2022 Season in Review – COD Baseball

Under the tutelage of second-year head coach Sam DiMatteo, the #8 seeded Roadrunners Baseball team ended the 2022 season claiming their 7th Conference championship and first title in 51 years, as well as the first Inland Empire Athletic Conference (IEAC) Coach of the Year award for a Desert head coach.

DiMatteo was awarded as Coach of the Year finishing the regular season, with a 28-17 overall record and a 18-6 conference record, wrapping up the regular season winning 12 of their final 14 regular season games. They were rewarded with the 8 seed in the Southern California Regional Playoffs.

The complete list of All-IEAC honorees can be found HERE

Left handed pitcher Kenny Keller (Tampa (FL) Thomas R. Robinson) was named the IEAC Pitching MVP, grabbing statewide recognition with being in the Top 25 in innings pitched (86.0), strikeouts (74), hits allowed (94) and wins (7). The 6 foot, 170 pound sophomore compiled a 7-4 record in 13 starts over 17 appearances, tossing the teams only complete game in 2022, a 3-0 shutout of San Bernardino Valley in the last game of the IEAC schedule on April 23rd in Palm Desert.

Third baseman Spencer Dickinson (Rancho Mirage H.S.) was presented with the IEAC Gold Glove award and was also named First Team All-IEAC, finishing in the top 15 in the state in multiple offensive categories, including batting average (.451), on base percentage (.541), runs batted in (55), doubles (17) and hits (58). The 5 foot 10, 240 pound freshman had 17 multi-hit games, including 4 games where he had 3 or more hits in a game, including a 6-hit, 5 RBI game at home on March 5, in a 28-10 win over Victor Valley. Of the eight home runs Dickinson hit in 2022, none was bigger than his grand slam, in a playoff elimination game, at home, against Long Beach City on May 7th.

Center fielder William Owens (Crescent City (FL) H.S.) was also presented with the IEAC Gold Glove award and was named First Team All-IEAC, playing all 45 games for the Conference Champs. Owens finished in the top 15 in the state in multiple offensive categories, including walks (29), runs (47), runs batted in (45), stolen bases (25) and hits (68). The 5 foot 10, 180 pound sophomore had 23 multi-hit games, including 4 games where he had 3 or more hits in a game, including a 6-hit, 8 RBI game at Cerro Coso on March 19, in a 26-9 win.

Left handed pitcher Michael-Alan Stanford (Westlake Village) was also named First Team All-IEAC. The 6 foot 6, 225 pound freshman spent most of the season making his way to the mound from the arm barn, making one start in 16 appearances. Stanford had several impressive performances over the course of the 2022 season, including a season high eight strikeouts in four innings at Imperial Valley on February 15 and a long relief appearance, six and a third innings, in a playoff elimination game, at home, against Long Beach City on May 7th.

Short stop Dillon Baker (Tampa (FL) Carrollwood Day School) was named Second Team All-IEAC, playing 44 of 45 games for the Conference Champs. Baker finished in the top 25 in the state in multiple offensive categories, including doubles (16), runs (45), runs batted in (47) and hits (60). The 6 foot 1, 190 pound freshman had 17 multi-hit games, including 8 games where he had 3 or more hits in a game, including a 4-hit, with 3 doubles, 4 RBI game at home against San Bernardino Valley on April 19, in a 15-4 win.

Right fielder Brian Parry (Redlands H.S.) was also named Second Team All-IEAC. Parry finished in the top 15 in the state in multiple offensive categories, including batting average (.422) and on base percentage (.532). The 5 foot 10, 165 pound freshman had 16 multi-hit games, including 5 games where he had 3 or more hits in a game, including a 5-hit, 3 RBI game at San Bernardino Valley on April 21, in a 12-11 loss.

Left fielder Graham Gonzales (Valparaiso (IN) H.S.) was also named Second Team All-IEAC. Gonzales, a tremendously reliable outfielder and was the best defender in the entire Conference, only committing one error all season, in 54 total chances. The 5 foot 10, 165 pound freshman had 11 multi-hit games, including 3 games where he had 3 or more hits in a game, including a 5-hit, with 2 doubles, 4 RBI game at Imperial Valley on February 15, in a 19-5 win.

Catcher Martin Sanchez (Beaumont H.S.) was also named Second Team All-IEAC, finishing 3rd in Conference in on base percentage (.553). The 6 foot, 195 pound freshman had 10 multi-hit games, including 3 games where he had 3 or more hits in a game, including a 5-hit, with 2 doubles, 3 RBI game at Mt. San Jacinto on March 8, in a 18-2 win.

Right handed pitcher Kenneth Schechter (Newtonville (MA) Newton North) was also named Second Team All-IEAC, making 12 appearances, starting 8 games for the Roadrunners in 2022. The 6 foot 2, 210 pound freshman had an amazing 10.26 strikeouts per game average, tossing four games of 6 or more innings of work, striking out five or more in six of his eight starts, including two 10 strikeout games.

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For additional information, please contact the COD Sports Information Office at 760.423.6641.

Information, Photo & Story provided by COD Sports Information.