Harbor’s D’Cruz earns Sunset League honor

Senior RJ D’Cruz, a pitcher and second baseman, was the lone Newport Harbor High baseball player earning first-team, All-Sunset League honors.

D’Cruz, who’s headed for the University of San Diego, led the Sailors with a 3-7 record and 2.94 earned-run average and 58 strikeouts in 59 1/3 innings. His two wins came in league against Fountain Valley and Marina. The right-hander, earning first team for the first time, also saved two games and had three complete games, tied for first on the team in both categories.

D’Cruz hit .355 in league play, tops on the team. Overall, he batted .313 with seven runs batted in, two doubles, two triples, and he was five for five in stolen bases.

Newport Harbor, which finished 8-14-1, 4-11 in league, good for sixth place, saw sophomore outfielder/reliever Dillan Freiberg and sophomore shortstop Jacob McCann receive second-team honors for the first time.

Senior pitcher Patrick Brennan was an honorable mention, Coach Evan Chalmers said.

Freiberg was third on the team in batting average (.286) and second in RBIs (seven). His three doubles tied him for third on the team. As a pitcher, the left-hander went 2-0 and struck out 13 in 11 1/3 innings.

McCann led the team with 19 hits and hit .271. He also doubled three times.

Brennan, bound for the University of Pennsylvania, went 2-7 with a 4.13 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 64 1/3 innings. The left-hander saved two games and had three complete games, including a one-hit shutout against West Valley.

Senior Matt Avery of Los Alamitos was the league’s Player of the Year.

— From staff reports