Montarbo wins Big Stick Award
West Valley players win top honors in baseball, softball
By Dick Sparrer
Adam Montarbo swung a mighty big bat for the baseball team at West Valley Community College this past spring.
And the accomplishments of the sophomore first baseman certainly didn't go unnoticed.
Montarbo was named to the 2000 California Community College All-American Baseball Team, and won the prestigious Big Stick Award in the process.
Montarbo was one of four Vikings to win postseason honors beyond the conference level this season. David Dudley joined Montarbo on the All-American list, and Dan Foley and Ryan Realini were each named to the All-State squad.
West Valley won the Coast Conference title for the second straight year and finished the year 30-11 overall.
Montarbo and Dudley each won spots on the Northern California All-American team. Not only was Montarbo the Big Stick Award winner, but he was also one of three first baseman named to the list.
Dudley, a sophomore, was picked as a utility player. The slugger is a former Willow Glen High School players.
Zeph Zinsman, a sophomore infielder from Mission College, was named the Player of the Year. He was joined on the All-American squad by teammates Rob Ellis, a sophomore pitcher, and Matt Cesario, a sophomore infielder.
West Valley's Realini and Foley, Bruce Gossett of Mission and Rashawn Owens of San Jose City College were local players selected to the Northern California All-State team.
Foley and Gossett were sophomore pitchers and Owens was a sophomore first baseman.
Realini, a former Monta Vista High School star, was one of just four freshmen named to the list. He was selected as a designated hitter.
Realini hit .398 as a DH and left fielder for the Vikings. He was forced to sit out the 1999 season after undergoing shoulder surgery, but recovered in time to put up big numbers in 2000.
The All-State and All-American NorCal teams are selected by the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association.
Hess, Richdale top list
Sheila Hess of San Jose City College and Carinne Richdale of West Valley were each named to the All-State NorCal women's softball team.
Shelley Bruno and Ezzy Perez of West Valley and Megan Mills of San Jose City won berths on the All-NorCal team.
Hess, a high school sensation at Fremont, had been named the pitcher of the year on the All-Coast Conference squad, and Mills and Richdale were selected as the co-players of the year.
Debbie Huntze-Rooney of San Jose City College was tabbed the conference coach of the year. She is the daughter of area coaching legend Gordon Huntze, whose baseball teams dominated for many years at Campbell and Westmont high schools.
Hess topped a list of six Jaguars named to the all-conference first team. San Jose players on the squad included Hess, pitcher; Mills, catcher; Tamara DeLeon, first base; Jennifer Nixon and Takla Snell, infield; and Sarah Krenz, outfield.
Outfielder Lindy Tinteltnot and utility player Rosie Garcia of San Jose City were named to the second team.
West Valley also put six players on the all-conference first team, including Bruno, pitcher; Monica Sandoval, first base; Richdale, infield; Perez and Tiffany Satalino, outfield; and Laura Nunez, utility. Infielder Stevie Jimenez and outfielder Katie LoBue of West Valley won second team berths.
West Valley pitcher Alyssa Messier, who died tragically during the season, was named posthumously as a utility player on the all-conference second. Messier had starred as a high school player at Presentation.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
