By Gabe Camarillo
gcamarillo@1430espnfresno.com
Division I:
- Buchanan (25-4, 13-2 TRAC)
Leading off: Buchanan returns several pieces from last year’s Central Section championship squad. The lineup consists of six D-I college baseball commits/signees: Evan Wallace (UC Irvine), Jett Ruby (Fresno State), Drew Smith (Oregon), Max Bernal (Cal State Bakersfield), JP Acosta (Long Beach State), and Hunter Jansen (Pepperdine).
Season recap: The Bears won the Tri-River Athletic Conference for the third consecutive season and ninth time in the last 13 years. Buchanan earned the No. 1 seed with key wins over Bullard, Clovis West (twice), Liberty of Bakersfield (twice), and De La Salle.
On the mound: Pitching depth has offset the recent absence of ace Sam Tookoian. Jayden Mandal and Austin Watson, signed to Utah Valley, form a formidable one-two punch that can take the hill throughout the playoffs. Mandal finished the season with a 1.14 ERA and 6-1 record, and Watson went 8-0 with a 1.42 ERA and 51 strikeouts. It is conceivable, with the Thursday-Tuesday-Friday D-I playoff format over two weeks, that head coach Brad Fontes can start either Mandal or Watson twice. Colton O’Toole is another key arm that will pitch quality innings this postseason.
At the plate: Smith (.375, 33 RBIs) and Bernal (.352, 27 RBIs) anchored the lineup in the No. 3 and 4 spots. Wallace batted .435 from the leadoff spot this season and Ruby held it all together with his .380 average. Acosta ended the year on a hot streak, too, with 10 hits in his last 17 at-bats.
Last out: Buchanan already faced Frontier once this season. The Bears dispatched the Titans, 4-2, in their final game of the Fresno Easter Classic.
- Stockdale (23-4, 14-1 SWYL)
Leading off: Stockdale did not face a Central Section team north of Bakersfield this season, making them mostly a mystery to the Fresno area. But those who have watched the Mustangs have warned the uninitiated about the college-caliber talent on the team. Forget college-caliber; 6-foot-7 shortstop Austin Charles is an MLB-caliber player, with Section-leading totals in home runs (11) and runs batted in (48). Charles also posted a 1.22 ERA and 46 strikeouts over 33 innings pitched this season.
Season recap: The Mustangs captured the Southwest Yosemite League crown for the fifth time in six seasons. Stockdale started the year 16-0 but dropped three straight at the Boras Classic in Sacramento. Key wins include two over Liberty, three over Frontier, and an extra-innings win over Bakersfield Christian.
On the mound: The rest of the rotation is fearsome with junior Oregon commit Ryan Featherston as the ace. Featherston, a third baseman on his days off the mound, posted a 9-1 record with a 2.15 ERA and 63 strikeouts over 45.2 innings. Charles, St. Mary’s signee Adam Enyart, who pitches and plays right field, and senior Nick Brown are three more arms at head coach Brad Showers’ disposal. If Cal Poly commit Holden Garcia returns from injury, there are five solid pitchers that Stockdale can throw in the playoffs.
At the plate: Charles’ teammate in the middle infield, San Diego State commit Ruben Rodriguez, is batting .424 with 33 RBIs. Enyart is having a strong season at the plate with 47 RBIs. Teams have been forced to pitch to Charles with the slugging prowess of 6-foot-4 Enyart looming on deck. Junior Matt Torres carries a batting average of .506, second only to Charles, and sets the table in this lineup.
Last out: Stockdale is the last non-Clovis Unified high school to win a Division I Central Section baseball championship, back in 2018. In fact, the Mustangs are the only non-Clovis Unified team to win it all in the last eight postseasons.
- Bullard (23-5, 13-2 CMAC)
Leading off: The best way to describe the Knights: young and talented. Outside Mark Baca and Jimmy Moltini, all of Bullard’s starting lineup will return next year. The Knights have the firepower to compete for a championship this year, if they put it all together. Bullard boasts a deep lineup stocked full of college-level talent, led by six-time Central Section champion head coach Tom Donald.
Season recap: The Knights exacted revenge for last year, beating San Joaquin Memorial twice this year to win an outright County-Metro Athletic Conference title. Bullard defeated Clovis West and Liberty of Bakersfield early in the season, key wins to their resume. Bullard lost in games where they didn’t put their talent on both ends together, either hitting (shutout losses to Frontier and Clovis East) or pitching (13 runs allowed to Buchanan).
On the mound: Fresno State commit Cam Schneider has worked himself back to full health after his leg injury. Since a tough outing at Buchanan on April 12, his first game back, Schneider has a 4-0 record with an 0.84 ERA. The X-factor on the pitching staff is Jacob Ybarra, the No. 2 in the rotation. He nearly threw a no-hitter during the Fresno Easter Classic while showcasing some of his best stuff. If he bounces back from his last start, a loss to San Joaquin Memorial, then Ybarra will play a big role in the Knights’ title run.
At the plate: UC Irvine commit Trevor Wilson is the ideal leadoff hitter, a consistent presence on the basepaths. Arizona State commit shortstop Beckett Zavorek and San Diego State commit second baseman Keynen Gomez are only sophomores. Baca possesses the strength to power baseballs into the gaps and over the wall. Santa Clara commit Jake Porter also packs a powerful swing, and Jaxon Murphy and Nick Stubblefield are middle-of-the-order guys who are garnering college interest.
Last out: Bullard will try to exact revenge next against Liberty of Bakersfield, which knocked out Bullard at Mike Noakes Field in the playoffs last year.
- Clovis West (21-8, 11-4 TRAC)
Leading off: The Golden Eagles are pursuing their first Central Section title since 2004, led by a trio of future Fresno State Bulldogs: senior outfielder/pitcher Nathan Baeza, junior slugger Cayden Munster, and sophomore catcher/pitcher Tyler Patrick. Add in senior pitcher Kyle Jimenez, and Clovis West has a strong nucleus to lean on.
Season recap: Clovis West opened its season with a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Liberty of Bakersfield in extra innings. The Golden Eagles were caught on the wrong end of several close games; their first five losses came by a combined six runs. Besides that, the Golden Eagles stayed consistent, won the Coca-Cola Classic, swept Central and Clovis East, and took one game from state No. 1 Buchanan.
On the mound: Clovis West’s strong suit this season is pitching. The Golden Eagles allowed the second fewest runs in Division I this season behind Buchanan. The pitching rotation was consistent every week in the TRAC: Baeza (1.71 ERA, 56 K’s in 53.1 innings) took the hill on Tuesdays. Jimenez (10-0, 1.54 ERA) started Wednesdays, and Patrick (6-2, 2.28 ERA) finished the series on Fridays. Dylan Senneway, Colby Robertson, and Gavin Rose all came out of the bullpen.
At the plate: Baeza and Munster pack a one-two punch in the lineup. Baeza ended the year with a .337 batting average and 14 RBIs, hitting one spot in front of Munster, who had a robust season line of .494/.607/1.386. Munster smacked three home runs and 33 RBIs as well. The X-factor for Clovis West is how the rest of the lineup fares. Slick-fielding shortstop Jacob Haros has come along with the second most RBIs on the team. Kaleb Latimer brings more power as he returns from injury. While Munster filled in for Latimer at third base, Christian Badger took over first and carved himself a spot in the middle of the order.
Last out: Clovis West avoided a first-round exit and won at least one playoff game over the last seven postseasons. Consistency from head coach Kevin Patrick’s squad.
- Righetti (23-5, 13-5 Mountain)
Leading off: Which Righetti will come to the Division I playoffs – the team that began the season with 13-0 with a key win over Frontier, or the team that lost four of its final six games? The Warriors are truly a wild card, showing their potential to do the unbelievable last year (see: first-round scare vs. No. 1 Buchanan). Last season’s squad only had three seniors, which means a majority of that team returns to Fresno Thursday to face Clovis West.
Season recap: Righetti has its best record and highest seed since the school joined the Central Section. Head coach Kyle Tognazzini led the Warriors as high as No. 2 in the MaxPreps rankings on May 2nd, when they were 21-1. Sweeps of Arroyo Grande and San Luis Obispo boosted their rating, but series losses to Templeton and Paso Robles dropped them back down. The common theme in recent losses has been quiet offense; the typically high-powered Warrior bats (7.5 runs per game) scored two, two, zero, and four runs in each loss.
On the mound: Ricky Smith, Omar Reynoso, and Cooper Bagby carved up the Mountain League this season. Smith (6-0, 0.86 ERA) and Reynoso (7-1, 1.42 ERA) are both juniors. Bagby, a senior, followed a Central Section football championship as wide receiver with another stout season on the mound (6-2, 1.37 ERA).
At the plate: Smith led the team with a batting average of .419. The team didn’t hit many home runs, only five in 28 games. Interestingly, the Warriors smashed 11 triples. Junior JJ Ughoc hit three triples and two home runs, both team-highs, and 25 RBIs. Junior Adrian Santini paced the team in RBIs with 28, and senior Gavin Long batted .395 and stole 10 bases.
Last out: Righetti last faced Clovis West in 2020, a 3-2 loss in eight innings at Stan Bledsoe Field. It was the final game of the season for both teams as COVID-19 shut down the world four days later.
- Liberty-Bakersfield (19-9-1, 11-4 SWYL)
Leading off: Liberty finished runner-up in Central Section Division I last year and brought back superstar shortstop/pitcher Cutter Coffey from that group. Coffey, committed to Texas, will likely get drafted next month, but before then, he will try to guide the Patriots to their first ever Central Section baseball title.
Season recap: After falling short in the title game to Buchanan, 17-4, head coach Tony Mills understood the importance of preparing for playoffs in the preseason. That’s why he scheduled the Patriots to face every TRAC school, including Buchanan twice. The scheduling strategy paid off as Liberty already faced Bullard, its first-round opponent. Bullard and Buchanan were the only Fresno-area teams Liberty lost to. Liberty handed Stockdale its only loss in the Southwest Yosemite League, but since then, lost three of its last four.
On the mound: Junior Nathan Coffey notably turned in the pitching performance of the season for Liberty, going a complete game against Stockdale while allowing just four hits in a 3-1 win. He ended the season with solid numbers, a 5-1 record and 2.66 ERA. Cutter Coffey is another reliable option on the mound with his 2.60 ERA and team-high 39 strikeouts. Sawyer Marchetti and Connley Short have thrown a lot of innings this season for the Patriots as well.
At the plate: As previously mentioned, Coffey is a stud. The senior leads the team with 10 home runs, but he isn’t the only college-bound power bat in the lineup. Junior Stanford commit Brady Reynolds has mashed eight home runs himself. Senior Owen May leads the team in batting average (.440) and runs batted in (31). Sophomore Brock Thompson emerged as another run producer, and seniors Luis Fuentes and Cooper Gerecke are returners from last year and veteran bats in the lineup.
Last out: Liberty led late in the March 7th contest with Bullard, but Mark Baca lined a two-run double in the bottom of the 6th inning to take the lead. The Knights won, 5-3.
- San Joaquin Memorial (22-6, 12-3 CMAC)
Leading off: San Joaquin Memorial got the spark it needed in the final regular season game, a 9-5 win over Bullard. Until then, the Panthers couldn’t get over the hump against their CMAC rival, but a big win over the Knights can deliver the type of momentum needed to make a run in May.
Season recap: The Panthers won the Fresno Easter Classic using one team strength – pitching – as the guide. The low runs allowed helped San Joaquin Memorial to reach the title game and win. Stout pitching also led the Panthers in their 12-game winning streak through April and early May. San Joaquin Memorial lost twice to Bullard and Clovis West, split with Central, and defeated Frontier.
On the mound: One Panther hasn’t stepped up on the mound but several. The team benefits from depth and experience on the mound as seniors Michael Monreal, Charlie Monterrosa, and Colby Evans head the rotation currently. Sophomore Max Mendes created a role for himself, too, both starting games and closing them. St. Mary’s signee Giovanni Blanchette is an outfield starter but pitches in relief, too. He closed out the Fresno Easter Classic championship.
At the plate: The key to San Joaquin Memorial’s last win over Bullard was offense; there was plenty of it. If the bats get hot, combined with the consistent pitching, this team is hard to beat. Cal Poly-bound shortstop Mikey Bell carries a big quarterback frame and a swing that goes with it. Jack Sampson is a productive leadoff hitter for the Panthers, and Monterrosa, Evans, Monreal, and Blanchette are all two-way guys who pick up hits. Catcher Hogan Castro sits in the middle of the order as well.
Last out: Like Bullard, when the pieces are put together, San Joaquin Memorial is capable of beating anyone. Yet the Panthers have been uneven in losses, either not enough offense or too many runs allowed. They will strive to strike the perfect balance when they travel to Stockdale.
- Frontier (16-12, 10-5 SWYL)
Leading off: Frontier eked into the Division I bracket by a few decimals of rating points, but the Titans are no slouch. With college-caliber pitching at his disposal, head coach Brandon Boren looks to repeat what Frontier did to Buchanan in 2019 – upset them in the quarterfinal.
Season recap: Although 12 losses seem like a high number, 11 of those came against teams with winning records. The Titans played one of the toughest schedules in the Section with plenty of Fresno-area teams. Notable wins include Bullard, Clovis, and Liberty of Bakersfield.
On the mound: Hudson Barrett was the man responsible for beating Bullard; he threw a two-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts. The UC Santa Barbara-bound southpaw fanned 101 batters over 61.2 innings this season. His 2.16 ERA is second only to freshman Brady Durkan, who possesses a 0.78 ERA and 6-3 record. Senior Dylan Smith, a Northern Colorado signee, rounds out the rotation.
At the plate: Junior Cade Parks is batting .400 entering the postseason with 11 stolen bases in 16 games. Barrett is the team leader in home runs (6) and RBIs (20), and overall, the Titans have three guys batting over .300 – junior Ben Ullyott, junior Jaycob Villapondo, and sophomore Logan Judd.
Last out: Buchanan did not face Barrett or Durkan the first time these teams played on April 13. Whether Frontier can hit against Buchanan’s superb pitching will determine whether Frontier pulls off the upset.
