PRIME 31 Players | 31-26

Thirty-one is a Prime number, one that is divisible only by one – and, of course, itself. Hence, the moniker Prime 31. It’s named for the 31 players we think best illustrate the talent level on the Peninsula. In digging into the rosters – and the stats – we found power pitchers, power hitters and powerful presences in their respective dugouts. They represent a solid cross section of private school pedigrees and the nose-to-the-grindstone public school kids who are making themselves seen and heard just as loudly. It’s an impressive list that took hundreds of hours of conversation and sometimes heated debate to compile and complete. It’s meant to inspire conversation and perhaps even more debates.

31. HAYATO NISHIYAMA

San Mateo, junior

Hayato Nishiyama, on loan from Japan for one more season while his father works here, burst onto the scene in 2024 by bringing speed and finesse to the Bearcats lineup. He scored 26 runs and stole seven bases for San Mateo, while patrolling centerfield. “I’ve done a lot of speed training in Japan,” he said. “I’m not a big guy, so I’ve always played with the goal of using my speed to do well.”

In their own words:

“I’m not good at hitting long balls, but if I can steal bases, I can turn a single into a double or a triple. … I’ve always played with the goal of using my speed to do well.”

What others are saying:

“Hayato patrols centerfield like no other centerfielder I have coached. He has a very high baseball IQ, a strong arm and great bat skills in addition to being a fast runner.”
– Neal Goldstein, San Mateo coach.

30. WES PETERSON

Menlo-Atherton, junior

Of all the power arms on the Peninsula, Wes Peterson might be the most intriguing. As a sophomore, he pitched in 13 games for the Bears – all in relief – and showed the kind of stuff that makes equates to a closer. He’s back for his junior season, bigger and stronger, and with a better array of pitches. “I worked a lot on gaining the most muscle that I could in order to throw harder,” he said. “I also perfected my off-speed pitches in order to mix in more pitches to go with my sinker.” Peterson will be called upon to build on last season’s 35-inning performance. And if rises to the challenge, the Bears stand a good chance of making a return visit to the CCS playoffs. “We’re looking pretty solid,” he said. “We have a lot of talent this season and e will see if we can piece it together correctly to create the best team possible.”

In their own words:

“I want to pound the zone early and force hitters to make weak contact in order to get our team back in the dugout as quickly as possible.”

What others are saying:

“What stands out to me is Wes never gets too high or too low. That’s a trait that can take you a long way in this game.” – Menlo-Atherton coach Jordan Paroubeck.

29. NICK LAFON

Mills, junior

Talk to Nick Lafon for five minutes and you leave the conversation wondering what he was doing playing varsity baseball. “I didn’t have a good year,” he says. And then you look at his stat line and it tells an entirely different story about his sophomore season. The Mills centerfielder led the Peninsula Athletic League’s Ocean Division in hitting and did so as a sophomore. And now, with a year of varsity baseball under his belt and a stronger supporting cast, he looks to be better. “My numbers look good, but I didn’t feel like I was having a great season,” he said. “I didn’t really have an approach. I was just swinging the bat to see if I could hit the ball. I wasn’t making great contact. … I worked on my swing and my approach in the offseason.”

In their own words:

“I’ve worked hard just trying to find a swing where I could feel smooth, and get the barrel to the ball.”

What others are saying:

“He’s far better than he thinks he is.”
-Nate Lafon, Mills senior pitcher and Nick’s older brother.

28. CHASE GORDON

St. Ignatius Prep, junior

In Chase Gordon’s game, the count on the batter is everything. He says he doesn’t throw hard enough to dominate, but staying ahead of hitters makes him effective. At the plate, being ahead in the count means everything. “I just tell myself to be on time and get myself into good counts,” says the St. Ignatius senior. Gordon is one of the keys to a stacked Wildcats lineup with aspirations of making some noise in the WCAL title chase this season. “We feel as a team that we have some unfinished business, and we know what it takes to win. The WCAL is always tough, but we feel like we’ve put in enough time and preparation to be ready.” The first baseman and pitcher brings a well-rounded game to his final season at the high school level, one that projects to make him one of the area’s players to watch.

In their own words:

“As a pitcher, I try to keep the ball down, get early outs and go deep into games.”

What others are saying:

“He just knows the ins and outs of the game extremely well, ranging from pitch sequencing to having a strong mentality that he continues to build upon. He is the best version of himself.”
– Senior pitcher, Beau Shaffer, St. Ignatius Prep.

27. PANO KOUTOULAS

Carlmont, senior

There’s a reason a car’s windshield offers a far better view than the rear-view mirror. The past is meant to be learned from, not dwelled upon, while the present and future deserve far more inspection – and introspection. That suits senior Pano Koutoulas just fine. His junior season at Carlmont, he admits, “has been put in the past.” It’s not one for the record books, but he doesn’t run from it. Instead, he spent the summer and fall leagues working on his game and enters his final season of high school baseball with something to prove. “I believe I’m going into my senior season with the most confidence I’ve ever had,” he said. Koutoulas is a top-of-the-order hitter – a table setter – with a knack for working the count, getting on base and wreaking havoc once he gets there. Defensively, he’s just as valuable – a student of the game who seemingly always makes the right play while also being in the right place.

In their own words:

“I really like to work the counts. I believe my eye in the box is really good and I am very selective as a hitter. I know the pitch I want to hit and what I want to do with it.”

What others are saying:

“I trust him to go make every play. He’s someone I know is going to have my back. Trust is key when you are pitching, and he is someone I can trust.”
– Chase Gordon, St. Ignatius Prep junior and a former teammate of Koutoulas.

26. RYDER KELLY

Menlo-Atherton, junior

Ryder Kelly goes into the new season with plenty of confidence that he’s a better player than he was last year when the infielder was one of the Bears’ better offensive players on a team that qualified for the CCS playoffs. A three-inch growth spurt helped the infielder gain 35 pounds to his current 180-pound playing weight. The weight gain came courtesy of spending six days a week in the weight room. It’s what leaders do, he says. “I’m a much better player this year,” he says.

In their own words:

“Being a leader gives me a huge confidence boost, which elevates all aspects of my game.”

What others are saying:

“Ryder understands what it takes to win and compete, and he holds his teammates to that standard.”
– Jordan Paroubeck, Menlo-Atherton coach.

PRIME Players: 25-21 | Peninsula Prep Baseball

Thirty-one is a Prime number, one that is divisible only by one – and, of course, itself. Hence, the moniker Prime 31. It’s named for the 31 players we think best illustrate the talent level on the Peninsula. In digging into the rosters – and the stats – we found power pitchers,

Peninsula Prep BaseballPPB Team