Our Professional Alumni

Erik Davis, San Diego Padres. Erik completed his first full professional season with the Padres Midwest League affiliate, the Fort Wayne TinCaps. Erik enjoyed one of the best seasons in all of minor league baseball, leading the Midwest League and all of minor league baseball in wins (17-7 including the playoffs) and breaking the Fort Wayne franchise record, previously held by major leaguer LaTroy Hawkins, with 16 wins in the regular season.
Erik was also among the league leaders in ERA (3.64 - 9th) and WHIP (1.28 - 8th), fired a team-best 11-srikeout performance over the Dodgers’ affiliate, Great Lakes, and was second on the TinCaps in innings-pitched (123.2) and strikeouts (106) during the regular season. He was named the Padres’ minor league Pitcher of the Month in August, the Santa Clara County Hot Stove Banquet Minor League Pitcher of the Year in January, 2010 and was instrumental in helping the TinCaps to their first-ever Midwest League championship and the best record in all of professional baseball (101-48).

In 2008, Erik was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 13th round and assigned to their Northwest League affiliate, the Eugene Emeralds. He went on to compile impressive statistics for the Western Division co-champion Emeralds with a 2-0 record, 2.70 ERA, 39 strikeouts and only 7 walks in 26.2 innings while limiting opponents to a mere .200 batting average and less than 1 base runner per inning.

Erik was a four-year letterman at Stanford University where he completed a stellar senior season as the Saturday starter in which he led the Cardinal back to the College World Series for the first time in five years. Erik was an All Pacific-10 Conference first team selection, awarded Stanford's Bill Alhouse Come-Through Award, and named the Santa Clara Hot Stove Banquet’s College Co-Pitcher of the Year in a season in which he led the Cardinal in wins (8-3), innings pitched (103.1), strikeouts (103) and starts (16). Erik pitched four consecutive complete game victories to open the Pac-10 season including wins over Washington State, #1 ranked Arizona State, defending national champion Oregon State and UCLA. The UCLA win, in which he struck out a career high 13 Bruins, garnered Erik Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week honors. He wound up his college career by throwing four strong innings in the ESPN-televised Game 9 of the College World Series, getting the victory and eliminating the #1 seeded Miami Hurricanes.

At Mountain View High School where he owns nearly every pitching record, Erik led the Spartans to their first league title (2004) in 15 seasons and was named team MVP. He was a High School All-American (2004), All-State (2004), two-time SCVAL All-League (2003, 2004), Baseball America Youth Player of the Year finalist (2003) and National Player of the Year finalist (2004). Erik twice played for the USA Junior National Team in the Pan Am (Curacao, 2003) and World Championships (Taiwan, 2004). He was drafted by the Anaheim Angels after high school (2004) and again by the Texas Rangers (2007) but decided to return to Stanford both times.

In LA-MV PONY, 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.

Ryan Lee, Chicago White Sox. Ryan became the fourth-ever LA-MV alum selected in the professional baseball draft in 2009. Following a tremendous four-year career at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Ryan was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 41^st round of the 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Ryan signed with the club on June 14, and was assigned to the Bristol White Sox, the short season affiliate of the parent club. After jumping out to a great start with Bristol, Ryan was promoted to the White Sox South Atlantic League affiliate, the Kannapolis Intimidators where he played for the remainder of the season.

Ryan is coming off an excellent Senior season with Division I Cal Poly, in which he started all 58 games in center field and helped power the Mustangs to a 37-21 record, their first trip to the NCAA post season in 15 years, and the team‘s first ever appearance in the NCAA Division I playoffs. Ryan set a new Mustangs team hitting streak record at 26, batted .328, had 33 multiple-hit games, and led the team with 27 stolen bases. He was selected Big West Player of the Week after hitting 9 for 19 the week of May 12, and selected to the All-Big West Conference second team. He was also awarded the “Robin Baggett Scholar-Athlete Award” and the “Jason Maas Captain’s Award” at Cal Poly.

Ryan had a phenomenal junior season for the Mustangs in which he hit a staggering .357 (3rd on the team) and led the team in stolen bases (13) playing in 55 games, 51 as a starter. In recognition of his fine season, Ryan received Cal Poly’s “Dick Morrow Coaches Award” and was named to the Honorable Mention All Big West team at the conclusion of the season.

Retired Professional Alumni

Matt Means, San Diego Padres. Matt completed his college career at Sonoma State University with a phenomenal senior season as the Friday starter in which he led the Seawolves to the NCAA Division-2 College World Series for the first time in school history. Matt was a Division-2 first team All American and first team All California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) selection in a season in which he led the Seawolves in wins (10-2), innings pitched (102), strikeouts (93) and starts (17). Matt’s 93 strikeouts were the second-most in Sonoma State history. Matt also posted a stellar 1.85 ERA. Matt finished his Sonoma State career with the second-most pitching appearances in school history (59). During summer baseball while in college, Matt appeared in the Stan Musial World Series with the Novato Knicks (2007).

In 2008, Matt was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 37th round and spent parts of his first professional season with the Arizona League Padres and the Eugene Emeralds of the Northwest League where he again teamed up with his former high school and LA-MV PONY teammate, Erik Davis. He retired from professional baseball in Spring 2009.

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 the mayor of Mountain View in 2008.

Wes Swackhamer, St. Louis Cardinals. Wes was one of the most feared hitters and pitchers in LA-MV PONY history. Playing in LA-MV only through Mustang before his family moved East, Wes was a power left-handed pitcher with a devastating fastball that drove fear into the heads of opposing batters. At the plate, no young hitter in LA-MV history had as much power as Wes. Home runs deep into the gap at Oak School or over the fence at Loyola School were the norm.

After moving East to New Jersey, Wes continued his dominance of youth baseball, eventually playing on the USA Junior National Team. After high school, Wes was drafted in the 19th round by the Chicago White Sox but decided to attend the University of Florida instead as a power-hitting outfielder. He later transferred to Tulane University where he hit .355 as a junior and helped lead the Green Wave to the NCAA tournament.

Wes was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 5th round of the 2004 draft and spent three seasons in the minor leagues before retiring in 2006.