Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Tate Saso has been named Big 5 MVP.
By Ray Hamill — When they needed to the most, the McKinleyville Panthers were able to dig deep and rise to the challenge this spring, and no one epitomized that fighting spirit more than Tate Saso.
The sophomore standout played a pivotal role on the way to securing a Big 5 and Charles Lakin Tournament championship double for his team, and he has been rewarded for that by being named conference MVP.
According to McKinleyville head coach Mike Dobrec, it was Saso’s play in the big moments that separated him from his peers.
“Tate is just a great all-around player,” Dobrec said after the All-League team was released to the media this week. “He’s clutch. He’s Mr. Clutch, and he led the team in almost all offensive categories.”
He also played key roles on the mound and on defense, and it was difficult to argue that he wasn’t the most influential player on the best team in the H-DNL.
And without even knowing it at the time, he was clutch once again at the all-league meeting, where he beat out Eureka senior Ty Crawford, a player many felt was worthy of MVP honors, for the prestigious award.
Their offensive stats were similar.
For the season, Saso averaged .416 at the plate and had 25 RBIs, nine doubles, two triples and five home runs, while Crawford batted .382 with 26 RBIs, eight doubles, two triples and five home runs and struck out just five times all year.
On the mound, Saso finished 5-1 with an ERA of 2.31, 37 strikeouts and 11 walks in 42.1 innings, while Crawford was 7-2 with an ERA of 1.08 with 82 strikeouts and 17 walks in 45.1 innings.
Regardless, both players had outstanding seasons for their respective teams.
“Tate played a huge role for us,” Dobrec added of the 16-year-old, who is one of the youngest MVPs in the Big 5 in recent years. “He played shortstop and held down our defense all year.
“He had a terrific year, and he’s going to get better, and to watch him over the next two years is going to be pretty remarkable.”
He was also a key leader on this year’s team, something you don’t often see at such a young age.
“He’s just one of those kids who shows up every day,” Dobrec added. “He loves the game, and he’s a great leader as a sophomore.
“Tate’s just a great ball player and we’re going to see a lot of great things out of him. He’s one of those kids that goes out to compete every day.”
Saso is joined on the All-League team by several teammates.
Junior Bode Reininger, who averaged a team second-best .405 at the plate, also made the grade, along with ace pitcher Joe Tanno (7-0 with an ERA of 1.31), the hard-hitting Hunter Carper, who had team-highs in doubles (11) and home runs (six), and Rhythm Green (4-0 on the mound), who made his presence felt on offense, on defense and on the mound.
And that wasn’t all for the Big 5 and Lakin tournament champs.
Jake Brunner, Pat Wilson and Blake Santos each also had impressive spring seasons and all received an all-league honorable mention.
The Panthers finished 11-1 in the Big 5 and were 24-3 overall, losing just twice in the regular season.
Crawford and the Loggers, to their credit, made things interesting down the stretch of conference play and pushed the Panthers all the way in the race for the championship, while also reaching the Lakin tournament final.
Head coach Tommy Gale’s team finished up 10-2 in the Big 5 and 20-8 overall and had six players receive all-league recognition.
In addition to Crawford, Eureka’s Garrett Levitt and Ryder Mitchell were named to the All-League team, while a trio of talented sophomores — Bryson, Burns, Brayden Bermers and Scotty Brogan — each were included among the honorable mentions.
The Del Norte Warriors, meanwhile, finished third in this year’s Big 5 and had two All-League selections.
Senior Ben Shrewsberry and junior Landon Williams were each included, while teammates Kanyon Starkey and Marco Gonzalez both received an honorable mention.
The Warriors were 13-14 overall and finished 6-6 in conference play.
The Arcata Tigers and Fortuna Huskies each had one All-League selection.
Catcher and pitcher Tanner Kees was included for Arcata, which finished fourth in the Big 5, while Tanner Franklin was included for Fortuna, which finished fifth in conference.
Emilio Medina, Canyon Martin, Rylan Kees, Kaden Coyne and Gavin Anderson each also received an honorable mention for the Tigers, while Brice Neuman and Casey Moore were honorable mentions for the Huskies.
