Tweet
Foothill softball and coach Matt Sweeney are thriving
With a clean bill of health and a sizzling freshman class, don’t expect the 57-year-old Foothill-Pleasanton softball and football coach to consider hanging it up anytime soon.
The Falcons (25-4) hope to reverse an NCS finals loss last year with a win Saturday over No. 8-seed James Logan-Union City (23-3), a 1-0 winner over host Freedom-Oakley (16-7).
Sweeney reluctantly admitted Tuesday that the lingering effects of radiation and chemotherapy to treat throat cancer took their toll on him in that 1-0 loss to Freedom in last year’s title game.
Despite a very relaxed summer, Sweeney said he wasn’t his energetic self during a 6-5 football season, either.
May, who hits third and batted better than .400 in the rugged East Bay Athletic League, already has an offer from Oklahoma.
May has been compared to the program’s most dominant player, Val Arioto, the 2012 Pac-12 Player of the Year at Cal.
“Very similar, same competitive fire,” Sweeney said.
At this stage, Val slightly ahead as a pitcher, but hitting is a wash.
The Falcons have much more, including senior outfielder Mary Rockwood, who had three hits Tuesday, and junior designated player, Lauren Hermes, who added two hits.
Foothill, which beat Logan 5-0 this season, goes after its fifth NCS title, but first since 2007.
Logan, led by longtime coach Teri Johnson, got a solo home run from Cassandra Wenn, and Camille Rodriguez fired a three-hitter in the win over Freedom.
In Division 1 semifinal play, winning pitcher Josh White and reliever Ryan Fleming combined on a three-hitter and Andrew Howard drove in the only run in the third inning on a fielder’s choice as the third-seeded Mustangs (21-8) beat visiting Heritage (17-9-1), the No. 15 seed.
Monte Vista, which has outscored three NCS opponents 21-2 combined, will play the winner of Wednesday’s College Park-Pleasant Hill at De La Salle-Concord semifinal at 4 p.m. Saturday at St. Mary’s College.
Senior Walker Brinkman allowed five hits over six innings.
In D3, host Miramonte (27-0), the top seed, sent 13 batters to the plate and scored 10 in the third to advance to Saturday’s noon championship at SMC against the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal pitting Analy-Sebastopol (24-4) and visiting Drake-San Anselmo (23-6).
Winning pitcher Tim Tague allowed his only run after four pitches, but settled down to throw a four-hitter with no walks.
MaxPreps.com senior writer Mitch Stephens covers high school sports forThe San Francisco Chronicle.
Baseball playoffs
More...
With a clean bill of health and a sizzling freshman class, don’t expect the 57-year-old Foothill-Pleasanton softball and football coach to consider hanging it up anytime soon.
The Falcons (25-4) hope to reverse an NCS finals loss last year with a win Saturday over No. 8-seed James Logan-Union City (23-3), a 1-0 winner over host Freedom-Oakley (16-7).
Sweeney reluctantly admitted Tuesday that the lingering effects of radiation and chemotherapy to treat throat cancer took their toll on him in that 1-0 loss to Freedom in last year’s title game.
Despite a very relaxed summer, Sweeney said he wasn’t his energetic self during a 6-5 football season, either.
May, who hits third and batted better than .400 in the rugged East Bay Athletic League, already has an offer from Oklahoma.
May has been compared to the program’s most dominant player, Val Arioto, the 2012 Pac-12 Player of the Year at Cal.
“Very similar, same competitive fire,” Sweeney said.
At this stage, Val slightly ahead as a pitcher, but hitting is a wash.
The Falcons have much more, including senior outfielder Mary Rockwood, who had three hits Tuesday, and junior designated player, Lauren Hermes, who added two hits.
Foothill, which beat Logan 5-0 this season, goes after its fifth NCS title, but first since 2007.
Logan, led by longtime coach Teri Johnson, got a solo home run from Cassandra Wenn, and Camille Rodriguez fired a three-hitter in the win over Freedom.
In Division 1 semifinal play, winning pitcher Josh White and reliever Ryan Fleming combined on a three-hitter and Andrew Howard drove in the only run in the third inning on a fielder’s choice as the third-seeded Mustangs (21-8) beat visiting Heritage (17-9-1), the No. 15 seed.
Monte Vista, which has outscored three NCS opponents 21-2 combined, will play the winner of Wednesday’s College Park-Pleasant Hill at De La Salle-Concord semifinal at 4 p.m. Saturday at St. Mary’s College.
Senior Walker Brinkman allowed five hits over six innings.
In D3, host Miramonte (27-0), the top seed, sent 13 batters to the plate and scored 10 in the third to advance to Saturday’s noon championship at SMC against the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal pitting Analy-Sebastopol (24-4) and visiting Drake-San Anselmo (23-6).
Winning pitcher Tim Tague allowed his only run after four pitches, but settled down to throw a four-hitter with no walks.
MaxPreps.com senior writer Mitch Stephens covers high school sports forThe San Francisco Chronicle.
Baseball playoffs
More...