Posted by: Press Democrat Staff Writer Rich Rupprecht

There were 20 high school baseball players chosen for USA Today's All-USA team and Cloverdale's Mitch Delfino was one of them. Pretty amazing.

Delfino was one of three Californians selected to the second team and there were two Californians picked for the first team, including Player of the Year Matt Hobgood of Norco High, the fifth player taken in the pro baseball draft, by the Baltimore Orioles.

Mitch and his dad Charlie weren't too sure how the selections were done, but in the edition that carried the teams, it was noted that Jim Halley selected the team after discussions with high school baseball coaches and USA Today editors.

Nearly all the first-teamers were chosen in the pro draft.

Delfino is currently playing for the Bay Area Warriors, a traveling team out of Marin. Delfino, who wasn't drafted, but had already committed to the University of California, is playing third base for the Warriors, but also doing some pitching.

While everyone pretty much knows Delfino can hit -- he batted .591 at Cloverdale with excellent power -- he really hadn't been a full-time pitcher since youth leagues. He struck out nearly twice as many innings thrown and had and 0.45 ERA. Cal, which planned to play Mitch at third base, first or possibly the outfield, is now considering letting him pitch as well.

I saw Mitch play this season and he's an impressive hitter. He's 6-foot-3 and has very quick hands and showed a good ability to go with the pitch. I saw him hit two triples in a game, both solid line drives.

I've got a feeling we haven't heard the last of Mitch Delfino.

Montgomery High pitcher Taylor Stroud has verbally committed to Sacramento State.

Posted by: Staff Writer Eric Branch

Casa Grande pitcher Matt Nadolski has been selected in the 32nd round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Baltimore Orioles.

Posted by: Press Democrat Staff Writer Rich Rupprecht

Nick Montana, son of 49er great Joe Montana, has committed to play quarterback for the University of Washington.

Nick Montana, the youngest son of Joe and who played youth basketball in CYO leagues in Santa Rosa, will be a senior this fall at Oaks Christian High School in West Lake Village near Thousand Oaks. He transferred from De La Salle in Concord before last season. Last year he threw 33 TD passes for Oaks Christian.

Nick's older brother Nathan, who played JV football at Cardinal Newman and varsity basketball before transfering to De La Salle, is a freshman quarterback at Notre Dame, his father's alma mater.

Ironically, Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame's starting quarterback, graduated from Oaks Christian.

According to Rivals.com Montana had plenty of college options and suitors included Arizona, Arizona State, Stanford, Washington, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, South Carolina, Florida State, Maryland, Nebraska, Notre Dame and Ohio State.

Nick Montana is 6-foot-3, 186 pounds. Brother Nate is 6-4, 200 pounds.

Nick Montana said he originally planned to take most of the summer before deciding on a college, but he sold himself on UW after a visit last weekend.

Washington went 0-12 last year and has a new coach, Steve Sarkisian, a USC assistant.

Posted by: Staff Writer Eric Branch

Montgomery senior guard Brittany Jones will walk on on the basketball team at Cal Poly Pomona, a Division II school with a roster that includes Sonoma County products in Sarah Semenero (Sonoma) and Kaitlyn Derby (Petaluma).

Petaluma senior Sterling Lockert broke an Empire record in the 3,200 meters and finished 10^th in the event. Lockert finished in 9:01.32 and broke the record of 9:06.95, set by Petaluma's Jon Sisler in 1974.