Baseball: Times' all-Hillsborough teams

Pitcher of the Year: Brett Morales, Sr., King

Why we picked him: Morales spent his first two seasons at King as an infielder, earning a reputation – and attention from college coaches – with his bat and glove. He transitioned to the mound as a junior, going 6-1 with a 0.99 ERA. But it was his senior year when Morales left little doubt that it was where he belonged all along. He went 11-2 with a 0.58 ERA and 127 strikeouts – which ranked among the top 40 pitchers in the country – in 85 innings. But parse that stat line a bit and his season becomes even more impressive: his only two losses came against eventual Class 8A finalist Durant in the Saladino Tournament and in the 6A state semifinal, and he allowed only seven earned runs all year. Morales also set a school-record with 17 strikeouts in a region final win over Mitchell, one of bay area’s most dominating performances of the spring. He answered almost every challenge, proving that he’ll be a fixture on the mound for years to come.

Most impressive accomplishment: After going to the state semifinals as a freshman, Morales and his teammates put a lot of pressure on themselves to return as seniors. They lived up to their own lofty expectations, winning 22 of 25 regular-season games, the District 6A-11 championship and their second region title in four years. “This is the best year I’ve ever had,” Morales said. “Getting back to states was something that was really special, doing it with guys I had been with for such a long time.”

Future plans: Morales, thought to be no later than a fourth-round MLB draft pick, announced Friday that he planned to go to Florida instead of signing with a major-league club. He said he’s looking forward to going to UF, a school he’s rooted for since he was a toddler. “We started getting a lot of calls around the end of the first round,” Morales said of Day 1 of the MLB draft. “But I just decided it wasn’t the best choice at the time. Going to Florida has been my dream since I was a little kid.”

Did you know? Big, tough, strong-armed Morales turns all weepy when it’s time to watch movies. “They get to me a little bit,” he admitted. He said he last got teary-eyed while watching The Blind Side, a film adaptation of a book about the life of current Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman Michael Oher. “But I think it’s because I was happy for him in the end,” Morales said. Uh-huh. Sure.

Player of the Year: Tyler Danish, Durant

Why we picked him: While much is known about Danish’s exploits on the mound, far less attention was paid to his work at the plate this season. And with good reason. But that’s no reason to continually overlook his well-rounded game. Danish was also a force on offense, hitting .411 with 27 RBIs and tying for the county lead with nine homers. Those last two homers: a one-run blast in his last at-bat at home in the regional final and a two-run shot over a replica Green Monster in the state semifinal. “I put a lot of pressure on myself to hit four-something again so people wouldn’t say it was a fluke,” said Danish, who hit .378 as a junior after hitting .484 as a sophomore. “Then I learned to enjoy the chance to actually hit. It was a relief.” He was even better on the mound: Danish didn’t allow an earned run in 94 innings this spring.

Most impressive accomplishment: The stage was set for Danish in the region final against Orlando Timber Creek, with Durant holding a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning. The Cougars only needed nine more outs to clinch their first regional championship. Danish closed out the game with dramatic flair, hitting a solo homer in the sixth and then striking out the final three batters for the win. “To be the guy the team leaned on to get to state,” Danish said. “It’s one of those moments that I’ll never forget.”

Future plans: Danish, a UF signee, seems likely to join the Chicago White Sox’ organization after they made him the 55^th overall pick in the MLB draft Thursday night. He said as much on Twitter Friday: “Still an unbelievable feeling that I’m a professional baseball player.”

Did you know? Danish is back to a closely cropped ‘do after letting his hair out for the season. He refused to cut his hair after his streak of innings without allowing an earned run kept going and going and going. By the end of the year, 94 innings later, Danish was fairly shaggy. “I really didn’t like it,” he said. “But I wasn’t going to cut it as long as the streak was alive.”

Coach of the Year
Butch Valdes, Durant: Valdes had the Cougars on the cusp of a breakthrough before, back in 2011 when they lost in the region finals. This year, Valdes and Durant finally delivered on their considerable promise after emerging from one of the state’s toughest districts, 8A-7. The Cougars won their first district and region titles in program history en route to an appearance in the Class 8A championship game. A Jefferson alum and acolyte of coaching legend Pop Cuesta, Valdes was a steady leader in the dugout and created a laid-back, family atmosphere for a team that allowed the team to flourish.