Palomar Comets Baseball 2007

RICKY IMPERIALI

NO. 2 /  SS, SO, 6-0, 175; BATS: Right; THROWS: Right

HOMETOWN: Vista, CA

HIGH SCHOOL: Rancho Buena Vista (Vista, CA) (2005)

NCAA DIVISION I COLLEGE: Signed early with Centenary College of Louisiana.

PERSONAL: Born Oct. 7, 1986, in Vista. ... Son of Bonnie and Mike Imperiali. ... Has one adult brother (Michael Imperiali) and two adult sisters (Kristina Tabares and Melissa Imperiali).

2007 SEASON: Arguably the Comets' all-time best defensive shortstop on a stellar list that also includes Jim Scranton, who went on to play for a College World Series championship team at the University of Arizona and in the Major Leagues with the Kansas City Royals, Opie Moran (UOP, St. Louis Cardinals farm system), Billy Hancock (University of Denver), Jeda Alvarez (Texas Tech, Baltimore Orioles farm system) and Kyle Floquet (San Diego State). ... A first-team All-Pacific Coast Conference selection, team Most Valuable Player and also the Comets' Defensive Player of the Year. ... Hit in the 2-hole for the Comets. ... Led California Community College players with 22 sacrifice hits and also had three sacrifice flies to lead the team. ... Batted .315 for 146 at-bats and drove in 24 runs, third-best on the club. ... Was involved in 32 double plays. ... Hit .301 in the Pacific Coast Conference. ... Went 2-for-3 with a walk against Ventura on Feb. 3. ... Went 2-for-4 and drove in a run vs. nationally second-ranked Riverside Community College on Feb. 9. ... Went 2-for-3 with a sacrifice fly, three RBIs and a stolen base to help key an 18-3 victory over Los Angeles Pierce on Feb. 17. ... Was 2-for-3 with a sacrifice vs. Southwestern in the Comets' Pacific Coast Conference opener on Feb. 24. ... Went 2-for-4 with as double and two RBIs in a 12-2 win at Imperial Valley on March 1. ... Singled in a run to help spark Palomar's seven-run seventh inning and also had a sacrifice on March 1 as the Comets beat San Diego City College 7-0. ... Was 2-for-6 and reached base as a hit batter in an 11-6 victory over Southwestern in 12 innings on March 8. ... Drove in two runs, one on a suicide squeeze, in an 8-3 win over the Jaguars on March 10. ... Went 2-for-4 with an RBI in a 9-5 victory at Grossmont on March 13. Singled to drive in a run during the Comets' seven-run eighth inning. ... Saw his hitting streak end at seven games on March 15 but contributed a key RBI on a seventh-inning squeeze bunt as Palomar ran its win streak to five games with a 3-1 win over the Griffins.... Went 2-for-4 with an RBI in a 14-2 road victory over Imperial Valley on March 20. ... Was 2-for-5 in an 8-5 win over the Arabs on March 22. ... Besides a single, got down a 2007 team individual-high three sacrifice bunts against San Diego Mesa on March 24. ... Went 3-for-4 and also reached base on a walk and as a hit batter to help key a 4-3 victory at San Diego Mesa in 12 innings on March 27. ... Singled to drive in two runs in the fifth inning, keying a four-run rally that broke open a close game in a 9-2 win over San Diego City College on March 31. ... Went 3-for-5 in an 8-3 win over Mt. San Jacinto on April 4. ... Went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a sacrifice bunt as the Comets pinned a 9-8 loss on Chaffey, which came into the game with a 24-9 record, on April 5. ... Went 3-for-4 with three RBIs vs. Grossmont on April 17. ... Got down a squeeze bunt for his 20th successful sac bunt of the season in an 11-3 victory at Imperial Valley on April 21. ... Doubled in a 6-0 victory over conference champion Mesa on April 26.

2006 SEASON: Committed only one error all season in 28 games. ... All-Pacific Coast Conference honorable mention selection as a true freshman. ... Alternated all season long with Jason Ednoff as the Comets' starter at shortstop. ... Battied.329 through the regular season and .308 through the post-season. ... Hit .293 in conference games. ... Went 2-for-3 with an RBI vs. Cypress on Jan. 28. ... Doubled and drove in a run in a 10-3 win at Citrus on Feb. 9. ... Singled, walked 3 times, drove in a run and stole a base in an 11-2 win over San Bernardino Valley on Feb. 10. ... Was 2-for-4 with a steal vs. Cerro Coso on Feb. 17. ... Went 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs as the Comets pounded Los Angeles Pierce 12-4 on Feb. 18. ... Tripled against San Diego City College on March 4. ...Went 3-for-4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBIs in an 8-0 win over Imperial Valley on April 4. ... Was 3-for-4 with a double to help key a 15-1 rout of Mt. San Jacinto on April 13. ... Had a key fifth-inning double as the Comets beat visiting Grossmont, the eventual second-place PCC finisher, on April 18. Advanced Tim Deering, aboard as a hit batter from first to third on the play and Deering scored what turned out to be the winning run when Tyler Perkins, the following batter, singled. ... Went 3-for-3 with a double and 2 RBIs as the Comets clinched no worse than a tie for the conference championship, beating visiting San Diego City College 4-1. 

2006 SUMMER WOOD BAT BASEBALL:  Batted .320 as the starting shortstop for the Boise (ID) Outlaws in the Boise Collegiate wood-bat league.

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL: Played for coach Steve Hargrave up until his senior season and then for coach Leo Fletes at Rancho Buena Vista High. ... Was Longhorns' defensive player of the year during both his varsity seasons of 2004 and 2005. ... Batted .376 in his junior year. ... Was honorable mention on the North County Times' All-North County team and also was a Union Tribune All-Academic team pick both his junior and senior years, carrying a cumulative 3.4 grade-point average.

(Updated at conclusion of season)