Griffith ‘just finds a way to win’
Senior’s invaluable contributions to De La Salle’s success net him Player of the Year
David Jeans knew little to nothing about Tanner Griffith when he entered De La Salle-Concord as a freshman. Few did. He was a Livermore kid. Quiet but confident, Jeans quickly learned. Unassuming. Good body language.
One thing was certain. “He definitely didn’t pass the eye test,” said Jeans, who just finished his 12th season as the school’s baseball coach. “He wasn’t someone you looked at and said, ‘Oh, he’s a major D-I guy.’ ”
But after four years, and having led the Spartans to a second straight Northern California Division 1 title as the team’s fleet-footed right fielder, the eyes see something different in Griffith now.
Same body. Same quiet, confident demeanor. But now a bona fide Division I player, a St. Mary’s signee and The Chronicle’s 2023 All-Metro Baseball Player of the Year.
The 5-foot-9, 160-pounder led The Chronicle’s No. 1-ranked team (27-5) in batting average (.435), on-base percentage (.557), runs (41), hits (40), doubles (14) and home runs (four).
Utilizing elite speed, he played a flawless right field, just as he did as a junior, highlighted by making one of the great catches in Jeans’ tenure during a 7-6 comeback win over St. Francis in the 2022 NorCal D1 title game.
De La Salle came back from a three-run deficit in the final inning to win that one in a walkoff. Earlier this month, the Spartans did the same, but on the road, scoring six runs in the seventh, capped by a grand slam by Hank Tripaldi, to prevail 11-8 at Valley Christian.
Griffith reached base four times in that game and scored twice, capping a highly productive postseason in which he went 12-for-22 and reached base 20 times with 14 runs, 10 RBIs, three doubles and a homer in seven straight wins. That extended De La Salle’s remarkable postseason win streak since 2016 to 30 games, which is part of six consecutive North Coast Section titles.
Jeans said Griffith is the poster child for the program’s victorious process and results.
“He’s just a winner,” Jeans said. “He’s one of those guys who just finds a way to win. He takes a walk, hits for power, makes a throw, makes a spectacular catch. He came in not as a big-time guy, but he kept grinding and got better and better and better. You want Tanner Griffith on your team.”
He arrived at De La Salle as a second baseman, a position he had played since he was a child. His idols were middle infielders — second baseman Jose Altuve and shortstop Francisco Lindor — but he accepted the challenge of a position change, along with all the other adjustments that come from living in a different community.
He was expected to attend Livermore High, but at the last minute, he convinced his parents that De La Salle and its “Spartan brotherhood” would be the best path.
“It was kind of crazy going to a new school and dealing with all the social adjustments and playing a new position,” Griffith said. “But from the beginning, it felt right. I loved the culture. I like challenges in my life and being able to overcome them.”
He has overcome the eye-test doubters by “playing with a chip on my shoulder and trying to work twice as hard as everyone else.”
It all paid off, starting for a team that has been nationally ranked and has won 54 games combined the past two seasons, ending each with improbable late wins.
“It’s been surreal,” Griffith said. “They were both like college games, so loud and filled with so many twists and emotions. Going out as a two-time NorCal champion with such great teammates and coaches is something I’ll never forget.”
Jeans thinks Griffith, who hits left-handed and throws right, will excel at the next level.
“About 70% of the guys we face are major D-I guys and he’s never overmatched,” Jeanssaid. “He really controls the zone. He doesn’t chase and if the ball is in the zone, he hammers it.”
Regional Players of the Year San Francisco — Liam Mahoney (Lowell):
The junior catcher was the heart and soul of the Northern California Division 5 champions while leading the team in hitting (.450, 36-for-80) with seven doubles, five triples and two home runs. He led the San Francisco Section in RBIs (35) and was second on the team in runs (31). He was even better on defense, handling pitchers while throwing out 19-of-41 (46%) would-be base stealers.
Peninsula — Michael Castaneda (Valley Christian):
The West Catholic Athletic League Pitcher of the Year went 13-1 with a 1.19 ERA and also was a strong contributor at the plate, hitting .372 with 35 hits, 30 RBIs and 12 doubles, while leading the Warriors to WCAL and Central Coast Section (D-I) titles. He’s committed to Northern Kentucky.
East Bay — Leo Asfar (Berkeley):
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior first baseman hit a team-best .372 with 32 hits, 25 runs and 25 RBIs. The WACC Foothill Division Player of the Year blasted four doubles, a triple and seven home runs for the Yellowjackets (19-8). He had a home run and four RBIs in a 12-10 loss to NCS D-I champion De La Salle.
North Bay — Carl Schmidt (Marin Catholic):
The senior shortstop was the Marin County Athletic League Player of the Year after hitting .452 with 38 hits, 27 RBIs, six doubles, seven triples and six home runs for the 12th-ranked Wildcats (20-7). He also had a 1.66 ERA in 12 pitching appearances with 19 strikeouts in 25 innings. The 5foot-11, 185-pounder is committed to Texas A&M.