Baseball Notes: Perino homers, McHenry closes as Central Catholic wins VOL rivalry
The Central Catholic vs. Oakdale baseball rivalry reached yet another level last week with a pair of instant classic matchups.
“These are the biggest games of both of our seasons right here,” said outfielder Chase Perino. “Every year, we look forward to Oakdale, and this year, we got them.”
While the Raiders won the series 2-1, increasing their lead at the top of the Valley Oak League standings, the series wasn’t without drama, high-level plays and clutch performances.
Georgia signee Landon Schutte was the star of Game 1 at Oakdale, turning in what Mustangs coach Joey Machado called his best outing this season. Schutte hit the 100-pitch mark for the first time this season, struck out nine and gave up just one earned run on seven hits and two walks. He also drove in a run with a double in the fifth inning.
Oakdale scored a run in the third and fifth innings, taking a 2-0 lead into the final frame. Central Catholic started to get some momentum in the seventh. Hudson Walker tripled, then Ramon Hinojosa drove him in. Joe Farinha walked before Schutte exited because of his pitch count. Max Medina walked to load the bases off relief pitcher Chance Ravalin, but the sophomore forced a ground ball that the Mustangs turned into a game-winning double play. 2-1. Mustangs take a one-game lead.
Central Catholic evened the series with an 8-5 win at home, setting up a game-of-the-year candidate in the series rubber game.
It looked like the Raiders would roll early, going up 6-0 in Friday’s Game 3, but the resilient Mustangs chipped away. By the bottom of the fifth, Oakdale led 10-8, capped by an RBI double by Eric Velazquez.
Hudson Walker answered for the Raiders with a three-run inside-the-park home run in the top of the sixth, and Oakdale tied it again with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning.
Perino, a Fresno State football signee, gave the Raiders a final spark, sending a pitch over the left field fence for a solo home run to lead off the seventh inning. Max Medina walked and later scored the final run of the game.
“In the box, I just wanted to hit a liner or do something to get on base,” Perino said. “He threw me a curveball, it spun a little too much and I got it. I hit it and it was just magic from there. That’s the best feeling of my life. Probably the best moment of my life.”
Sacramento State-bound pitcher Kayden McHenry had not been on the mound in weeks, recovering from an injury, but he said there was no way he was missing the chance to close out his final Central Catholic-Oakdale series. He pitched the final two innings, earning the win and tallying three strikeouts with just one earned run.
“I hadn’t hopped on the mound in a while, but I know my guys behind me had my back,” McHenry said. “My outfield, the infield, my catcher. So all I had to do was pitch to contact, trust my guys and do whatever I had to do to get outs. Then for Chase to go ahead and hit a long ball, man, that was crazy.
“Every guy was finding a way to get on base. It was such a good team win today. We found a way to get it done.”
Mason Hackler dominant for CCAL frontrunners
Turlock High ace Mason Hackler is putting together a Central California Athletic League Pitcher of the Year-worthy season with dominant outings in nearly all of his league starts. The junior is one of the best in the Sac-Joaquin Section, collecting 62 strikeouts, good for 15th in the section. He has pitched the full seven innings in five of his eight appearances this season.
Hackler has thrown each Wednesday for the Bulldogs in their three CCAL series and has not lost. He’s 2-0, has given up a total of only three hits, with one total earned run. He has held opposing batters on Gregori, Downey and Enochs to averages under .100 in each game.
In his last two CCAL outings and a start against Pleasant Valley, Hackler has at least 10 strikeouts in each of his last three games. He opened his CCAL season by fanning seven against Gregori then put up 10 and 11 strikeouts, respectively, against Downey and Enochs.
The Bulldogs are in the driver’s seat in the 2026 CCAL race. A strong finish means they secure a three-peat, winning league titles in 2024 and 2025. They finish the regular season with league series against Modesto this week and crosstown rival Pitman on April 27-May 1.
CC vs St. Mary’s off again, questions of whether it can happen
For the second time in 10 days, arguably the most highly anticipated game this season has been called off. The section’s two top teams, respectively, St. Mary’s and Central Catholic, will not play Tuesday due to rain at John Thurman Field.
As of Tuesday early afternoon, there was no reschedule date, according to Raiders athletic director Billy Hylla. Both teams have two three-game series remaining in the VOL and TCAL, respectively, that must be played before the regular season ends in the first few days of May.
The game originally was scheduled for Saturday, April 11, at John Thurman Field and promised talented prospects up and down the respective lineups.
That game was rescheduled to Tuesday because of a weekend rainstorm.
St. Mary’s and Central Catholic have been in the MaxPreps Sac-Joaquin Section computer rankings essentially all season. The Raiders started as the No. 1 team after a hot start and have not left the top three. After dropping two spots, they are back up one, listed as the No. 2 team behind the Rams.
Pitman vs. Turlock series on the horizon
Cue up another rivalry with serious league implications because Pitman and Turlock are on a collision course toward a battle for the CCAL crown.
Each team is 9-1 in league play with just two games left until the championship-deciding series April 27-May 1. Turlock has swept Gregori and Downey and Pitman earned three straight wins against Modesto and Downey.
Their common loss is to Enochs, the league’s third-place team at 5-5. The Pride were shut out 5-0 in the series finale after winning the first two games, and the Bulldogs won the series but could not overcome a 6-0 deficit in the series finale, losing 6-5.
In the crosstown rivalry series, the Pride host Games 1 and 3 on April 27 and May 1, and the Bulldogs host Game 2 on April 29.
Pitman’s offense is more explosive, scoring 104 runs in league play, a CCAL high by a wide margin. But Turlock’s defense is more stingy, holding league opponents to just 15 total runs.
For the past four seasons, this series has determined the league champion. In 2025 and 2024, the Bulldogs swept en route to back-to-back titles. In 2023, Pitman won 2-1 and won the league and in 2022, the title was Turlock’s along with a 2-1 series win.
Ripon Christian can close out a tough TVL race
Riding a 12-game winning streak, Dick Windemuth Tournament title and three straight Trans-Valley League wins, the Ripon Christian baseball team is hitting its stride at the right time.
The Knights have fully rebounded from their only league hiccup, an 8-3 loss to Escalon in the series opener. They rebounded with a 9-6 win to split the season series, swept rival Ripon, 5-4 and 4-3 then beat both large and small schools in eight straight nonleague contests.
Now their energy shifts to a four-game, two-week stretch where they look to finish TVL play with series wins and regain their spot atop the league standings, where they last sat as members of the Southern League in 2024.
In their first season in the TVL last year, they went 6-6 but have made the adjustment to the increased competition. Jackson Howell is fifth in the section in batting average (.558) and second in slugging percentage (1.023). Talen Tameling is 15th with 27 RBI.
Sitting at an impressive 21-2, the Knights have the best win percentage in recent school history. They finish out TVL play against Orestimba this week and Sonora next week. Wins are key as Escalon is positioning itself for a top-two league finish. The Cougars are chasing the Knights in the standings, boasting a 6-2 record with games against Ripon and Orestimba on the horizon.
