Five-and-a-Half Weeks of Fun Comes to an End

Pitcher Jason Finch of Mission San Jose sure had our number. He held Mill Valley’s All-Stars hitless for three innings on Saturday, and held us to just four hits in Wednesday’s 2-0 Mill Valley loss. And with that, the 2009 Juniors All-Star season comes to an end.

But, what a run it was. Our players can be proud that they went further than any Mill Valley All-Star team has ever gone. The 1996 juniors team went to the Divisional playoffs, but lost their first two games for a quick exit. Our team amassed a 12-2 record in winning the District 3 championship, the Section 1 championship and becoming one of the six best teams out of more than 500 juniors all-star teams in all of California.

Aside from the end of our run, it was a real shame to see Kevin Jordan’s stellar complete game pitching performance go to naught. He not only threw the whole game, but he did it with five strikeouts and no walks. Mill Valley only had four hits in the game, so kudos to Jon Wachtel, Andrew Harrison, Seth Gillis, and Jay Hopelain for figuring out the secret to Jason Finch. Click here to read the IJ's game coverage.

You’ve probably already read the email about a wrap up party, certification documents and stats. So, about the only thing left to do is to once again thank our incredible coaches Martin and Aaron Gamboa (with an assist from Mike Gamboa), Rock Raffa, Ian Jacobs and Rick Hopelain.

So, we’ll sign off and hope to see you all at the party.

2 Wins in 2 Days in San Jose!

This is a team with character! After Saturday’s heartbreaking loss, and with their backs to the wall, the Mill Valley All-Stars have pulled off two do-or-die wins.

Jon Wachtel stepped up and pitched a gem in Monday’s 5-3 win over Los Altos. Harry Spilman backed Jon up with his third save in All-Star tournaments. Mill Valley’s bats woke up on Monday with 11 hits led by Jon Finkelstein’s two hits, including a triple, and Sam Raffa’s two singles and RBI. Kevin Jordan, Chris Hayman and Quincy Karp also added RBIs. Click here to read the IJ story about the game.

And then there was Tuesday. Talk about bats waking up! Sixteen runs and 16 hits are just what we needed heading into our tough match up Wednesday night against either Woodcreek or Mission San Jose. Eleven of the 12 guys on the roster got at least one hit in the 16-3 romp over a very good Visalia team, and all 12 players reached base. It’s almost hard to know where to start in highlighting Tuesday’s heroes. Jay Hopelain got the win with a solid pitching performance and went three-for-three at the plate, including two triples. Sam Raffa went three-for-four with a double and two RBIs. Chris Hayman went two-for-two with two RBIs, Jon Wachtel went two-for-three, and led the RBI parade with three. Click here for the IJ's story about today's game.

Our guys are now 12-1, and are one of the six best teams in all of California – three are left standing in both NorCal and SoCal. Way to go!

So, while Coach Martin lolls on the beach in Mexico, we will be back at Willow Glen for tomorrow’s 5:30 game. Please be there by 4:15. The caravan will leave MVCC at 2:15 because we may run into rush hour traffic.

Go Mill Valley Juniors All Stars!

By Rick Hopelain

MV Juniors Suffer First Loss in Great Game

What a nail biter! Kevin Jordan hit a heck of a shot, but Mission San Jose’s shortstop made a heck of a leap and catch, and with that our unbeaten streak comes to an end, 6-5. During the regular season a 10-game win streak followed by a loss means you’re on top of the world. In a tournament it means that we are in a tough position, but not out of it by any means.

So, Monday at 2:00, back at Willow Glen our second win streak begins against the winner of the Visalia/Wood Creek (Roseville) game.

Mill Valley’s bats were quieter than usual today with only five hits, and no extra base hits. So, hats off to Harry Spilman, Kevin Jordan, Jon Wachtel, Jon Finkelstein and Quincy Karp for their bats today. And, thanks to Harry, Kevin, Jay Hopelain and Michael Brewer for some very good pitching. Click here for the story in today's IJ.

There will be practice tomorrow at 3:00. And thanks to Larry Harrison, Joe Karp, and Dan Finkelstein for volunteering to drive on Monday. We will leave the Community Center at 11:30.

Go Mill Valley Juniors All Stars!

By Rick Hopelain

We're Goin' to San Jose! MVLL Juniors All Stars Win Sectional Championship Game!

This team remains undefeated after 10 games of All Stars play. With tonight's win, our guys become the first Mill Valley Juniors All Stars team to win the Sectional Tournament since 1996 when Coach Aaron Gamboa was 14, and our players were only 1 or 2 years old! This is big! Click here to read the story on the IJ website.

Our team played a great game - with 12 hits, 10 runs and 8 bases on balls. Jay Hopelain led the offense, going 3 for 3 with a walk, 2 runs, and an RBI. Danny Kennedy and Chris Hayman both were 2 for 3, scoring 3 runs and 3 RBI between them. And Harry Spilman went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI.

Jay got the win, throwing 93 pitches in 4 innings, striking out 3 and walking 6. Harry was awesome in relief, striking out 1 and allowing only 1 hit in 3 innings pitched.

With the District and Sectional banners under our wings, we move onto the Divisional Tournament. This is another double elimination tournament and our first game is Saturday at 10:00 a.m. in San Jose. Practice resumes Friday at Tam at 3 p.m.

Way to go, Mill Valley Juniors All Stars!

Big Hearted Win, 7-6 vs. South Oakland!

This was the most exciting game to date, and maybe the sweetest win. Our guys were down 6-1 after 4 innings, but not out.

Michael Brewer got the win and shut down South Oakland's hitters in relief, holding them to only 2 hits in 3-2/3 innings pitched with 4 strikeouts.

Offensively, we had 8 hits, 10 walks and 2 sacrifice flys. The Jonathans alone accounted for half of our hits - Jon Finkelstein was 2 for 2 and Jon Wachtel was 2 for 4 in this come-from-behind win!

We are officially 9-0 in All Stars play. For the latest story in the IJ, click here.

The brackets shown are for games played through our win last night. Tomorrow at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, we play the winner of tonight's game between South Oakland and Benicia.

Check out the pictures on Flickr. If you don't want to get there from the blog, and if this link doesn't work, you can go directly to www.flickr.com and search for "Hopelain".

The game starts at 5:30. The team carpooling tradition continues - Leslie and Judy will be at the Community Center at 3:00 and will leave by 3:15. Please email me (jhopelain@yahoo.com) if you player is NOT riding with the team. Here are directions to Bishop O'Dowd at 9500 Stearns Avenue from Mapquest:

• Take I-580 E. (go 26.1 miles)
• Take the GOLF LINKS RD/98TH AVENUE exit. (go 0.2 miles)
• Stay STRAIGHT to go onto 98TH AVE. (go 0.2 miles)
• Turn RIGHT onto STEARNS AVE. (go 0.2 miles)
• End at 9500 STEARNS AVE, on the RIGHT. (go 0.0 miles)

>> TOTAL ESTIMATED TIME: 42 minutes | DISTANCE: 33.11 miles

Way to go, Mill Valley Juniors All Stars!

Monday carpool - 3:30 @ Community Center

The game is at 5:30 at Albany High. Leslie and Judy will be at the Community Center at 3:30 to get the guys there in time to warm up.

Please let us know if your player will NOT be going with us.

Game 1 Sectionals Tournament: We Win, 19-0!

Another great, error-free win with 13 hits, including 4 extra-base hits against Sebastapol. Click here to see the story on the IJ's website.

Offensively, Chris Hayman and Jon Finkelstein both went 2 for 2. Jay Hopelain hit 2 doubles and a triple in 4 at bats. Harry Spilman was 2 for 4 and scored 2 runs and 3 RBI. Chris, Jon F., Jon Wachtel and Kevin Jordan all hit, scored 2 runs and had 2 RBI. And Sam Raffa and Danny Kennedy each scored 3 runs and 1 RBI with no hits.

Jay Hopelain threw a 1-hitter and struck out 6. Harry Spilman caught a runner stealing, bringing his total to 7 in our 8 games played as a team.

So exciting to watch them play and see they're having so much fun out there!

Go Mill Valley Juniors All Stars!

Saturday 7/18 Logistics

By popular demand, Leslie and Judy are planning to get the team to the field in Albany by 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon. So, have your player at the Community Center by 2:15 - meet at the circle. Please email Judy (jhopelain@yahoo.com) if you do NOT plan for your player to drive with her and Leslie.

Below are driving directions and a map showing the route to Memorial Field in Albany. The game starts at 4:00.

From I80 heading East:

• Take the first Albany exit,
  
• Exit leads to Buchanan Street.
  
• Follow Buchanan Street (name changes to Marin Avenue) past San Pablo Avenue to Santa Fe Avenue, turn left
  
• Go 4 blocks to Thousand Oaks, turn left
  
• Field is on Thousand Oaks, on the left.

From I80 heading West:

• Take the Central Avenue exit,
  
• Turn left at stop sign (Central Avenue),
  
• Go past San Pablo Avenue to Ashbury Avenue and turn right,
  
• Follow Ashbury (Ashbury changes to Key Route Blvd) to Thousand Oaks turn left
• Field is on the right.

Amenities at the field include: Bleacher seating, permanent restrooms, snack bar with hot food, candy, drinks. No smoking, alcohol, pets, coolers or fast food.



The field is close the Bay, and may be foggy and cool. So, come prepared.

Should be fun.

Go Mill Valley Juniors All Stars!

We Win the District Championship Game, 13-9!

The number on Harry Spilman's jersey is 6, but his number was 3 last night - delivering 3 hits, including a triple in the 3rd, 3 runs and 3 RBI.

Mill Valley had 4 extra-base hits in this game. In addition to Harry's triple, Jon Finkelstein and Quincy Karp both hit doubles, and Jay Hopelain hit a 2-run homer. Jon Wachtel went 3 for 4 with 3 singles, a run and an RBI.

The team's 7-run, 5-hit rally with 2 outs in the 3rd was a thrill!

Sam Raffa was the winning pitcher, and gave up only 2 hits. Michael Brewer was awesome in relief, striking out 3 of the 10 batters he faced and allowing no runs.

So, Mill Valley's Juniors All Stars can savor a 7-0 performance in the District 3 Tournament!

Now it's onto the Sectional Tournament. According to the District website, we are set to play Petaluma at 4:00 on Saturday, 7/18 at Albany High, but sometimes these things change. Check back to confirm details later in the week.

Outrageous IJ Coverage - Let Them Hear From You!

I just read the IJ's story about the Championship Game and am still fuming. Click here to read it for yourself.

I wrote a comment, Rick's putting his together, and we thought you might want to, as well. You can see my comment by scrolling down below the story to the section that says "Post your comments" where there's a link that says "Read 1 Comment". This link should take you there, if you can't find the link on the page.

Stay tuned for our blogpost about the game.

Way to go, Mill Valley Juniors All Stars!

Mill Valley Juniors Win the D3 All Stars Semi-Finals!

The team is going to the District 3 championship game after beating San Francisco today, 6-5.

Most of our guys had a hard time hitting SF's pitcher - we had 9 hits today vs. 18 Friday night. The offensive standout was Andy Barnett, who went 2 for 2, got an RBI and scored what proved to be the game-winning run. In the 6th, Seth Gillis hit a ground-rule double that bounced over the left-field fence, and Jon Finkelstein had a big hit to left that brought Seth home.

Jay Hopelain pitched 6-1/3 innings, and got the win with 5 strikeouts and 3 walks. Harry Spilman pitched the final 2/3 inning and got the first save of the tournament.

Next game is Monday at 5:30 at Vallecitos.

Go Mill Valley Juniors All Stars!


Note: Like everyone, we scorekeepers and writers make honest mistakes, and are sorry when we do. We post corrections to our write ups as "comments" to the incorrect blogpost as soon as we learn about them. Any reader can also post a comment or submit a story, too.

Game 5: We Win 12-5! MV is Undefeated, 5-0!

Another great effort put Game 5 in the win column for our guys. They were firing on all cylinders yesterday. Through 5 games, the team's combined batting average is .500, and they hit .514 against SF in last night's game.

Sam Raffa led the team in hitting, going 4 for 5 with 4 RBI. Jay Hopelain continued his slugfest, with 2 doubles and a single, and 2 RBI. Jon Wachtel and Quincy Karp both went 2 for 3 and each added a run to the score.

Defensively, Harry Spilman was on fire behind the plate. He caught 2 runners stealing and picked 2 runners off at first. He had one put out on a throw from Hopelain in right field to prevent a run from scoring. Seth Gillis was instrumental in all 3 outs in the second inning, which we hope made his birthday even sweeter.

Andy Barnett got the win, striking out 2 of the 10 batters he faced.

Click here for the IJ story about last night's game.

According to the eTeamz site, we have a chance to do it all again and play San Francisco Sunday at 10 a.m. at Vallecitos. See you there.

Go Mill Valley Juniors All Stars!

Schedule post-7/10

This awesome picture was taken by Ken Wachtel at Wednesday's game. It says it all!

After Friday's game, we play again on Sunday. TBD whether we're in the 10 a.m. slot or the 1 p.m. slot. For those who are interested, click here to see the District 3 standings. Games are back at Vallecitos. The two teams that win on Sunday advance to the final game Monday at 5:30 at Vallecitos.

The winner of that game moves onto the Division II Section 1 Tournament. Looks like the first game for the District 3 winner is July 18 at 4 p.m. in Albany. For those who want to see the Section Tournament Schedule, the chart below came from the Eteamz site, so it "must" be right.

Go Mill Valley Juniors All Stars!

Logistics for Friday's Game vs. San Francisco

Leslie and Judy offered to get the team to the field in time for pre-game practice on Friday. Let us know if your player will NOT be riding with us. We'll be at the Community Center again Friday from 3:15-3:30 loading up. Look for the black Suburban and blue Chrysler minivan near the circle.

Parking near USF is likely to be crazy, so parents might want to carpool. And we've heard the weather is supposed to be in the 50's - come prepared.

Here are directions to Benedetti Field (from the League website):

Benedetti Field-USF FROM THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE/101 SOUTH

• Take the Highway 1 /19th Ave. exit.
• Turn right on Anza.
• Make an immediate right on 14th Ave.
• Turn right on Geary Blvd. After about 2 miles ...
• Turn right on Parker.
• Stay on Parker for two blocks.
• Cross intersection of Parker and Turk
• Continue on Parker to Golden Gate Ave.
• Turn left on Golden Gate Ave. and continue through intersection at Chabot.
• Benedetti Diamond is located on the right side of Golden Gate Avenue at the corner of Masonic Avenue.

See you Friday!

Game 4: We win 8-0

Another win today for Mill Valley as they shutout San Rafael 8-0. Danny Kennedy pitched a masterful 3-hit, 10-strikeout, complete game. Kennedy did not allow even one walk and was so effective that the ball only reached the Mill Valley outfield three times the entire game.

The hitting for Mill Valley also excelled with 14 hits and a team batting average of .467. Mill Valley got the offense going quickly with two straight walks to start the game. Then Jay Hopelain hit a three run home run to center field. Later in the inning Jonathan Finkelstein singled in Kennedy to go up 4-0. Now that’s starting off right! Offensive standouts of the game were the number 3, 4, and 5 hitters - Jay Hopelain, Sam Raffa and Danny Kennedy - who together accounted for all 8 runs.

Way to go, Mill Valley Juniors!

Tournament Standings

Based on the 8 games played in the District 3 Juniors Tournament so far, it looks like we are the only undefeated team that has played 3 games. From this information, San Francisco seems to be our only real challenger at 2-0.









Click here to read the story in the IJ about the win vs. Twin Cities.

Go Mill Valley Juniors All Stars!

Game 3: We Win, 20-12!

In this wacky, long game against Twin Cities, our guys had a total of 22 hits! Danny Kennedy, Seth Gillis and Jay Hopelain all batted 1.000. Reliever Michael Brewer got the win with 90 pitches in 3 full innings.

Harry Spilman had a great throw to Jon Wachtel at third to pick off a runner in the 4th inning to stop what threatened to be a big inning for Twin Cities. Including tonight's game, Harry has had a remarkable tournament as catcher with no passed balls.

No pics from Game 2 or 3 to post yet (this one is from Game 1). I hope to post more of Ken Wachtel's pics as soon as his computer is back from Two Techs. The rest of you - feel free to post them or burn a DVD for me and I will post them for you!

Go Mill Valley Juniors All Stars!

P.S. There is practice tomorrow (Tuesday) from 4:30-6:30 at Tam. And the next game is Wednesday at 5:30 at Vallecito in Terra Linda. Here are directions from Yahoo Maps:

• Take 101 NORTH
  
• Take the FREITAS PARKWAY/TERRA LINDA exit onto MANUEL T FREITAS PKY toward TERRA LINDA
• Turn Left on LAS GALLINAS AVE
• Turn Right on NOVA ALBION WAY
• Field is at 50 NOVA ALBION WAY

Updates

Since Ross Valley dropped out of the tournament there's no game Thursday. We're practicing instead, 4:30-6:30 at Tam. There may be weekend practice for those who will be in town over the 4th. Stay tuned on that.

I know lots of you were taking pictures at the game - if you want me to upload them for you, just put them on a disk and I'll put them on Flickr. I was going to do game-by-game pics, but can't figure out how to post them on the blog that way, so they'll all be in one big set.

FYI, if you click on the blue title in the body of the emails generated by the blog, the link will take you to the blog itself. There you can see the up-to-date game and practice schedules, a slideshow of team pictures hosted on Flickr, past articles, etc. If you haven't already bookmarked the blog, you might want to do that so you can use it as a quick reference.

Have fun!