Santa Monica High junior Tyler Skaggs has been named the Ocean League’s Most Valuable Player for the just-completed baseball season.
Skaggs, a 6-foot-4 lefthanded pitcher, had a win over all five league opponents, including a 10-inning one-hit shutout of Culver City when he struck out 14 batters and didn’t walk any.
Four other Samohi players were voted first team all-league and two more made second team at a meeting of league coaches.
The first team choices were catcher Alex Kovacs, pitcher Paul Salazar, third baseman Logan Whitchurch and centerfielder Vince Lawrence. Designated Hitter Colter Johnson and second baseman Ricki Gomez were second team choices.
Samohi was 10-0 in league games and 17-12 overall. Diamond Ranch High of Pomona, the team that defeated Skaggs and the Vikings in the first round of the CIF playoffs, 3-2, has reached the semi-finals.
Diamond Ranch eliminated San Dimas in the second round, 7-6 and St. Joseph’s of Santa Maria, 6-1 in the third.
Professional baseball scouts are likely to be prominent at Samohi games next season when Skaggs pitches. He’s projected as a high choice in the June, 2009 draft.
