Pioneer Athlete Spotlight — Brendan O’Reilly

Grade: Senior
School: De La Salle High
Sport: Baseball

De La Salle baseball reached new heights this year while winning its fourth straight North Coast Section championship and finishing in the top five among all US high school teams. The Spartans set a team record for earned run average of 0.88 this season and coach David Jeans pointed to O’Reilly as the unsung hero behind the pitching staff. As a backup catcher the Clayton senior worked with the Spartans staff all year as they rang up a 29-1 record and a 28-game winning streak to end the season.

“His teammates voted him winner of the Ryan Abele Award this year as the player who contributed the most to team Spartan. They recognized all he did for us while knowing he wasn’t going to get a lot of playing time.” O’Reilly, who began his baseball career in Clayton Valley Little League, played four years at De La Salle but wasn’t able to crack the varsity roster until this spring. He had a weighted 4.04 GPA and is headed to Fordham University in New York this fall.

The Pioneer congratulates Brendan and thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have been serving the Clayton and Concord area for 25 years at Family Vision Care Optometry. www.laceyandruzicka.com

Do you know a young athlete who should be recognized? Perhaps he or she has shown exceptional sportsmanship, remarkable improvement or great heart for the sport. Send your nomination for the Pioneer Athlete Spotlight today to sports@concordpioneer.com.