EL SEGUNDO HERALD April 11, 2019 Page 5
Sports
Catching Up on Former Eagles Still Playing/Coaching
Lars Nootbaar has hit two home runs and has five RBIs in the
first four games for the Peoria Chiefs the Single-A affiliate of
the St Louis Cardinals.
Douglass
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Story and Photos by Gregg McMullin
With baseball in full swing, it’s time to
catch up on some former Eagles still playing
or coaching. El Segundo High School’s
baseball program and former Eagles playing
professionally date back 86 years. You read
that right: 86 years.
Baseball in El Segundo has been a staple
in our lives for decades. For the past 86
consecutive years, our community has been
able to root for one of its own at the professional
baseball level. Most people believe
the streak started when Bob Flynn, in 1960,
signed with the Kansas City Athletics. The
streak actually started in 1933 when George
Myatt was signed to a Dixie League contract.
Myatt went on to play in the Major Leagues
and then went into the coaching ranks. He
retired from coaching after the 1972 season.
Over nine decades, 57 former El Segundo
High School baseball players have signed
to play professionally. There might not be
another community of 17,000 people in the
United States that can boast such a streak.
Lars Nootbaar continues the streak as a
player when he was drafted by the St. Louis
Cardinals last June. This season he is playing
in the Midwest League for the Peoria
Chiefs -- the Cardinals’ Class A affiliate. In
the opener, Nootbaar had a two-run double
and the next day hit a solo homerun. You can
track his progress throughout the season by
visiting the team’s website at peroiachiefs.com.
On the coaching end Scott McGregor, Class
of 1972, and two-time CIF Player of the
Year, is in his eighth year as the Baltimore
Orioles Pitching Rehabilitation Coordinator
based out of Sarasota, Florida. McGregor,
who pitched for the Orioles for 12 seasons,
is a member of the Baltimore Orioles Hall
of Fame.
There are nine other former Eagles continuing
their baseball playing careers at the
collegiate level and two more coaching at
the college ranks. It takes a special athlete
to combine playing a sport and maintaining
a good grade in the classroom.
Jake Palmer led the Eagles to three consecutive
CIF appearances. He was a high
school All-American selection when he hit a
school-record .548 as a senior. He also holds
the school records for games played and
most consecutive (129) games played before
being recruited by UC Irvine. As a starting
sophomore outfielder for the Anteaters, he
is currently hitting .288 and leads the team
in runs scored and walks.
Sean Emery was a two-year starter for the
Eagles. In his senior year, he was selected to
the All-Ocean League first team and played in
the South Bay All-Star game before heading
to Claremont-Mudd. In his freshman season,
he was selected to the SCIAC All-Academic
Team. For the Stags this season, Emery is
hitting .270 as one of the team’s outfielders.
Wyatt Boyce was a hard-throwing righthander
for the Eagles before graduating in
2016. After a year at Cal State Dominguez
Hills, he went to West L.A. College where
he made 13 starts for the Wildcats in 2018
and earned Second Team All-West State
Conference-South honors. This season, Boyce
is coming out of the bullpen for Chico State.
Spencer Palmer was one of the Eagles’ top
hitters and helped lead the team to 27 wins in
his senior year. Now he is one of El Camino
College’s top hitters on a team ranked in the
top five in California. The Warriors are 25-5
overall and a half game back in the standings
behind Long Beach CC. As a freshman, he
led the team in hitting, doubles and walks
and is second in home runs. This season,
he once again leads the team hitting with a
.370 batting average as well as in RBIs (28)
and walks (23).
Spencer Long was a four-year starter for
the Eagles before taking over at shortstop
for El Camino. He helped lead the team
on offense with a .265 batting average in
46 games, but was also a starting pitcher
averaging nearly a strikeout per inning. This
season, Long has found his calling as the
team’s closer besides playing solid defense
at shortstop. He leads the team with seven
saves in eight appearances and a minuscule
0.60 ERA.
Jaime Galicia was one of the most dominant
pitchers in the South Bay when he led the
Eagles to the program’s 36th league title in
2018. Now the freshman at El Camino is
the leading pitcher for the Warriors with a
7-1 record and a 1.41 ERA.
Brendan Casillas was a four-year starter
for the Eagles and helped his team to three
Ocean League championships. He is one of
El Camino’s catchers this season.
Garrett Boyce was primarily used in relief
and had a 1.19 ERA for the Eagles as a
senior. Boyce is now a starter for West L.A.
College and is one of his team’s top pitchers.
Mario Morales was a second baseman
for the Eagles and played in 24 games his
senior year. When he moved on to West L.A.
College, he became a utility player and has
contributed in the infield and outfield as well
as at catcher. His live arm has also given him
time on the mound in relief.
Two other former players are coaching at
the JC level. Grant Palmer is regarded as one
of El Segundo’s top hitting shortstops ever.
He was a four-year starter who graduated
with plenty of awards on both the baseball
diamond and on the football field. He
originally started his baseball college playing
days at El Camino, but before too long he
accepted a scholarship to attend UC Irvine.
Palmer played in the College World Series
for the Anteaters. When he graduated, he accepted
an assistant coaching position with El
Camino two seasons ago where he coached
the infielders and is a hitting instructor.
Derrek Duarte was a three-year starter
for the Eagles, having graduated in 2004.
Duarte played first and second base as well
as catcher and was also 3-1 as a pitcher. He
was considered one of the top hitters on the
team with a .340 batting average. He was
an All-Pioneer League First Team member
and played in the South Bay All-Star game.
Duarte went to El Camino after high school
and played under Coach Nate Fernley where
he was awarded All-WCC Honors. He helped
lead the Warriors to a conference championship
in 2007. He played two years at Cal
State Dominguez Hills and batted .327 as a
senior. Duarte is in his first season assisting
at El Camino, working with the catchers,
pitchers and hitters. •
Jake Palmer is the leadoff hitter for UC Irvine and is having another solid season for the 19th-ranked Anteaters. Spencer Palmer is one of the most feared hitters in the El Camino Warriors lineup.