Pitching leads the way for the best of 2005

Nick Christensen

Thursday, June 30, 2005 | 9:24 a.m.

Anytime a pitcher with an ERA below 0.90 shows up, batters cringe.

When Jake Rasner and Kelly Griego took their places in the middle of the infield this year, batters often just folded.

Rasner, who had a 0.67 ERA in 60 innings for Wooster, and Griego, whose 0.89 ERA and 244 strikeouts were tops in Southern Nevada, were named the Sun's All-State players of the year for 2005 in baseball and softball, respectively.

Neither achieved playoff success to emphasize their points. But Rasner, whose fastball reached 95 mph when he escaped the thin air of Reno, is already playing for the Texas Rangers' rookie league team and Griego is recovering from a late season injury and preparing to start her career with UNLV next fall.

In all, 11 of the 12 baseball players selected were juniors, and nine of the 12 were from Southern Nevada. Four of the 12 softball players were juniors, the lone Northern selection being the state champion's top pitcher.

The Sun selected players from all infield positions, as well as four pitchers, from the state's baseball and softball teams. Despite an initial anemic response from area 4A coaches, the Sun was able to consult with several coaches, as well as print and broadcast media representatives and other local observers in making the selections for the 2005 All-State team.