The San Diego Padres eighth annual High School All-Stars Night took place June 28 following the Friars’ regularly scheduled game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park. Forty-eight of the county’s top baseball players were selected to compete in the East-West format contest (24 on each team).
The West won 3-2 in a tight go-around by plating two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and later tacked on an insurance run for a 3-0 lead before holding off a late East rally to post the one-run victory.
The full nine-inning game followed the home run derby contest featuring eight players. La Jolla Country Day junior Mitch Circuit won the battle of the long ball over Rancho Bernardo senior Owen Glick by a final score of 29-27.
Circuit racked up seven home runs and 23 points to take the early lead in the opening round.
Open Division champion Patrick Henry placed four players on the East team roster: senior pitchers Brady and Jimmy Gunn, senior outfielder Alex Mestman and senior outfielder/ pitcher Tyson Bobo.
Jimmy Gunn pitched the opening inning for the East squad, allowing one hit. He hit four balls out of the park for 17 points in the opening round of the pregame home run derby.
Grossmont Hills League cochampion Granite Hills placed three players on the East roster: senior catcher Jake Ervin, senior infielder Anthony Miotti senior and outfielder Preston Hendry.
Grossmont Hills League cochampion Helix placed two players on the East roster: junior third baseman Ben Williams and junior outfielder/infielder Kie Smith.
Other East County standouts selected to the East roster included Christian senior infielder Benji Molina and El Capitan senior outfielder Matthew Eckis.
Open Division runner-up Eastlake had two players named to the East roster: senior pitcher Max Tello and senior infielder/ utility Hamza Hamahet.
Westview junior pitcher Jacob Kuy struck out the East side in the third inning. In fact, West pitchers retired the first 11 East batters they faced to make an early statement.
The West pushed across both its runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Montgomery senior outfielder Marco Reyes doubled in the first run of the game to score Del Norte senior second baseman/catcher Richie Moore, who had singled and stole second base. Del Norte junior infielder Aiden Sun made it 2-0 on a RBI ground-out.
Southwest El Centro junior Jose Salcido opened the ninth inning with a double. Ervin followed with a walk before Salcido scored the first East run on an error. Helix’s Williams followed with a walk and El Cap’s Eckis drove in tge East’s second run with a RBI single.
But the West recorded the final two outs to negate the potential tying run in scoring position.
Patrick Henry coach Sheldon Watkins served as East manager while Mt. Carmel coach Keith Johnson served as West manager.
By the numbers Circuit hit nine home runs during the 2026 season with 26 RBI to go with a 0.302 hitting average. Glick hit 10 home runs during the season with 34 RBI and a 0.295 hitting average.
Mestman hit 0.414 with 35 runs scored and 14 RBI for the Patriots (24-10) while Brady Gunn, the City Conference Eastern League Pitcher of the Year, posted a 7-1 pitching record, 0.46 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 46 innings. Jimmy Gunn was 4-4 on the mound with a 2.17 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 51.2 innings. Bobo was a big contributor with a 7-3 record, 3.02 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 55.2 innings.
Miotti batted 0.384 with 29 RBI, 11 doubles, 36 runs scored and four home runs while Ervin (0.368) logged 27 RBI, 26 runs scored, six doubles and five homers as the Grossmont Hills League Player of the Year. Hendry batted 0.371 with 34 runs scored for the Eagles (21-7).
During Helix’s Division II championship season, Smith hit 0.418 with 39 runs scored, 29 RBI and 15 doubles while Williams batted 0.379 with 35 runs scored, 30 RBI, 17 doubles and six home runs as the Scotties finished 22-12 overall.
