Spring notes: VOL baseball race heats up, Enochs softball retains CCAL top spot
Central Catholic put up 16 runs in one inning to power it to a mercy-rule win over one of the area’s top teams.
Manteca’s Nate Slikker pitched a no-hitter and still lost a 1-0 game.
Two Division I-bound stars, Max Medina and Landon Schutte, battled it out in a pitchers duel that ended in an extra-innings, walk-off single.
That’s Valley Oak League baseball.
A league abundant with the area’s top players and teams, every outing is a dogfight. A pair of VOL teams are in the MaxPreps Division III top 10 and three more are among the top teams in D-IV. The league could see five or six of its seven teams qualify for the postseason between two divisions with two or three earning top-four seeds.
“Every team that makes playoffs out of the VOL is going to be battle-tested,” said Central Catholic head coach Danny Ayala. “You look at other leagues and there’s quality teams, but I always expect our VOL teams to fare well.”
Over the first few league series, places have switched multiple times. Central Catholic sat atop the league standings after series wins over Oakdale and East Union but then slipped to third place heading into last week. Patterson was in fourth place but gave Central Catholic and Manteca competitive series before taking Game 2 of the Oakdale series thanks to a nine-strikeout outing from freshman Cole Medina.
Oakdale sat alone in second place through the VOL’s first three series, but the loss to Patterson combined with Central Catholic posting a 16-run inning in a home win over Manteca slid the Mustangs to third. Manteca has been a constant atop the league standings, taking at least two games of each three-game series as of Friday morning (Central Catholic and Manteca faced off Friday afternoon with first place on the line.)
There are no days off.
“That’s what we were excited about joining this new league, is coming out here and getting these kinds of games,” said Patterson pitcher/outfielder and Oregon commit Max Medina after the Patterson-Oakdale extra-innings game.
Each team plays at least one more league series before the postseason starts in early May. The standings will change almost daily as each team plays Monday-Wednesday-Friday, three-game series.
OAKDALE PLAYS IN FRESNO TOURNAMENT
The Oakdale High baseball team traveled to the Fresno area for a two-day tournament in Clovis. Though the Mustangs lost both games, they gained valuable experience playing against Clovis High and Buchanan, two Division I 2024 Central Section playoff teams.
On the trip, Georgia-bound pitcher Landon Schutte reached a milestone, throwing a fastball 98 mph, he told The Bee after a recent league game against Patterson. He said he reached his previous best of 96 in a workout.
SECTION STAT LEADERS
Players listed are among the top 30 in each category according to MaxPreps stats as of Friday morning.
Baseball
Batting Average
11th: Beau Blake, Hughson (.541)
27th: Josh Buffalow, Ripon Christian (.500)
Home Runs
2nd: Beau Blake, Hughson (7)
3rd: Lawson Aviles, Hughson (5)
7th: Broden Thomas, Central Catholic (4)
13th: Guy Allard, Patterson (3)
Eric Velasquez, Landon Schutte, Jordan Haver, Kayden McHenry, Bas Stice (2)
RBI
1st: Beau Blake, Hughson (33)
8th: Lawson Aviles, Hughson (25)
9th: Andrew Fisher, Hughson (24)
10th: Broden Thomas, Central Catholic (24)
18th: Vincent Castrejon, Ceres (23)
23rd: Bryce McDaniel, Hughson (22)
Strikeouts
1st: Mike Martinez, Modesto Christian (90)
5th: Kaden Prine, Denair (73)
10th: Logan Ariza, Davis (65)
19th: Vincent Castrejon, Ceres (59)
21st: Chris Garcia, Central Valley (59)
22nd: Austin Mingham, Modesto Christian (58)
24th: Josh Fiori, Escalon (57)
26th: Jordan Haver, Oakdale (56)
27th: Jordan Luisi, Ripon Christian (56)
Wins
1st: Vincent Castrejon, Ceres (8-1)
2nd: Max Mankins, Hughson (6-0)
11th: Avyn Redoble, Gregori (5-0)
22nd: Bradley Chipponeri, Hilmar (5-1)
24th: Landon Schutte, Oakdale (5-1)
30th: Chris Garcia, Central Valley (5-2)
Softball
Batting Average
25th: Madison Babasa, Escalon (.628)
29th: Lillian Camarena, Enochs (.611)
Home Runs
5th: Jazmarie Roberts, Central Catholic (7)
10th: Maya Guzman, Riverbank (6)
14th: Madie Harrison, Central Catholic (5)
17th: Abby Maxwell Turlock (5)
Morgan Merzon, Samantha Nichols, Madison Babasa, Izabelle Spurzem, Hailey Starr (4)
RBI
1st: Jazmarie Roberts, Central Catholic (40)
18th: Samantha Nichols, Central Catholic (26)
21st: Cecily Fontana, Big Valley Christian (25)
28th: Gabriela Delatorre, Central Valley (23)
Strikeouts
1st: Maya Guzman, Riverbank (179)
4th: Kylie Tangney, Hughson (128)
10th: Jordyn Lish, Beyer (110)
20th: Madyx Mitchell (91)
21st: Angelina Martinez, Ripon (90)
22nd: Jaelyn Lee, Oakdale (90)
23rd: Brooklyn Steeley, Central Valley (89)
25th: (Desirrei Sorci, Patterson (88)
Wins
7th: Jordyn Lish, Beyer (11-4)
10th: Allyson Conway, Gregori (10-2)
14th: Kaylee Ruiz, Enochs (9-2)
16th: Jaelyn Lee, Oakdale (9-4)
23rd: Stephanie Garcia (8-3)
28th: Kylie Tangney, Hughson (7-1)
29th: Brooklyn Steeley, Central Valley (7-2)
SCHUTTE THROWS NO-HITTER
Schutte has been on a roll in his junior season. After going 7-0 in nine pitching appearances as a sophomore, he is 5-1 in eight appearances with a 0.98 ERA and 53 strikeouts.
Schutte, ranked 76 in the Baseball America Top 100 High School and College Draft Prospects list, struck out 10 in the outing and took a perfect game into the seventh inning before walking the leadoff batter. It was his first time not allowing a hit in five or more innings pitched in his varsity career, according to MaxPreps. The Mustangs won the game 5-0 to kick off a series sweep against the Timberwolves.
PRINE THROWS NO-HITTER
Denair pitcher Kaden Prine has continued to prove why he will pitch collegiately at MJC next year. The senior four-year starter has a 0.23 ERA and a 4-1 record in six appearances. His most recent outing was his best this season, posting a shutout with 16 strikeouts in an 8-0 win over Waterford.
ENOCHS SOFTBALL IN CONTROL OF CCAL TOP SPOT
Sophomore pitcher Kaylee Ruiz struck out eight batters, Lillian Camarena had a single, double, a stolen base and walked, Camila Ramirez Quintana and Nico Gwin drove in three runs apiece and after 21 outs, Enochs extended its lead atop the CCAL standings.
The Eagles ended the third week of CCAL play still unbeaten after beating Gregori, the league’s second-place team and defending league champion, 10-6 in seven innings. Enochs is 9-0, their second perfect start through at least nine CCAL contests since 2023 when they went 15-0.
Lillian Camarena was a freshman on that team who played behind seniors at catcher and third base. Now a junior committed to Stanislaus State, the catcher is a leader.
“(The win) was huge,” she said. “We just have to keep the same momentum going, keep the same energy in the dugout and keep our bats live and I think we’ll continue to be good.”
Gregori took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning but the Eagles responded with nine unanswered runs, scoring three in the second, third and fourth innings each. Enochs scored its last run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Gregori did not go away, finding its offense in the late innings. The Jaguars added three runs in the top of the sixth and two more in the seventh. They loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the final inning but Ruiz shut the door with a strikeout.
“(This one) took grit from our pitcher,” coach Lupe Camarena said of winning the game. “She just had to keep hitting her spots. Things got a little shaky but she finished it off with a strikeout. All in all, it was a team effort, the hitting and the defense. It was a stressful game, but I’ll take it.”
The Eagles put their unbeaten CCAL record on the line next Tuesday against Turlock to wrap up the second round of league games. The final round of league begins Thursday at home against Downey.
MODESTO SOFTBALL PLAYERS ON PGF LIST
A pair of Modesto softball players are finalists to participate in one of the nation’s biggest all-star games. Beyer pitcher and Utah State signee Jordyn Lish and Central Catholic infielder and Arizona State signee Jazmarie Roberts are West Regional finalists to compete in the 2025 Premier Girls Fastpitch Senior All-American Game this summer. If selected, they will be two of 40 of the top high school seniors in the country to compete in an East vs West style game on July 26 on ESPNU.
TURLOCK GRAD ON TOP OF MLB HOMERS LIST
A pair of former Sac-Joaquin Section baseball players are two of Major League Baseball’s hottest batters to start the season Turlock alum and Athletics catcher/first baseman Tyler Soderstrom and Linden graduate and Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge lead the majors in home runs as of Friday, each posting six through the first month of the season. They are tied with Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies. Soderstrom adds a pair of doubles and Judge has three doubles with a league-high 20 RBI. Soderstrom and Judge both have a .354 batting average and 17 hits entering their weekend series that begin Friday. Soderstrom and the A’s host the New York Mets at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento while Judge and the Yankees host the San Francisco Giants.
CENTRAL VALLEY BASEBALL PITCHER THROWS NO-HITTER
Central Valley baseball’s Ezequiel Verduzco threw just the sixth no-hitter in school history in a seven-inning win over Livingston. In the complete game effort, he threw just 83 pitches and struck out eight batters in the March 27, 2-0 win. It was Verduzco’s first appearance for Central Valley this season after transferring from Ceres High where he played his freshman season. Just a sophomore this year, Verduzco bats .320 with eight hits, five RBI a pair of doubles and a pair of triples. He has one win on the mound in two appearances.
