UKIAH >> North Central League I champion Middletown will be represented by no less than six players on Sunday when the 10th annual NCL West vs. NCL East high school baseball All-Star game is held at the Mendocino College baseball field in Ukiah. Action begins at 1 p.m.
Four of Lake County’s five schools — Clear Lake, Kelseyville, Lower Lake and Middletown — are sending players to the game and they will represent the NCL East squad. Upper Lake coach Billy Santos said he didn’t have any eligible seniors to send to the game.
Middletown head coach Jeff Mielke, whose Mustangs squad is battling for the North Coast Section Division IV championship this week, will lead the East team. Depending on the outcome of Middletown’s semifinal-round game with Piedmont on Wednesday, the Mustangs could be playing for the Division IV championship on Saturday night.
The East vs. West All-Star game is presented by the Cloverdale American Legion in honor of John “Dutch” Lyons, one of the game’s founders. It brings together some of the top high school senior talent from Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma and Napa counties. It’s the final time these players representing the NCL I, NCL II and NCL III will wear their high school colors.
There is no admission fee to the game but contributions are accepted. A concession stand will be in operation. All proceeds are used to make sure the All-Star game continues into the future.
Along with Middletown’s half-dozen players, other players who have committed to playing for the East team are Clear Lake’s Cody Rybolt, Isaac Lewis, Austin Davis, Jason Garrison, Alex Adams and Brian Horne, Lower Lake’s JT Tinkler, Austin Oranje and Antonio Padilla, and Kelseyville’s Randy Pfann and Jason Gentle.
Kelseyville head coach Lou Poloni guided the East All-Stars, which featured players from all five Lake County schools, to an 11-3 victory over the West a year ago.
