The Monterey Herald's All-County baseball team

Here's a look at who turned out to be the top high school baseball players in the county. The Monterey Herald'sAll-County Baseball team.

Matt Alioto, Palma: The senior infielder ignited the Chieftains at the plate, hitting a team-high .400 with a .522 on-base percentage, finishing with 34 hits. Alioto also drove in 30 runs and scored 20 for Palma, which reached the Central Coast Section Division II title game. Defensively, he was nearly flawless, handling 80 of 81 chances, while turning four double plays.

Reggie Bell, Stevenson: Bound for UC Davis in the fall, Bell led the Pirates to their second straight Mission Division title, hitting .485 with a .565 on-base percentage. A repeater on the all-county team, the outfielder stole a team high 15 bases, while leading Stevenson in extra base hits. Bell struck out just three times in 85 plate appearances, scored 25 runs, and drove in 18.

Dean Briant, Carmel: Sporting a team-high .986 fielding percentage behind the dish, Briant had just three errors in 213 chances, solidifying a position of need for the Gabilan Division champion Padres. The sophomore stung the ball at the plate, hitting .351 with two homers and 19 runs batted in. Briant was hit by a pitch or walked 22 times, finishing with a .475 on-base percentage. Briant was also a member of The Herald's All-County football team, one of two athletes to earn all-county honors in two sports along with teammate Matt Maxon.

Sean Carr, Carmel: The senior shortstop hit .330 for the Gabilan Division champions, belting six home runs, while driving in 26 runs this past spring. The glue to the infield, Carr, who is headed to UC Santa Barbara, turned three doubles plays. He also stole 21 bases in 21 attempts, scored 28 runs, and sported a .479 on-base percentage.

Josh Degroot, North Salinas: Recording the second most strikeouts in a single season in school history for North Salinas, Degroot finished with 110 strikeouts in 50 innings of work for the Cypress Division co-champions. The senior posted a 1.33 earned run average, while hitting a team high .390, with a .493 on-base percentage. Degroot also led the Vikings in runs scored and extra base hits.

Brody Edmonds, Pacific Grove: Having battled back from a broken arm suffered over the summer, Edmonds turned to his bat to lead the Breakers to their first Central Coast Section title in 13 years. Bound for Santa Clara University as a pitcher, Edmonds hit a team-high .440 this spring with a .579 on-base percentage, driving in 13 runs in six playoff games. Playing center field, Edmonds led Pacific Grove in nine offensive categories, including homers, runs batted in, runs scored, extra base hits and stolen bases.

Zach Gonzales, Palma: The ace on the mound for the Chieftains, Gonzales was 7-1 in nine starts with a 1.52 earned run average, striking out 38 hitters in 46 innings. Gonzales was a contributor at the plate as well, hitting a pair of homers, while driving in 12 runs. The junior finished with a .340 on-base percentage.

Jacob Hall, Stevenson: Putting together an MVP season, Hall was dominant on the mound for the Mission Division champions, going 8-1 with a 1.12 earned run average. The junior struck out 85 hitters in 56 innings, with opponents hitting .164 off him. At the plate, Hall hit .409 with five homers, leading the team in runs scored (33), runs batted in (30), walks (16), and on-base percentage (.570).

Matt Maxon, Carmel: Having committed to Stanford before entering high school, Maxon lived up to the hype over the last four years, finishing 7-1 this year, with 105 strikeouts in 65 innings. The hard-throwing right-hander has made a case to be a two-way player in college, setting a single-season school record for home runs at Carmel with 14 this past spring. An all-county player in football and baseball, Maxon hit .473, drove in 35 runs, and scored 47. He drew 21 walks for a .578 on-base percentage, and stole a team high 25 bases in 26 attempts.

Johnny Money, Monterey: The junior hurler was money on the bump for Monterey, posting a 10-4 record with a 1.22 earned run average, tossing three shutouts in Gabilan Division play. Money struck out 80 hitters in 80 innings for the Toreadores, with opponents hitting just .175 off him. At the plate, he was productive, collecting 18 hits while driving in 10 runs.

Rocco Razzeca, Palma: A three-time member of the all-county team, Razzeca made his presence felt on the mound, at the plate, and on the bases for Palma. The senior stole a team high 19 of 20 bases this year, while making 10 appearances on the mound in relief, recording a win and two saves. At the plate, Razzeca hit .351 with three homers, scoring a team-high 36 runs, while driving in 25. He drew 10 walks, sporting a .432 on-base percentage.

Cecil Short, Rancho San Juan: Setting a career and single-season school record for strikeouts, Short went 5-2 with a save and a 2.20 earned run average, finishing with 92 strikeouts in 62 innings. The senior hit a team high .325, leading the Trailblazers in hits (25), runs scored (29), and walks (24), compiling a .490 on-base percentage. Short also stole 12 bases.

Zachary Velasquez, Salinas: Not blessed with a lot of run support, Velasquez still produced a 1.80 earned run average, with 60 strikeouts in 62 innings of work, tossing a no-hitter. At the plate, the senior hit .358, sharing the team lead in homers and runs batted in. Velasquez also sported a .448 on-base percentage, finishing with 29 hits in 29 games.

Gabriel Soto, King City coach: Following a 0-5 start to the season, Soto guided the Mustangs to a 15-1 record over their final 16 games – avenging one of those losses in the process. King City won its first league title in 16 years, sharing the Cypress Division crown with an 11-1 record, as Soto turned to aggressive base running, with the team stealing over 100 bases, while the pitching staff posted six shutouts.

Craig Bell, Pacific Grove coach: Improvement in the win column for the fourth straight year under Bell included a magical ride in the postseason for the Breakers. Bell guided Pacific Grove to a 10-game improvement in the win column from the previous season, which included the program’s first Central Coast Section title in 13 years, and into the Northern California Division V title game.

Honorable mention: Kenny Sanchez, John Beretti, Alex Hirschfield, Michael Melnick, Carmel; Dylan Rocchi, Wyatt Bakker, Palma; Tyson Beyah, Connor Rose, Anthony Esquivel, Monterey; Gavin Rainy, Quentin Dominguez, Salinas; Ethan Sanchez, Juan Esparza Soledad; Jonah Krasa, Alex Wang, Phinn Thomas, Stevenson; Northrop Kirk, Andrew Jeska, Isaac Sanchez, Pacific Grove; Huck Blanton, Brody Gates, North County; Aiden Munoz, Daniel Saldana, Rancho San Juan; Xavier Estrada, Angel Barajas, GP Serato, Alisal; Nathaniel Trujillo, Kenny Pajas, Fabian Gonzalez; Cody Victorino, Alvarez; Jacoby Chavez, Joey Pina, King City.

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This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 12:10 PM.