The Hollister baseball team graduated several key players last year, but a young squad has not missed a beat in the competitive Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division.
Using the unusual formula of great offense with a mixed bag on defense and pitching, the Balers are 9-4 and in third place. Carmel leads the league at 12-1, with Palma 10-3. After Hollister comes 8-5 Monterey, with other four teams four or more games further back.
The Balers often start six or seven underclassmen, and the offensive success is spread around. The thin senior class is nonetheless making its mark, with Braden Barone and Jordan Quezada leading the way.
Barone is a primary pitcher, talented shortstop and he carries a big bat, at .365 with two homers. Quezada is a key defensive cog in center field and is hitting .347 with two homers and a team-high 15 stolen bases.
Other big bashers at the plate include junior Evan Mendoza at .423 with two homers and fellow junior Layton Smith at .415.
“Our biggest asset is our hitting,” said coach Michael Luna, after a game last week. “We’re averaging seven to eight runs a game. It’s one of the biggest good things about this team. We can score runs. But we gotta figure out the pitching.”
The starting lineup usually features Marcus Vasquez, Quezada and Smith in the outfield. Around the horn, the lineup varies from game to game, especially with dual threats Barone and Ami Lopez often on the mound. The infield generally has sophomore Nate Candelaria, Enrique Rivas, Barone, Lopez, sophomore Max Cunningham, Gabe Trevino and Kaden Rodriguez.
Sophomore Eli Cortez is at catcher. Eli Lovejoy and Christian Carveiro are making big strides on the mound, with Mendoza and Smith also filling in at pitcher. Silas Guerra, Joaquin Casillas, Angelo Felice, Kody Dickens, Samuel Canela and Donavan Price add depth.
Hollister is yielding 5.8 runs per game in league play, far behind the Padres at 2.8 and the Chieftains and ‘Dores at 3.5. Additionally, the work to do entails things beyond giving up base hits. The Balers have been dogged by walks, hit-by-pitches and balks.
“Ami Lopez has been our most consistent pitcher,” Luna said. “Braden (Barone) has been pitching well and also Eli (Lovejoy). But overall, we need to cut down on giving out free batters and extra bases.”
Hollister tested itself with a fierce non-league schedule. The opposition included West Catholic Athletic League powers Archbishop Mitty (14-4), Bellarmine (14-3), Santa Clara Coast Athletic League leader Soquel (14-3) and De Anza League stalwarts Wilcox and Palo Alto.
The competition toughened the Balers, and they rocketed out in Gabilan play to a 7-1 start.
Wins came over Soledad 2-0 and 13-4, 9-6 against Palma, 10-0 and 8-4 versus Salinas, and 5-4 and 12-2 against St. Francis. The Balers lost a tight road contest at Carmel 9-8, and led the Padres at home into the sixth inning before a late explosion produced a 9-3 loss.
HHS rebounded to dump Monte Vista Christian 17-13 and 11-4 before a rough outing at Monterey, an 8-0 defeat.
On April 8, the league-leading Padres tipped the Balers 9-8 over on the coast. Two days later, after a 30-minute lightning delay, the rematch took place and Hollister led 3-2 after five innings before the game got away.
The contest began with a thunderous blast off the bat of Stanford-bound Padre Matt Maxon. Quezada was playing deep in center and made a highlight-reel play, jumping and robbing the Carmel star at the fence, 345 feet way. It could have been a home run or extra bases.
“You do whatever it takes to make the play,” Quezada said. “The ball was tailing but I had a bead on it.”
The play was one of several that illustrated the effort and high-end ceiling of this team. Rivas singled in the third and later snared extra bases on two passed balls to score. In the fourth, Barone drew a walk and Smith got on via an infield single. A double steal moved both up.
The infield came in but Barone slid in under the tag on a fielder’s choice, beating the throw home. A deep sacrifice fly from Vasquez gave Hollister three runs on the board against the stellar hurler Maxon.
However, walks, wild pitches and hit-by-pitches fueled a Carmel response in the sixth and the Padres found their bats in the seventh to run away.
Hopes remain high. The youngsters are learning and improving, and the attack has been elite. The Balers have scored eight or more runs in nine of the last 12 contests. Improvement and clean-up in pitching and defense can result in major gains in league play and the playoffs. Even with struggles, the Balers are well situated at 9-4 in third place.
Additionally, the never-say-die Balers have shown incredible resolve and resiliency. Palma led 5-4 entering the last of the sixth on March 20 but Hollister erupted for five runs in a crucial 9-6 victory. A week later, they trailed Salinas by two on the road entering the seventh inning but scored six to shock the Cowboys 8-4.
In the subsequent week, they took down St. Francis in extra innings and then the cardiac kids really illustrated their fortitude in a pair of games against MVC. The pitching struggled on April 15 but Hollister, down 12-9 into the sixth, scored eight runs to turn the tables.
Two days later, they were trailing 4-1 into the sixth in Watsonville and erupted for nine runs to run away with the victory.
After the home defeat to Carmel on April 10, Quezada expressed optimism.
“We’re doing really well,” Quezada said. “We’re coming together and our confidence is growing. We’re swinging really well and everyone gets on base. We really need those runs. I’m glad where we are.”
Luna is optimistic about this season and the future.
“We’re often starting four or five sophomores and maybe two freshmen,” Luna said. “I like our youth. Of the 20 players on the roster, 14 are returning. We’re doing well now and have some things to clean up. And I like the future.”
