Our 2008 College Alumni

Brian Bianchi, Freshman Infielder, College of San Mateo. Brian begins his college career following a two-year varsity career as the starting second baseman for St. Francis High School. One of the captains and leaders at St. Francis, Brian was a leadoff hitter and table-setter. He has quick feet with good range, good patience at the plate and good pop in his bat for his size. In LA-MV from Pinto through Colt (ages 7-16), Brian was a quiet hard-worker who got the most out of his ability and improved every year. He played on the 2000 Bronco League Championship Diamondbacks and the 2002 Pony Section Champion team, both coached by his father Steve. Brian is a versatile player who could see action in either the infield or outfield for CSM in 2008. We wish Brian the very best in his future baseball endeavors.

Tim Busbin, Sophomore Pitcher, College of San Mateo: Tim continues his college career following one season at Loyola Marymount and a highly successful three-year varsity career at national powerhouse St. Francis High School. At St. Francis he was second in the league in ERA and a WCAL first team All-League selection as a senior. He broke onto the area baseball stage as a part-time pitcher and designated hitter as a sophomore for the then-nationally ranked Lancers. Tim was a member of LA-MV's Pony Section championship team in 2002, Bronco Section runner-up in 2000 and Pony-13 Section runner-up in 2001. Tim is a fiery competitor from the mound where he commands a fastball clocked in the high 80s. A pitcher who thrives on challenges, Tim will compete for innings at CSM in the 2008 season.

Erik Davis, Senior Pitcher, Stanford University: Erik completed a third successful season on The Farm where he finished the season in the Cardinal's starting rotation. Erik was second on the team in wins and led the team holding opponents to a batting average of only .263. This past summer Erik posted a 4-1 record to lead the Brewster Whitecaps in wins in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League. As a sophomore at Stanford he was the team's closer and recorded two dramatic saves in the NCAA Austin Regional in a semi-final win over Texas and a championship win over North Carolina State. He is expected to be a major contributor again for the Cardinal in his senior season. Erik was a High School All-American (2004), All-State (2004) and two-time SCVAL All-League (2003, 2004) selection at Mountain View HS where he owns nearly every pitching record and twice played for the USA Junior National Team in the Pan Am (2003) and World Championships (2004). He was drafted by the Anaheim Angels after high school and again by the Texas Rangers this past year but decided to return for his senior season at Stanford. Erik helped his team to a Bronco League championship in 1996 and a Pony League title in 2000. He was a member of LA-MV's Bronco Section championship team in 1999 and Pony Section championship team in 2001. Erik's father, Tom, is a former LA-MV PONY President and his younger brother, Tyler, will play in the Colt Division in 2008.

Alex Dreyfuss, Redshirt Freshman Catcher, UC Davis: Alex begins his active college career in 2008 following a redshirt year as a freshman at UC Davis and a record-shattering high school career at St. Francis. As a senior, Alex was named All-League as he tied the WCAL record for hits and broke the league record for batting average surpassing former WCAL stars Barry Bonds, Pat Burrell and Chuck Lofgren. Alex is an athletic catcher with a lightning quick release, terrific footwork and a power swing at the plate. He was a member of LA-MV's Bronco Section championship team in 1999, Bronco Section runner-up in 2000 and Pony-13 Section runner-up in 2001. He is one of the most affable players in recent memory from LA-MV and should find a way into the lineup quickly in his college career.

Joe Hatasaki, Sophomore Pitcher, University of Nebraska. Joe continues his college career in 2008 for the Cornhuskers following a learning year as a freshman at Arizona State and a tremendous high school career at Mountain View High School. A rare four-year varsity baseball player at Mountain View, Joe helped lead the Spartans to a league championship and was named CCS Sophomore of the Year and co-MVP of the SCVAL El Camino Division in 2004. He became MVHS's and LA-MV's second High School All American in 2006. He was a member of LA-MV's Pony Section championship teams in 2001 and 2002. Joe is a crafty and hard-throwing left-handed pitcher who commands three pitches with precision. He is a highly competitive “field rat” who should begin to garner a significant role in his second collegiate season at Nebraska. We hope to see Joe with the Cornhuskers on their season opening trip to Sunken Diamond to face Stanford on February 22-24.

Ryan Lee, Redshirt Junior Outfielder, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo: Ryan is expected to see significant playing time in his third year on the field at Cal Poly following a sophomore campaign where he played in 37 games with 8 starts and batted .292 for the Mustangs. Ryan was recruited to Cal Poly following a brilliant high school career at national powerhouse St. Francis where he was an All-CCS and WCAL All-League selection as a senior in both football and baseball. As an LA-MV all star, he was a member of a Mustang Section runner-up team in 1996. Ryan is a very athletic and quick outfielder with a powerful bat whose playing time should continue to increase as his college career progresses.

Matt Means, Senior Pitcher, Sonoma State University. Matt returns to the mound for the NCAA Division-2 national powerhouse Seawolves following a highly successful junior campaign. Matt has been a big contributor for three seasons for SSU garnering a number of starts and critical relief appearances. This past summer Matt appeared in the Stan Musial World Series with the Novato Knicks. Matt had a highly successful high school career at Mountain View where he was 7-0 from the bump as a senior (2003) leading the Spartans to their first-ever 20-win season and a trip to the CCS playoffs. He was a first team SCVAL All-League selection and team MVP as a senior. As an LA-MV all star his teams were Mustang Section runner-up in 1996 and Pony Section runner-up in 2000. Matt is a hard-throwing left handed pitcher with a fastball in the high 80s and solid 12-6 curveball that keeps hitters off-balance. Matt's father, Tom, is a Mountain View City Councilman.

Rex Petrill, Senior Pitcher, Stanford University. Rex begins his senior campaign following a junior season where he saw his first action out of the bullpen for the Cardinal. Rex had a thrilling collegiate debut last season with his first college pitch resulting in an inning-ending double play against Cal-State Fullerton. Rex joined the Cardinal after a highly successful senior season as the top pitcher for the nationally ranked St. Francis Lancers. As a senior Rex was a WCAL All-League selection as he led the Lancers to the WCAL regular season title and a top-25 national ranking, playing on a team with seven other future college and pro players. A perennial LA-MV all star, Rex's teams won a Bronco Section championship in 1997, a Mustang Section runner-up in 1996 and a Pony Section runner-up in 1999. From the mound, Rex will deliver a submarine style fastball in the mid 80s that is tough on right-handed hitters. Rex's father, Larry, was a longtime LA-MV coach who is now an assistant baseball coach at St. Francis.

Adam Lanthier, Sophomore Pitcher, California State Monterey. Adam returns to the Otters following an active freshman season where he pitched in 15 games. Adam is one of the more versatile players to come out of local area baseball in some time. He is solid at virtually any position on the field including pitcher and catcher. Adam starred for three years on the Mountain View varsity baseball team, helping them to a league championship in his sophomore year. As a senior, he was the backbone of the Spartans playing nearly every inning at shortstop, catcher and pitcher. Adam was a solid all star for LA-MV's Colt teams.

Kyle Tachibana, Freshman Pitcher, St. Mary's College. Kyle joins the Gaels for 2008 as a highly versatile pitcher/infielder/outfielder. Kyle concluded a tremendous 3-year varsity career as a starter at Los Altos High School. In 2007 he was a key player for the Eagles as they captured their first SCVAL-De Anza Division co-championship and first-ever CCS championship. As an LA-MV player, Kyle was a perennial all star helping to lead his Pony-13 all star team to their first-ever berth in the NorCal Region Championships in 2002. Under the tutelage of his father Aaron, himself a former San Jose State player, Kyle matured into a force on the mound, in the field and at the plate. We are proud of his accomplishments and look forward to his college career with the Gaels.

Corbett Clarke, Freshman Pitcher, University of Redlands. Corbett begins his college career following a two-year varsity career at The King's Academy where he was a sure-handed shortstop and a pitcher who kept hitters off balance with a mix of fastballs, change-ups, and curves. As a senior, he led the Knights in hitting and slugging percentage. In 60 innings on the mound he recorded 64 strikeouts while issuing only 5 bases on balls. His season highlight was pitching a 10 strikout no-walk no-hitter. He was named to the first-team All-League for the PSAL. Corbett played in LA-MV starting as a Pinto and was a member of the inaugural Palomino team this past spring. He played on championship teams in Mustang and Pony and played on the first LA-MV Pony All-Star to host the regional tournament. Corbett's father Scott is a longtime LA-MV PONY Board member, currently serving as the Pony Division Director. We look forward to seeing Corbett compete at the college level.

Devin Matthews, Freshman Pitcher, Pomona-Pitzer College. Devin begins his college career at academic powerhouse Pomona-Pitzer College in Southern California. Devin enjoyed a highly successful three-year varsity baseball career at Los Altos High School where he helped the Eagles to league championships in 2006 and 2007 and a CCS championship in 2007. Devin was a perennial LA-MV all star from Pinto through Colt. Devin is a super-competitive pitcher with a fastball in the mid-80s who should compete for playing time early in his college career. His older brother, Cameron, played for two seasons as a utility outfielder at Stanford and his father was a coach in LA-MV Pony for many years.