Griffins shortstop Noonan unstoppable

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: January 28, 2023

Grossmont's Nevan Noonan played his high school ball at Lauer Field (pictured), located at Francis Parfker High in Linda Vista / FWPS courtesy photo

2023 GROSSMONT COLLEGE BASEBALL

ECS staff report

Nevan Noonan

MONTEREY PARK – How did infielder Nevan Noonan land on the Grossmont College baseball roster?

Noonan, who opens his freshman season as the Griffins’ starting shortstop, was an all-league performer n high school. He owns a grade-point average nearly at 4.00 which would make colleges interested. He owns a power index among the top 100 high school shortstops in California last season.

Still, no professional organization drafted him, even if just to fill the roster of a Rookie League or short-season Class-A League roster.

Meanwhile, colleges offers were from distant, small-schools programs in towns that most people would find difficulty locating on a map.

Thus, Noonan made sure his collegiate debut would be one to remember.

On Saturday (Jan. 28), the 18-year old equaled a career-high — high school or college — by driving in five runs, lifting Grossmont to a comfortable 11-2 pasting of host East Los Angeles College (a host site to events during the 1984 L.A. Summer Olympics; mainly , men’s field hockey ).

Noonan batted 2-for-4 with a hoe run and a double, then was walk don his trip to the plate — too late, Huskies.

Noonan opened his assault on ELAC pitching in his very first trip to the plate.

The No. 7 batter in the batting order, he followed a Huskies error with a 3-run homer to open the scoring in the second inning. The blow to left field also brought home first baseman Brodie Romero 1b and second baseman Luke Mansy.

In the fifth, another Noonan blow to left would short-hop the fence, with both Romero (2-for-4) and Mansy (1-for-4, walk) again scoring.

Jyle Dobyns, pitching in high school for West Hills in 2021 / ECS file photo

On the mound, Grossmont sophomore Kyle Dobyns (West Hills) a member of the 2022 All-East County Baseball Team, fired four solid innings, leaving the contest holding a 9-2 lead.

A series of five Griffins relief pitchers — Kaden Hustead (San Marcos), Ethan McNish-Heider (Granite Hills), Koda Alto (Santana), Dylan Vail (Temecula Valley) and Bradley Barkley (Steele Canyon) — went one frame eachin the combined 7-hitter.

For the Griffins, center fielder Noah Lane (Helix) also drove in a pair of runs with a 2-run homer to left in the eighth to cap the scoring.

For ELAC, Richard Ponce, also a shortstop, drove in both runs for the Huskies with a fourth-inning double.

Grossmont (1-0) continue their 5-game season-opening road trip on Wednesday ()Feb. 1( in Mission Viejo against Saddleback College.

Saturday’s Scores

Grossmont College 11, East L.A. 2
Southwestern 11, Chaffey 6
San Diego Mesa 10, Santa Ana 9
Compton 13, San Diego City 6
Golden West 3, Palomar 2
Rio Hondo 7, Imperial Valley 1