By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor: Three Pasadena area baseball players completed such incredible and comparable seasons that there was no other choice than to name all three of these superstars the Pasadena Sports Now Baseball Players of the Year. Maranatha senior designated hitter Eddie Lopez, La Salle junior shortstop Ethan Patrick and Maranatha junior shortstop […]
By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor:
Three Pasadena area baseball players completed such incredible and comparable seasons that there was no other choice than to name all three of these superstars the Pasadena Sports Now Baseball Players of the Year.
Maranatha senior designated hitter Eddie Lopez, La Salle junior shortstop Ethan Patrick and Maranatha junior shortstop Marco Martinez all had a season for the ages.
While each player possesses intangibles that you could never coach or see in a stat sheet, it’s their statistics that set them apart from the pack.
Eddie Lopez, who will play his collegiate ball at the University of New Mexico Highlands, was second in the area to Poly’s Matt Queen with a .472 average.
Lopez drove in 31 runs, which was tied with Poly’s Ty Evans for tops in the area, and his 42 hits tied Patrick for best in the area as well.
The senior left-handed hitter spent much of the season over the .500 mark, and was a huge key to why the Minutemen had an area-best 22 team wins.
Lopez scored 18 runs, and had an area-high 17 doubles.
His 42 hits in 2017 was an incredible 28-hit jump from 2016.
“I wanted to play every game this year and earn all-league status and I was able to do that,” Lopez said. “My role was to get on base and bring in runners whenever I could. I knew I had one job and that was to hit, so whenever I came up to bat, I had to be the spark plug.”
Lopez is respected and loved by his teammates for being a selfless leader and a quality kid.
“Eddie Lopez is a hitter. A pure hitter,” Maranatha coach Matt Shupper said. ” He came up his freshman year as a third baseman and did a fantastic job, but as time went on he was moved around the field and then during his junior year, there was a switch to making Eddie a full time hitter. This was not an easy transition for a high school kid, but Eddie came to me and said he would do anything I needed him to do for the team. Eddie is the ultimate teammate, he takes care of everyone on the team. He checks in on them, he helps them and he knows what it takes to be a tremendous player. Eddie will surprise most people who see him as he doesn’t have the typical body of a power hitter but once you see him swing the bat, his true ability shines.”
Lopez hopes his legacy is of a guy who gave everything he had to a program and group of people he genuinely loves.
He’s also happy to be grouped in the same sentence with Martinez and Patrick.
“Being in the same group as Marco, who is going to USC and Ethan, who I’m sure is going to go somewhere is quite an honor. These guys are extremely talented and have for sure pushed me to my limits throughout this season. Marco has made sure I’ve always grinded ever since we were 7 and having Ethan as competition for most hits definitely made me go that much harder in the games,” Lopez said.
Ethan Patrick is a kid who plays so much bigger than his body and he continues to dispel any myths or false perceptions of what an athlete under 6-feet and 180 pounds should be able to accomplish.
Patrick is universally respected by teammates and rivals alike, because he is such a student of the game and someone players from any generation would appreciate.
Patrick’s contributions and value to the 2017 La Salle team could not possibly be overstated.
He is literally the only Lancers player to hit over the .300 mark and yet La Salle finished second in the Del Rey League, and won 17 games this year, including a playoff victory over Santa Monica, thanks to some timely pitching and Patrick’s contributions.
Patrick hit .442 and his 42 hits tied Eddie Lopez for best in the area.
Sammy Martinez had the second most hits (23) for the Lancers, and he was 19 back of Patrick for the season.
The junior shortstop played solid defense as well.
He also scored 21 times, drove in 21 runs from the leadoff spot and had 12 doubles, an area-best 7 triples and a team-best two home runs.
Patrick led La Salle in 11 offensive categories, including his 12 stolen bases.
“I have a lot of love and respect for both Ethan and Zane (Lindeman, the Pasadena Sports Now Pitcher of the Year). We have a lot of trust in one another,” La Salle coach Mike Parisi said. ” I am very proud of the season’s they had. Ethan just had one of those special season’s that don’t come around very often. He stands out in every game he plays in. Ethan plays the game how it should be played.”
Patrick, besides being a trusted and valued leader, wanted to hit over .400, earn all-league honors and make the playoffs, and all were accomplished.
His favorite moment was beating league rival Bishop Amat on their field in extra innings, and least favorite was the playoff loss at Quartz Hill.
“Being associated with Marco and Eddie is a huge honor,” Patrick said. “They are both great players that I look up to. I always enjoy playing with and against them. It’s always fun to compete against the best in the area.”
Last but certainly not least, Marco Martinez is what any scout hopes to see in a prospect.
He’s tall, strong, bright, has a passion for the game and looks like a natural in everything he does on the field.
Martinez hit .438 with 35 hits.
He was second on the Minutemen with 25 RBI, he scored 23 runs, had 7 doubles, two triples and two home runs for the area’s best program this season.
Martinez is committed to USC after the 2018 prep season, but there is also a solid chance he’ll get drafted high enough to forego school and chase his dream of being a professional baseball player.
Of the three, Martinez has the most “scout-friendly” body, but he shares an equal passion and respect for the game and his teammates as do Lopez and Patrick.
“Marco Martinez does it all. He plays phenomenal defense, he swings the best bat around, he runs well, he throws well. He does just about everything well,” Maranatha coach Matt Shupper said. “His baseball IQ is through the roof and he is only getting started. Marco started at third base on varsity the first game his freshman year. He’s gotten better literally every game each year. Marco passes the eye test as a baseball player, he passes the strength test, he passes the awareness test, there is literally nothing Marco isn’t able to do and do well on the field. At the end of the season Marco took over the shortstop position and did it exceptionally well. He moved to number two in the order instead of No. 3 so we could get him more at bats and protect him with Eddie hitting behind him. Marco can pitch too, but we haven’t needed him on the mound. Marco is a great kid, a good student and works as hard as anyone on his body, his game and being a great teammate.”
Martinez said his least favorite moment of the season was when Village Christian celebrated on Maranatha’s field after winning the Olympic League championship and it’s something he and his returning teammates won’t forget any time soon.
But perhaps his greatest trait is his wanting to be the best player and yet teammate, student, friend and person he can be.
He makes the drive every day back and forth from West Covina to Pasadena, and deals with the traffic to be at a school and around people he loves.
Martinez is so competitive that he wants to challenge teammate Max Blessinger’s new school record of 34 stolen bases in a season and wants to get better in area’s he already outstanding in.
“I just want to be the best leader I can be and to do everything I can to help us win games,” Martinez said. “I love my coaches and teammates and school. We didn’t go as far as we’d have liked, but we’re already working hard to make ourselves better and I think we’re capable of great things next year.”
It’s not always the case that great athletes also translate into good people, but we’re happy to report our three players of the year are incredibly solid young men and each comes from a very strong and structured family.
