitter of the season for the 11U squad. Earlier this season Grace came close to a no-hitter, throwing a complete game one hitter.

Sunday would be his day though, as he struck out five en-route to a no-hitter over Miken Baseball.

McGrae Grace on the mound in his no-hitter (Summer 2013)

HUNTER MOTT'S BIG DAY AT THE PLATE LEADS GOLDEN ERA TO VICTORY

HUNTER TAKING BATTING PRACTICE TO PREP FOR RETURN FROM HIS INJURY

Hunter Mott began the 2013 season on fire, hitting around .450 through the teams first 30 games when he was hit by a pitch that broke his right fore-arm.

Mott came back from the injury with force this weekend, in game one of the weekend tournament Hunter hammered two doubles and accounted for 5 of the teams 11 runs, while recording 3 RBI's and scoring two times as well.

The team moved on to win the game 11-3, setting the stage to advance and win the tournament.

PUNLA DEALS ON THE MOUND AS G.E. SUFFERS AN EXTRA INNING TOUGH LOSS

Best of the Best Tournament

Punla on the mound in San Diego

Game 4
G.E. 2, San Diego Game Face 3

Johnny Punla was simply superb in his start in the West Coast Best of the Best tournament in San Diego, doing everything in his power for the Bay Area Select squad, throwing seven innings of 3 hit ball while striking out 5 and only allowing 1 earned run through 7 innings.

In the final game of pool play in San Diego, G.E.'s Bay Area Select was matched up against the San Diego Game Face squad. Both teams were 2-1 in the tournament and the winner would secure a berth to advance to the championship round.

Golden Era jumped ahead in the second inning on a single by Jack Montgomery (Fairfield), scoring Mason Rogan (Clayton) to put our Bay Area Select squad up 1-0.

San Diego answered back in the bottom half of the second with a run of their own, aided by a little help from the umpire who missed a blatant call at 2nd base that would of ended the inning without a run being scored.

Golden Era jumped back ahead again in the third inning on a 2 out RBI single by Akintunde Ahmad (Oakland), scoring Mickey Nunes (Vallejo). That is where the score would sit until the bottom of the seventh inning when San Diego was able to push a run across on a broken bat single.

The game moved on to extra innings where S.D. Game Face scored in the bottom of the eighth to take the win 3-2.

MINTON & KING STELLAR ON THE MOUND IN SAN DIEGO

Jake Minton (Summer of 2013)

Best of the Best Tournament
Game 3
G.E. 5, So-Cal Warriors 1

Golden Era's Bay Area Select High School Club Team has two 2015 grad starting pitchers in their rotation, Andrew King (Walnut Creek) & Jake Minton (Dublin), and both were stellar in their tournament debuts on the road in San Diego.

Both combined efforts in G.E.'s Bay Area Select 5-1 win over the So-Cal Warriors. King got the start on the mound and went the first three innings, allowing one run while striking out four.

Minton came in to finish it off, pitching the final four innings, allowing only two hits and no runs.

At the plate the Bay Area team was lead by shortstop Mickey Nunes (Vallejo) who picked up two hits, along with third basemen Aaron Alexander (Concord) who picked up two hits as well.

PULLIAM ON THE MOUND & BELL AT THE PLATE LEAD G.E. OVER TEAM SAN DIEGO

Best of the Best Tournament

Devin Bell (Summer of 2013)

Game 2
G.E. 9, Team San Diego 1

Tucker Pulliam threw a complete game allowing only four hits while striking out four, picking up the win on the mound 9-1 over Team San Diego.

The bats came alive in the teams second game of the Best of the Best Tournament. Zac Maloney (Dublin) got it going for G.E. in the second with a double to the wall, followed by a single by Devin Bell (Tracy) giving the team a 1-0 lead.

Jarrett Dillon (Walnut Creek) got it going again in the third, launching a double, Mickey Nunes (Vallejo) then knocked Dillon in.

Golden Era blew it open in the fifth, highlighted by a lead off single by Matt McDonald (Dublin), a walk by Danny Uesugi (Walnut Creek), a sac fly from Akintunde Ahmad (Oakland), a single by Mason Rogan (Clayton), another single by Caleb Schwitters (Clayton) and a 2 RBI hit in the gap by Bell. 

SCHWITTERS DOMINANT PITCHING PERFORMANCE NOT ENOUGH

Caleb Schwitters (Summer of 2013)

West Coast Best of the Best Tournament
Game 1 
G.E. 3, West Coast Bulldogs 5

Caleb Schwitters (Clayton) got the start in game 1 of the 2013 Best of the Best Tournament in San Diego, and brought his A game to the mound.

Schwitters allowed a lead off single to the first hitter of the game and only allowed one hit the rest of the way, while recording 5 strikeouts and allowing no earned runs.

The G.E. Bay Area Select team had some trouble in the field which lead to four unearned runs throughout the game, giving the West Coast Bulldogs a cushion Golden Era was not able to rebound from, falling 5-3.

Eddy Lopez (Tracy), Akintunde Ahmad (Oakland) and Aaron Alexander (Concord) all added RBI's hits for G.E.'s Bay Area Select.

AKINTUNDE AHMAD NAMED OAKLAND ATHLETIC LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Akintunde Ahmad (Summer of 2013)

Golden Era Baseball would like to congratulate 2014 grad, Akintunde Ahmad on recently being named Oakland Athletic League Player of the Year.

When Akintunde heard the news at first he was surprised because it wasn't something he set out to do, truthfully it was an award he had forgot they even handed out. He knew of First Team All-League and Second Team All League, but not a league MVP.

When it all settled in though, Akintunde said it felt really good to know his hard work was recognized and people noticed.

For his senior season next year his goal is to try and repeat what he did this year, along with raising his Batting Average, which was right around .500 during the 2013 season swinging a wood bat all year, as well as increasing his number of Stolen Bases and having less errors in the field.

Ahmad says, "He plans to work hard to become a better player for next year over this summer and off-season. I don't want to get complacent".

Even more impressive than his stats and accomplishments on the baseball field, Akintunde is also a gifted musician and student, where he plays the Trumpet, French Horn as well as West African Drum because his mom use to be a West African Dancer as a kid, when he began playing and has continued. At University of California Berkeley, Ahmad is a member of their gifted musician program.

Akintunde also holds a 4.3 GPA in the class room, where English is his favorite subject. For college he wants to go to a 4 year university and major in either the science field, law or business. He is still trying to narrow it down and of course would like to play baseball in college.

Congratulations again to Akintunde Ahmad on a tremendous season and we wish you future success!

G.E.'S BAY AREA SELECT DROP PITCHERS DUEL 2-0

Clayton Nodal

G.E. Bay Area Select 0, Berkovich 2

G.E.'s Bay Area Select and Berkovich locked up in a pitchers duel Thursday afternoon, with Berkovich pulling it out 2-0.

It was one of the better pitching match ups you'll see, with Golden Era's Clayton Nodal and Sean Jenkins of Berkovich both dealing back and fourth on the mound.

Both pitchers scattered only 4 hits in their efforts.

Berkovich was able to score 1 run in the second inning and another in the third, and that would be all they would get off Nodal, who didn't allow a hit after the third inning.

Jenkins was just as impressive, holding G.E.'s Bay Area Select scoreless picking up a 2-0 win. 

TEAM EFFORT LEADS TO DOUBLE HEADER SWEEP OVER THE CALIFORNIA WARRIORS

Players pick up Devin Bell after scoring the tying run

Golden Era Bay Area Select vs. California Warriors
Game 1: G.E. Bay Area Select 6 CA Warriors 5

Golden Era's Bay Area Select high school summer team kept up their hot start on Sunday, taking a double header sweep from the California Warriors. The 2 wins advanced Bay Area Select to 6-0 on the season.

Game 1 got started with G.E. jumping ahead with a 3 run first inning and the squad never fell behind in a 6-5 win. Tucker Pulliam (Dublin) got the start on the mound and went 4 solid innings allowing 5 hits and 1 earned run in his effort. In the 5th Drae Randolph (Benicia) took the hill for the first time this summer striking out 2 in his 1 1/3 innings of work.

Aaron Alexander (Concord) came in to record the final 5 outs to close out the game on 1 hit and striking out 2. 

Danny Uesugi (Summer of 2013)

Danny Uesugi (Walnut Creek) lead the charge at the plate going a perfect 3-3 at the dish with singles in the

first, third, and fifth innings.

Mickey Nunes (Napa) also added 2 hits and an RBI along with 2 RBI's from Tunde Ahmad (Oakland).

Game 2:
G.E. Bay Area Select 6 CA Warriors 5

In game 2 Golden Era's Bay Area Select and the CA Warriors volleyed the lead six times, but Golden Era came out on top for a 6-5 win in Sunday afternoon's nightcap.

G.E came from behind and took the lead in the fifth inning and held on for the victory.

With G.E. down by a run heading into the fifth a comeback was in order. With one out Devin Bell (Tracy) came to the plate and lined the first pitch into left field for a single. Andrew Pearce (Martinez) walked, moving runners to first and second.

Seth Blume (Walnut Creek) then stepped to the plate and singled to left field, scoring Bell to tie the game. Danny Uesugi added another hit scoring Pearce giving G.E.'s Bay Area Select the lead for good.

Mason Rogan (Clayton) and Matty McDonald (Dublin) added big RBI hits as well.

Andrew King (Summer of 2013)

Andrew King (Walnut Creek) got the start on the mound in game 2, working 3 1/3 innings before turning the ball over to Eddy Lopez (Stockton), who struck out three of the five batters he faced.

Jack Minton (Dublin) came on the finish off the game and earn the win on the mound, pitching two scoreless innings while striking out two and allowing only one hit.

GOLDEN ERA CRUSHES THE WALNUT CREEK BULLDAWGS IN DOMINANT WIN

Golden Era scored 7 runs in the first inning and added another 4 runs in the second inning to jump out to an early big lead and cruised from there to a dominant win over the Walnut Creek Bulldawgs.

NODAL & PUNLA STELLAR PITCHING PERFORMANCES LEAD BAY AREA SELECT SWEEP OVER THE PLAYMAKERS

Clayton Nodal

G.E. Bay Area Select  vs. Playmakers
Game 1: G.E. 11, Playmakers 1

Golden Era's Bay Area Select cruised past Playmakers Baseball on Saturday, sweeping a double-header to advance to 4-0 on the young season.

In game 1 Bay Area Select broke it open by scoring five runs in the fifth, highlighted by a two-run double by Eddy Lopez, an RBI double by Johnny Punla and a RBI single by Aaron Alexander..

Mickey Nunez racked up three RBIs on three hits to lead the offense as well.

Clayton Nodal brought his "A-Game" against the Playmakers during his outing. The Playmakers managed just two hits off of Nodal, who allowed no earned runs, walked two and struck out four during his 6 solid in innings of work.

Game 2: G.E. 6, Playmakers 0

Johnny Punla (Summer of 2013)

Golden Era's Bay Area Select completed the double-header sweep Saturday afternoon, pulling out a 6-0 win over the Playmakers.

Johnny Punla was phenomenal on the mound, pitching 5 shut-out innings while striking out 8 and only allowing 2 hits.

In total on the day G.E's Bay Area Select pitchers only gave up 4 hits over the course of 2 games.

It didn't take long for the squad to strike in game two, as Golden Era scored three runs in the first on a two-run double by Eddy Lopez followed by an RBI single by Mickey Nunes.

Golden Era's Bay Area Select continued to add on, pushing one run across in each of the third, fourth and fifth innings.

Jake Minton came on to pitch the 6th and 7th innings, holding the Playmakers scoreless without allowing a hit. 

G.E's BAY AREA SELECT BEGIN SEASON WITH DOUBLE HEADER SWEEP

Golden Era's Bay Area Select High School Summer Club Team took the field for the first time Sunday, opening up Northern California Connie Mack league play against the Alameda Dark Horses.

Game 1 was a pitchers duel from start to end, with 5 Bay Area Select pitchers, Johnny Punla, Andrew King, Jake Minton, Eddy Lopez & Caleb Schwitters holding the Dark Horses scoreless and only allowing 3 hits en-route to a 1-0 victory.

Game 2 the pitching was once again spectacular, with Clayton Nodal, Matthew McDonald, Jordan Katzeff and Tucker Pulliam all holding down the Dark Horses.

In the second game of the double header the bats also came alive for G.E's Bay Area Select squad, with big hits by several players, Zac Maloney, Eddy Lopez, Tunde Ahmad, Danny Uesugi, Aaron Alexander, Jack Montgomery & Seth Blume.

When it was all said and done 10 runs were posted as the team cruised to the the double-header sweep, beginning the 2013 Northern California Connie Mack League 2-0.