A lot has happened since the Menlo School and Carmel baseball teams met for the first time this season, in the third round of the Tim Kuehnert Memorial in Atherton. The Knights came away with a 15-6 victory that day to start the season 4-0.
Menlo has played 25 games since that victory but now the teams are ready to meet again. This time, there is much more at stake.
The No. 3-seeded Knights (24-5) and No. 2-seeded Padres (26-3) will tangle on Tuesday at San Jose Municipal Stadium at 4 p.m. The winner will advance to the Central Coast Section Division III championship game on Saturday, also at Muni.
Menlo senior Jake Bruml and junior Freddy Avis, who combined for three hits and six RBI in that first win over Carmel, head into Tuesday's showdown as the Co-Players of the Year in the West Bay Athletic League.
Joining them on the All-WBAL first team are four teammates -- junior pitcher Jake Batchelder, senior infielder Tim Benton, freshman infielder Mikey Diekroeger and junior outfielder Dylan Mayer.
The Knights also put sophomore catcher Austin Marcus on the second team along with senior outfielder Phil Anderson, who ripped four hits and had two RBI in the first win over Carmel. Menlo senior Robert Wickers was named honorable mention.
Sacred Heart Prep, which closed a 17-12 campaign with an 8-5 loss to Carmel in Saturday's quarterfinals, placed senior pitcher John Geary on the first team along with sophomore catcher Mike Covell, senior infielder Cal Baloff and junior outfielder Matt Martella. Senior infielders Zack Buono and Bo Sakowski made the second team along with senior outfielder Tomas O'Donnell and junior utility Jack Larson.
Pinewood sophomore outfielder Josh Rose made the first team, junior teammate Zach Jones was second team as an infielder and Pinewood sophomore Owen Lewis and freshman Dylan Dreyer received honorable-mention recognition.
