Turlock’s Tyler Soderstrom named Gatorade’s California Baseball Player of the Year
Turlock High School had never had a recipient of Gatorade’s state baseball player of the year award.
That changed on Thursday as Bulldogs senior catcher Tyler Soderstrom was named the 2019-20 Gatorade California Baseball Player of the Year.
Soderstrom, a UCLA signee, had a .357 batting average in five games before the 2020 season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. He batted .373 for his career and 69 RBIs.
Soderstrom had a 3.82 GPA and was a peer tutor and volunteered with the school’s Link Crew and the American Cancer Society.
“Tyler Soderstrom has a very unique combination of speed and power,” Turlock coach Sean Gilbert said in a press release. “Defensively, he plays a premier position and has proven his ability of being an excellent receiver and outstanding blocker who possesses an exceptional throwing arm.”
Soderstrom is expected to be drafted in the first round of next month’s MLB Draft.
Modesto Nuts receive business grant
With the 2020 Minor League Baseball season currently postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Modesto Nuts haven’t had any game revenue since last September.
The organization was one of 300 small businesses to receive a grant from the Stanislaus County and Nuts General Manager Zach Brockman said the funds will be used to retain staff and pay local vendors.
Brockman said the organization had to furlough part of its staff but has “every intention” of bringing them back when it can.
“We were also on the cusp of bringing on roughly 200 game-day staff members that would work the games throughout the season,” Brockman said. “That training was put on hold due to the shutdown. Luckily, we have great community partners like Save Mart Supermarkets. We were able to partner with them in late March to offer all game day staff employment over the break.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday professional sporting events could resume in early June but without fans.
In an interview with the Sacramento Bee earlier this week, MiLB’s senior director of communications Jeff Lantz said that option won’t work for minor league baseball.
“With our business model, it’s really a nonstarter,” Lantz said. “Our teams need the gates open and (people) in seats with a beer in one hand and a hot dog in the other, just to survive. If we play games but don’t open the gates, that’s zero revenue. It’s just not feasible with our business model.”
This story was originally published May 21, 2020 at 9:18 AM.
