Let's drag a few bunts and lay down thoughts about Coach and Player of the Year consideration for Bee All-Stars:

COACH

** Jim Sirimarco, McLane: Little guy standing mighty tall after Highlanders win first section title (D-III) in 35 years. You've got to know the make-up of McLane to truly appreciate this accomplishment.

** Dave Holt, Mt. Whitney: Lowest seed (No. 3) to win a boys baseball title (D-II). Most important, anyone who knows anything about the game recognizes the Pioneers as a fundamentally sound team. And this was a team void of super stars.

** Kirk Delmas, Chowchilla: Overpowering run for D-IV crown, defeating Coalinga 12-0, Dos Palos 8-4 and Kingsburg 7-0.

** Bill Feaver, Fowler: Third straight D-V title, and, perhaps, this was most impressive of all, considering an extraordinary amount of injuries -- to say nothing of zero wins from pitchers Josh Poytress and Clay Cederquist, who combined for 19 a year ago.

** James Patrick, Clovis: The 500-game winner had the best of his 23 seasons -- a career with a record seven section titles, by the way -- driving the Cougars to the Tri-River Athletic Conference title in a year they were expected to finish fifth, and also finishing runner-up in D-I to possible state top-ranked Stockdale in a heartbreaking 7-6, eight-inning loss.

PLAYER

David Rohm, Clovis: Hoisted the team onto his back and marched, going 10-2 as a pitcher, hitting over .400 with power and catching when not on the bump. No one player in the section had a greater physical and emotional impact on his team.

J.D. Salles, Clovis West: Went 13-0 in one of the greatest pitching performances in section history, hit over .400 with power and also played shortstop. And to think he didn't even know he was going to start in February.

Thoughts after Tuesday's Central Section baseball semifinals:

** The Clovis East @ Clovis semifinal, in one night, nearly matched in attendance (2,000) what the Fresno State softball regional drew in three days. Meaning? Once again, on the Valley sports interest radar, it's Bulldogs football No. 1 and Tri-River Athletic Conference pick-your-major-sport No. 2.

** Mark Evans, as a second base umpire uninvolved in a third-base appeal play, had no business ejecting Clovis coach James Patrick in the sixth inning.

** Clovis' David Rohm (10-1) threw in relief Tuesday, but Patrick will give him the ball Thursday at Stockale.
The Cougars have faith in part because the Mustangs have averaged 3.5 runs in two playoff games against TRAC pitching after averaging more than 10 runs a game in the regular season. And, yes, that did include a 5-4, 9-4 season-opening sweep at home against the Cougars.

** Playoff justice: North, with a gift No. 2 seed (should have been No. 6 at best), losing 6-0 at home to No. 3 Mt. Whitney.

** Message can't be more clear to Washington coach Mike Curran after going 2-2 as a No. 1 seed, with two sweaty wins against No. 8 seeds, in two post-seasons: Nonleague wins against Laton, Le Grand and Firebaugh are worthless. Play somebody while you still have Andrew Rich and a few other ponies in the stable.

** Remember when Fowler blew a 22-point halftime lead at home and eventually lost 35-34 in overtime to Bakersfield Christian on Nov. 23 for the section D-V football title? The same teams return to the same campus Thursday for the D-V baseball crown. Think Josh Poytress -- Fowler's quarterback in the football game -- is going to let this one go? Negatory.

Let's take a few hacks before today's baseball quarterfinals:

D-I: I'm in Bakersfield, where it's going to reach nearly 100 degrees. Also, and this could be crucial for Clovis East (at Centennial) and Madera (at Stockdale), there's absolutely no wind at this point. Centennial and Stockdale mash the ball as it is; with wind blowing out in their short parks, they're nearly unbeatable. Also, Buchanan has the offense to beat David Rohm and second-seeded Clovis. The Bears are a scary No. 10 seed.

D-II: A couple games with intrigue here. First, Fresno goes to Hanford, which is hot. But Fresno can beat anybody, evident in a 2-1 win two months ago over Buhach Colony-Atwater, which is ranked 16th in the state. And then there's El Diamante at Memorial in a rematch of last year's D-II final won by Memorial in Visalia. These two don't exchange Christmas cards, trust me.

D-III: All eyes on Easton, where top-seeded Washington hosts Garces. Washington's soft schedule hardly makes it trustworthy, to say nothing of its 12-3 implosion as a No. 1 seed to Selma a year ago. But the Panthers have several players -- featuring junior pitcher/center fielder Andrew Rich -- who have played together for three years. This year, it would seem, is theirs.

D-IV: Gotta love No. 1 seed to go the distance because of its pitching combination of Michael York and Tyler Cook.

D-V: Fowler has proven itself against the best in the division, from Liberty-Madera Ranchos to Mission Prep on the coast. And Josh Poytress is chuckin' again. Deposit a third straight division crown for the Redcats.