MORAGA — De La Salle has been waiting for this moment for a whole year.
As third baseman Jacob Gray threw out College Park’s final runner at first base, those Spartans in the dugout quickly ran to the pitcher’s mound. Hats and helmets flew into the air and a dogpile ensued at Louis Guisto Field as De La Salle accomplished its mission.
One year after losing to Granada in heartbreaking fashion in the 2024 North Coast Section Division I title game, the second-seeded Spartans found redemption on Saturday as they defeated No. 5 College Park 11-2 at St. Mary’s College to capture this year’s D1 crown.
“We were obviously frustrated after last year, but we were very resilient,” De La Salle center fielder Alec Blair said. “We were very determined this year to win it all, and so for us to take it home, it’s awesome.”
De La Salle dogpiles after an 11-2 victory over College Park in the NCS Division I baseball championship game, Saturday, May 31, 2025, at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
The Concord school continued its dynastic run through the NCS by winning its eighth Division I title and 15th overall.
“These guys just do what they’re supposed to do,” De La Salle coach David Jeans said. “They take care of the little things. They’re great in the classroom. They’re phenomenal with each other. They treat the younger guys well. They’re just really good kids.”
Stanford commit Tyler Spangler had a phenomenal game, going 3 for 4 with two two triples and two RBIs. Cal Poly-bound second baseman Antonio Castro had two hits and knocked in three runs.
The Spartans totaled 10 hits – five of them went for extra bases.
De La Salle’s Antonio Castro #10 hits a 2-run double in the sixth inning against College Park in the NCS Division I baseball championship game, Saturday, May 31, 2025, at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
De La Salle took all the momentum in the second inning as it capitalized on a costly College Park mistake.
The Falcons were on their way to getting out of the second unscathed after turning a 6-4-3 double play. On a 2-2 count, De La Salle right fielder Niko Baumgartner hit a ball into the infield that couldn’t be corralled as he reached on an error.
De La Salle loaded the bases after Zach Tchejeyan walked and Jacob Gray singled to left field. The Spartans then scored the first run of the game when John Salter was hit by a pitch. The floodgates were opened from there.
Leadoff hitter Ethan Sullivan tripled to bring home Tchejeyan and Gray. Then, Spangler tripled to drive in two more runs. De La Salle scored its final run of the inning after Castro knocked in Spangler, giving the Spartans a 6-0 lead.
“We just thrived off each other and started building momentum,” Baumgartner said. “As a team we’re really good at getting to the next guy and that’s a big thing for us.”
De La Salle’s Niko Baumgartner hits a triple in the fifth inning against College Park in the NCS Division I baseball championship game at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif., Saturday, May 31, 2025. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
College Park coach Andy Tarpley said De La Salle’s second-inning rally changed the complexity of the game.
“We caught a couple of tough breaks,” Tarpley said. “But they were juggernauts and we needed the breaks to go our way and they went theirs.”
College Park’s lineup found some rhythm in the fifth inning. Senior TJ Lanza hit a sacrifice fly to center that scored pinch runner Jack Carpenter. Riley Meadows then drove in Connor Berkowitz to cut the deficit to four runs.
But that’s as close as the Falcons would get.
De La Salle tacked on two more runs in the fifth to push its lead back up to six. Then, Bubba Vargas’ sacrifice fly to left capped a three-run sixth inning as De La Salle’s lead became too much for College Park.
For De La Salle, winning Saturday’s NCS championship was a testament to this group’s new mindset coming into this season.
“We changed everything,” Vargas said. “Last year we were a little laxed and that hurt us at these big moments. This year, we were focused on every pitch, every game, no matter if it was in March or if it’s in May. That was our mentality coming in. It was a big jump and a big change, but it’s what we needed and it’s a great feeling because it worked.”
Saturday’s final was a rematch of the NCS Division I championship from 2015. De La Salle lost to an all-time College Park team that included current big leaguers Trevor Larnach (Twins), Christian Encarnacion-Strand (Reds) and Willie MacIver (A’s).
Since that defeat, the Spartans have won 31 of their last 32 NCS playoff games with their only defeat coming against Granada in an all-time classic game last year.
Blair, an Oklahoma commit in baseball and basketball, accomplished something he has been trying to do for the last four years. He has now won section titles in both sports in the same year — he led the Spartans to an NCS Open Division crown in hoops this past winter.
“It’s been fun,” Blair said. “It’s my senior year, so to go out with a bang like that, it’s pretty awesome.”
De La Salle’s Antonio Castro #10 hoists the NCS Division I baseball championship trophy after defeating College Park, 11-2, Saturday, May 31, 2025, at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Though College Park couldn’t get over the hump, the Falcons’ turnaround from where they were to start the season has been remarkable. At multiple points this year, College Park was a below .500 team, but finished the regular season with an outright Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division title.
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The Pleasant Hill school then beat Heritage, Clayton Valley and Casa Grande to reach Saturday’s championship game.
“It’s a common cliche, but we had resilience,” Tarpley said. “We had the second toughest schedule in all of California, so some of those losses early prepared us to play in these games. For us to be here shows a testament to this group and how close they are as a team.”
Both schools will prepare for another playoff run as the Spartans and and the Falcons qualified for the CIF NorCal playoffs. De La Salle and College Park will know what division and seed placement it will get after Sunday’s CIF seeding meeting.
De La Salle, which will likely receive a Top 2 seed, is seeking its third NorCal Division I crown.
De La Salle poses with the NCS Division I baseball championship trophy after defeating College Park, 11-2, Saturday, May 31, 2025, at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
College Park’s Davin Koepp #10 gets the first hit against De La Salle’s Roman Bartosh in the fifth inning of the NCS Division I baseball championship game at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif., Saturday, May 31, 2025. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
College Park’s James Voorhies pitches in relief against De La Salle in the NCS Division I baseball championship game at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif., Saturday, May 31, 2025. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
College Park’s James Voorhies pitches in relief against De La Salle in the NCS Division I baseball championship game at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif., Saturday, May 31, 2025. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
De La Salle starter Roman Bartosh pitches into the fifth inning before giving up a hit to College Park in the NCS Division I baseball championship game, Saturday, May 31, 2025, at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
De La Salle starter Roman Bartosh pitches into the fifth inning before giving up a hit to College Park in the NCS Division I baseball championship game, Saturday, May 31, 2025, at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
De La Salle starter Roman Bartosh pitches into the fifth inning before giving up a hit to College Park in the NCS Division I baseball championship game, Saturday, May 31, 2025, at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
De La Salle celebrates an 11-2 victory over College Park in the NCS Division I baseball championship game, Saturday, May 31, 2025, at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)