2018 Top Speed Hall of Fame Inductees
Casey Brown (2016) Info Coming soon!
Matt Martinez (2015 & 2016)
2017 Top Speed Hall of Fame Inductees
Steven Knudson (2012-2015)
Steven Knudson (1B) started his Top Speed career from 2012 to 2015. He played a total of four seasons with Top Speed, had 200 total games played, finished with a total of 54 Home Runs, career batting average of .285, 37 doubles, 159 RBI’s and 122 Runs Scored. Knudson is still the All-Time single season record holder with 18 Home Runs, which is a record that is going to be hard to beat. Here is a list of Knudson’s awards during his playing career with Top Speed.
- 2012 PWBL All Star
- Won PWBL All Star Game HR Derby
- PWBL First Team All-League 1B
- 2014 GSCBL All Star
- 2014 First Team All-League 1B
- 2015 First Team All-League 1B
- 2015 Perfect Game Collegiate Summer All-American
“Top Speed has been known for its power hitting line up since we started in 2009. Without a doubt, Knudson is the best power hitter Top Speed has ever had. Anytime we were down a run you wanted Knudson at the plate because you knew that with one swing of the bat the game could be tied. Knudson by far was the best pure power hitter the Golden State League has seen since it started. It was a no brainer that after Knudson’s career was over he would be in the first available Hall of Fame class for the Speedos, says Coach Switala.”
Ricky Rodriguez Jr. (2014 & 2015)
Ricky Rodriguez JR (3B/SS) played two years for Top Speed Baseball and contributed right away. In 266 At-bats, he hit .368 with 28 Doubles, 13 Home Runs and 55 RBI’s. Here are all of Rodriguez’s awards and honors for the summer of 2014 and 2015.
- 2014 GSCBL Co-Most Valuable Player of the Year
- 2014 GSCBL First Team All-League 3B
- 2014 GSCBL All Star
- 2014 Top Speed’s “Big Stick Award”
- 2015 GSCBL First Team All-League SS
After the 2015 Top Speed season ended, Rodriguez signed a free agent professional baseball contract with the Amarillo Thunderheads of the American Association League. In 2016, Rodriguez was traded to the Frontier League and played with the Washington Wild Things; he was selected to the All Star Team and finished the season hitting .289 with 9 Home Runs. Ricky is now playing professional baseball in the Mexican League and still having continued success.
“Rodriguez was such a great player to have in our program. He had a great attitude and just loved playing the game. He was without a doubt a “Gamer” on the field and always came off the field covered in dirt. Ricky was such a good hitter that it didn’t matter if I lead him off or put him in the 4 hole, he would hit anywhere in the line up with success. I know the rest of the league was happy when he ran out of eligibility to play for us so they didn’t have to face him any longer. I’m happy to have Ricky in the Top Speed Hall of Fame, says Coach Switala.”
Adam Bray (2012)
Adam Bray (RHP) played one year for Top Speed Baseball and was a big part of them winning the Pacific West Baseball league Championship. Bray started 11 games for the “Speedos” winning 8 games and losing only 1. He finished with 59.1 innings, 62 strikeouts and finished with an ERA of 1.37. Here are Bray’s awards and honors for the 2012 summer.
- PWBL Pitcher of the Year
- PWBL First Team All-League Pitcher
- Top Speed Pitcher of the Year
Bray was also selected as a 33Rd Round Draft pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015.
“Bray had a very good summer for us in 2012, this was the first year Top Speed played in a Collegiate Summer League and Bray was our main guy on the mound that year. He was a “Bulldog” on the bump and gave you everything he had. He was the type of pitcher that wanted the ball in the big game and took it very serious. Bray was a strike thrower and challenged hitters 1-9 and had great success. Even though he played for us for only one year, his stats were outstanding. It was really a no brainer he would eventually end up in the Top Speed Hall of Fame, says Coach Switala.”
2016 Top Speed Hall of Fame Inductees
Randall “Pac” Packard (2009, 11, 12, 13)
Randall Packard (1B) started his Top Speed career in its inaugural season in 2009 when Top Speed started off as an Independent Collegiate Team. During his playing days for the “Speedos” he was known as “Pac” and one thing for sure he would never be cheated on his swings while hitting in the 3 hole for Top Speed. He played a total of four seasons with Top Speed and with 174 total games played, he finished with a career batting average of .380, 214 hits, 46 doubles, 10 triples, 10 Home Runs and 152 RBI’s.
“Pack is one of those really good guys that will go out of his way for a friend or teammate, but once he gets between the lines and the game starts, all jokes were off and it was down to business. He was a very aggressive hitter at the plate that liked to take his hacks, or what came to be called later on in his career, “The Pac Hack”. He could handle high velocity and was very good hitting off speed, even with his hard aggressive approach at the plate, he always had low strikeouts for us. Anytime the game was on the line, you always wanted Pac up to bat. Im very happy that Pac is one of the first inductees in the Top Speed Hall of Fame, it wouldn’t be the same without him, says Coach Switala.”
Tyler Mautner (2013)
Tyler Mautner (3B) played one year for Top Speed Baseball and contributed a major way leading them to the Far West League Championship Game. In 231 At-bats, he hit .390 with 26 Doubles, 13 Home Runs and 57 RBI’s. Here are all of Mautner’s awards and honors for the summer of 2013.
- Far West League Player of the Year
- FWL First Team All-League 3B
- Far West League All Star
- Top Speed MVP
- Perfect Game Collegiate Summer All-American
- Won FWL All Star HR Derby
Mautner was also selected as a 14th Round Draft pick by the Minnesota Twins in 2014, following his Top Speed summer.
With all the power hitters Top Speed has had over the years, Mautner currently sits first in At-bats, Hits, RBI’s and Doubles on the single season record holders categories. He is also 4th in Batting Average and tied for 3rd in Home Runs.
“Mautner by far is was one of our best pure hitters we have had here at Top Speed Baseball since we started in 2009. That statement should say a lot as if you know us we pride ourselves on hitting and have had over 30 professional players come out of Top Speed. Best things about Tyler is he loved to hit and you could see that in his approach to the game. He didn’t need to use his mouth to show his talent and ability like some players do, he did all his talking with his bat and that one thing is hard to come by in todays sports world. Good coaches all say, “if you can hit you’ll play”, well Tyler was a great example of that, we were 42-15 overall that year playing in a total of 57 games, well Tyler played in all 57 games, that goes to show players if you hit and produce you will play all the time. It was a pleasure having Tyler for the one season and he for sure left his mark in the Top Speed record books, says Coach Switala.”
Kyer Vega (2010-2014)
Kyer Vega (RHP) played for five seasons with Top Speed Baseball. Vega had a solid career for Top Speed and was one the most reliable pitchers we have had since we started. Kyer came up with the Top Speed program in only our 2nd year and he without a doubt showed he could pitch at a high level for us. He has a career won/loss record of 19-3 with 2 saves in 169 Innings, 179 Strike Outs, 48 BB and a career ERA of 2.72 in 60 games pitched. Kyer is also tied as the single season record holder with wins in a season with 8.
Vega signed a professional baseball contract with the Las Vegas Train Robbers of the Pecos League in 2015.
“Kyer was such a pleasure to have on our team for 5 years. He was always very quiet, but so deadly on the mound and I think thats why the players nicknamed him the, “Silent Assassin”. I never met a player in 5 years that Kyer played with that ever said a bad thing about him, he was such a great teammate and such a coachable player who would absorb all info you would give to him so he could get better. He was always someone you could count on to throw the big game, no matter if it Was in a starting role or first out of the pen to lock down the lead. He had a good fastball that would sit in the upper 80’s and would touch 90 MPH numerous times. throughout the game. His good fastball went along well with his plus off speed pitches and very good control. It was such a pleasure to have Coached Kyer for 5 years, its my honor to have him in the Top Speed Hall of Fame, says Coach Switala.”
Corey Lathram (2010-2014)
Corey Lathram (RHP) played for Top Speed for 5 seasons and made it known right away to the West Coast he was a bulldog on the mound. Corey stood at 5’10 and 175lb and in that body he would generate a fastball that would sit from 87-90 MPH with a plus slider. He has a career won/loss record of 19-7 with 9 saves in 203 Innings, 227 Strike Outs and a career ERA of 3.55 and pitched in 93 games for the “Speedos”. Corey is also listed #3 as the all time single season strike out record holder with 70. In 2013 when Top Speed was in the Far West League, Lathram was selected as First Team All League and also selected to the FWL All Star Team.
Lathram signed a professional baseball contract with Roswell Invaders of the Pecos League in 2015.
“Corey had such a great career with Top Speed over his 5 season with us. The great thing about it was Corey was basically a two pitch pitcher, you would see a fastball in the upper 80’s and then a devastating slider that even though you knew it was coming you couldn’t do much with it. Corey would compete with the best of them and always wanted the ball in the big game and when you needed that strike out from him he would get it, thats why he struck out 227 guys during his career here. I always enjoyed having such a loyal player to the Top Speed program in Corey and its even better now that he is in our Hall of Fame, says Coach Switala.”
