Alston Hired As MT Baseball Coach; Detrick Grabs Fifth In Orlando

Monterey Trail High School athletic director David Coronado announced Sept. 24 that he hired Tom Alston as the school's new head varsity baseball coach.

"He brings many years of high school coaching experience to our baseball program," Coronado said. "We are excited to have someone with his knowledge and baseball background as our head varsity baseball coach."

Alston comes to the Mustangs after many years as Rob Rinaldi's top assistant at Pleasant Grove High School.

Alston makes his living as the president and CEO of Aero and Marine Tax Professionals in Elk Grove, yet has been a fixture on high school diamonds for many years. He's taking on a big job, however, in the baseball program at Monterey Trail.

The Mustangs, though successful in its football, boys' volleyball and track and field programs and in recent years with boys and girls basketball, has floundered in baseball. Last season they were 1-26, 0-15 in the Delta Valley Conference. The most wins in a season was in 2008 when the Mustangs grabbed eight victories under coach Zack Retallack.

Alston will be the school's sixth head varsity coach in its nine years of competition.

Detrick Takes Fifth In Pro Waterski Event In Florida

 It was a quick trip to Orlando, Fla., last weekend for Elk Grove professional water skier Brian Detrick. He ended up fifth at "Jack's Splash For Cash" at Jack Traver's Sunset Lake near Orlando.

Detrick said  six of the top seven in world rankings competed alongside of him in the two day event. Detrick is ranked number seven.

Rain hampered the second round on Saturday, but he was in the top eight by the end of the day.

On Sunday he was the first skiier out on Lake Sarah in the final round.

"It was a noticeable head tail (about 12mph)," Detrick said. "My goal was to put up a good score to put the pressure on the rest of the field. I was able to do just that as I ran 3@41off. I did exactly what I wanted to do and it was now a waiting game to see what played out."

By the end of the round, Detrick finished fifth overall.

"I was still thrilled with my performance and it was a succesful weekend skiing," he said.

He'll have a few weeks off before competing in the final three events of the year, including the U.S. Open.

Pro Football Updates

Jeremy Ross scored his first NFL touchdown receiving Sunday in Detroit's 24-17 win over the Jets. He had two catches for 65 yards in the win.

The former Laguna Creek Cardinal had a touchdown on a punt return last season for the Lions.

Chicago Bears' linebacker Lance Briggs had three tackles in the team's 38-17 loss to Green Bay Sunday.

Pro Baseball Season Concludes

Sixteen professional baseball players call Elk Grove their home during the off-season. Most of them are now taking time off.  There will be a few that will spend most of October in their clubs' spring training facility for Instructional Leagues.

David Hernandez (Elk Grove H.S.) looks ready to return to the Arizona Diamondbacks next season after sitting out this year recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Corey Vaughn (Jesuit H.S.) spend most of the season with the Mets' Triple-A franchise in Las Vegas. He batted .228 with seven home runs, playing 65 games in the outfield.

David Freitas (Elk Grove H.S.) played mostly in Double-A baseball in Bowie, Md., this summer but did go to Triple-A Norfolk for eight games.

Another former Herd catcher, Jared Deacon, attended a wedding locally a couple weeks back and said he likes his chances in the minors with the Giants organization.

"They treated me really well," Deacon remarked.

Deacon was drafted earlier this summer out of Cal State-Fullerton and played initially in Salem, Ore., in the Northwest League and then was promoted to San Jose in the Class A California League.

He's heading to the Giants' instructional camp in Arizona soon.