DLS, Acalanes To Meet Saturday At Islanders Field

High school baseball will return in full swing to Islanders Field on Saturday, when De La Salle takes on Acalanes in the River Islands community.

The game, at 2 p.m., will feature a power-packed De La Salle lineup, led by slugger Blake Burke, a Tennessee commit. Acalanes is paced by accomplished shortstop Davis Diaz, a Vanderbilt commit. Both programs are highly respected in the region.

The Spartans have a 2-0 mark at Islanders Field this season, with wins over Tracy and College Park.

“De La Salle’s awesome. Their fans are awesome. They travel really well,” said Chris deClercq, a former San Ramon Valley and Northgate coach who helps put on events at Islanders Field. “I think they appreciate what River Islands can do for the high school kids. It’s just a great experience.”

Heading into the season, baseball had been sidelined for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so players are appreciating playing time even more in 2021. Islanders Field with its professional design and game-day presentation has added to their experience.

“Now they have an opportunity to come out to a great facility and play in front of a large crowd,” deClercq said. “You don’t know what you miss until you start missing it, and then all of the sudden it’s like, ‘This is great!’ and good for the kids too. The goal is to make it a first-class experience for the players and their fans and families.”

In upcoming high school action at Islanders Field, Mountain House will face Ripon on May 14, and a tournament is set for July 22-25 for some of the area’s top summer programs. High school tournaments during Spring Break next year are also in the works.

This and that …

• As of May 6, De La Salle was riding a six-game winning streak, and Burke was batting .583 (No. 27 in the state) with 28 hits, 19 RBIs, four doubles, a triple, and two home runs. He hit his first home run of the season, a mammoth shot to right-center, in the win over College Park at Islanders Field. He has a .682 on-base percentage.
• De La Salle was ranked No. 2 in the North Coast Section by maxpreps.com this week, listed behind only unbeaten Cardinal Newman, and 38th in the state. Acalanes-Lafayette is ranked No. 33 in the section.
• Diaz (5-11, 175), a smooth fielder and hitter, is having a strong season with a .417 average, .568 on-base percentage, three doubles, two triples and 10 RBIs. In 2018, Diaz started all nine games for USA Baseball in the WBSC U-15 World Cup in Panama, finishing second on the team with 14 runs, also stealing three bases and batting .273 with a .514 OBP.

• De La Salle has a deep cast of players moving on to higher levels, also including Anthony Martinez (UC Irvine); sophomore Cal Randall (UCLA), Eli Gennis (USC), and Kason Pelz (University of Chicago). Three Spartans committed to San Francisco State: Andrew Silva, Chance and Mickey Radanovich. Martinez, a catcher/first baseman, was hitting .455 as of May 6, with a team-high 20 RBIs and five doubles and a home run. Cade Cushing was hitting .435.

Top individual talent will be featured in upcoming showcase events at Islanders Field:

* June 4-6 - Bay Area World Series Underclass.

* June 15-16 - MLB Area Code Tryouts Underclass and Upper-class.

* June 17-20 - National Invitational Tournament managed by Five Tool.

* June 22 - Prep Baseball Report California State ID Games.

* June 25-27 - Perfect Game West Nationals.