Check out the Top 25 SJ County high school baseball players to watch in this season
High school baseball is underway in the 209 as teams across San Joaquin County kicked off their first games of the 2024 season on Feb. 23.
Last season, the area was home to some of the top sluggers, pitchers and all-around players in the Sac-Joaquin Section. These star-studded athletes helped secure big wins, and for Ripon Christian, the lone SJS section title from the 2023 season.
With a new season brewing up and blue banner hopes back alive, the Record has comprised a list of the Top 25 baseball players from SJ County to watch for in the 2024 season. The list includes players from the Tri-City Athletic, Valley Oak, Southern Athletic, Western Athletic Conference, Central California Athletic Alliance, and the San Joaquin Athletic Association.
(Athletes listed in alphabetical order)
Jose Aguilar
School: Weston Ranch
Year: Senior
Position: Infielder/Pitcher
Summary: Aguilar was the Cougars' best slugger last season ending the year with a team-high .397 batting average. The senior picked up 29 hits and was quick on the paths with 20 stolen bases. This season, Aguilar will be a key two-way returner for Weston Ranch who finished sixth in the SJAA last year.
Eric Alvarez
School: Linden
Year: Junior
Position: Pitcher/Utility
Summary: Leading Linden to its almost perfect last season was Alvarez at the pitcher and utility position. He pitched for 39 innings only allowing 10 runs and picking up 64 Ks along the way. Offensively, he finished with a .306 batting average earning him a spot on the MaxPreps All-SJS list for the Class of 2025.
Beckett Bo
School: St. Mary’s
Year: Senior
Position: Pitcher
Summary: Leading the Rams on the mound this season will be Bo who was their go-to last season. He went 6-0 on the mound pitching for 49.1 innings and striking out 40 batters. Bo was a key component in St. Mary’s SJS Division 1 playoff run that ended in the semifinals and will look to do the same in his senior campaign.
Diego Davis
School: Lincoln
Year: Senior
Position: Shortstop
Summary: By the end of his junior year Davis was leading Lincoln offensively with a team-high .355 batting average. The speedy shortstop finished the season with 33 hits, 20 runs and 15 stolen bases helping the Trojans make it to the SJS Division 1 semifinals. Davis will look to be his team’s hot bat once again this year.
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Anthony Gallardo
School: Lathrop
Year: Senior
Position: Catcher/shortstop
Summary: The Spartans defense this year will be led by Gallardo who can play at just about any position. Last season he finished with a team-high fielding percentage of .990 taking on any balls hit his way. Offensively, he finished with 10 runs, the third most for Lathrop. He will look to get his team past fifth place in the WAC.
Tanner Grove
School: St. Mary’s
Year: Junior
Position: Pitcher
Summary: Grove is the reigning MaxPreps SJS Class of 2025 Player of the Year after a stellar season on the mound for St. Mary’s. He finished with the best record on the mound for the Rams going 8-0 while pitching 49 innings. Grove finished with a team-high 68 strikeouts and will look to sit his opponents down this year.
Elijah Gutierrez
School: Tracy
Year: Junior
Position: Outfielder
Summary: The Bulldogs were just three games away from making the playoffs last year and Gutierrez is looking to change that this go-round. He finished with a .371 batting average, 14 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. Defensively he was just as effective in the outfield ending with a 98.7% fielding rate.
Vance Haskins
School: Lodi
Year: Senior
Position: Pitcher/outfielder
Summary: Haskins was a key reason the Flames made it to the SJS Division 2 quarterfinals last year. The two-way player went 3-1 on the mound finishing with a 2.18 ERA. On the other side of the ball, Haskins had the second-highest batting average of .364 picking up 20 hits and six doubles.
Dustin Hoekstra
School: Ripon Christian
Year: Senior
Position: Pitcher
Summary: The Knights were the lone SJ County team to snag a blue banner last season and Hoekstra played a crucial role on the mound. He finished the season with 87 Ks while pitching for 49 innings. Offensively, Hoekstra ended with the second-highest batting average on the team, .430 and 38 RBIs.
Tyler Jordan
School: Mountain House
Year: Senior
Position: Pitcher
Summary: Mountain House is off to a 1-0 start this season and Jordan is leading the Mustangs. The senior pitcher has two runs and two hits on the season already. He will look to improve on the mound this season as the go-to pitcher for the Mustangs. Jordan finished with a 2.71 ERA last year.
Rey Martinez
School: Franklin
Year: Senior
Position: Infielder
Summary: Martinez is hoping to lead the Yellowjackets to the playoffs after they were just one spot shy of qualifying last year. He was a clutch slugger for his team last year reeling in a team-high 31 hits and 26 runs. The senior infielder ended the year with the third-highest batting average of .388.
Jamin Miller
School: Escalon
Year: Senior
Position: Infielder/outfielder
Summary: Escalon’s best slugger last season was Miller who led the team with a .344 batting average. Over the season he picked up 16 runs and 21 hits playing a key role in helping the Cougars make it to the SJS Division 5 playoffs. Miller will look to help his team bounce back from a 0-3 start this season.
More: CIF State Playoffs: See which SJ County basketball and soccer teams are competing in state
Troy Morrow
School: Sierra
Year: Senior
Position: Infielder/outfielder
Summary: This will be Morrow’s year to lead the Timberwolves to a deeper SJS Division 3 playoffs run as their key returner. Last season, the slugger led his team in just about every offensive stat finishing with a .356 batting average. He racked up 26 hits, 25 runs, and 13 RBIs over the season.
Damien Muscat
School: Millennium
Year: Senior
Position: Outfielder
Summary: Muscat came through for the Falcons last season at the outfielder and sometimes pitcher position. He finished his junior campaign with a team-high .424 batting average picking up 11 runs and 14 hits along the way. He was also the fastest on base for Millennium stealing seven bases.
Ray Olivas
School: Lincoln
Year: Senior
Position: Pitcher
Summary: Olivas earned a spot in the 2023 All-SJS list for the class of 2024 after being a beast on the mound for the Trojans. The right-handed senior finished with 70 strikeouts the most of any pitcher in the TCAL. He finished with a 7-1 record and a 1.21 ERA helping Lincoln make it to the SJS Division 1 semifinals last season.
Michael Quedens
School: St. Mary’s
Year: Senior
Position: Pitcher/first base/outfielder
Summary: Before heading off to Michigan next fall, Quedens will look to lead his team to another SJS playoff run. Last season, he led the Rams offensively with a .394 batting average and 37 hits, the most on his team. On the mound, he struck out 48 batters and finished with a 5-2 record.
Jaden Ramirez
School: Kimball
Year: Senior
Position: Infielder/outfielder
Summary: Ramirez was a bright spot in a rather dark season for Kimball last year where it went 2-22. Despite all the losses, he finished with a team-high batting average of .385, 15 hits and the Jaguars' lone home run. This year Ramirez is looking to continue to shine offensively and bring home dubs.
Ulises Rodriguez
School: Stagg
Year: Senior
Position: Utility/pitcher
Summary: With seven seniors graduating last season, Rodriguez will be a key returner for Stagg in the utility position. He finished last year with a .290 batting average and the third-highest on-base percentage on the team of 43.9%. Rodriguez also picked up 10 RBIs and on the mound had a 1-0 record.
Carson Sanders
School: Esat Union
Year: Senior
Position: Infielder
Summary: Sanders’ bat is already hot to start this season. The senior infielder holds a .556 batting average and has five hits on the season after three games. He was just as productive last year for the Lancers helping them earn an SJS Division 3 playoff berth. Sanders held a .33 batting average last season and had 17 hits.
Brock Sell
School: Tokay
Year: Junior
Position: Pitcher/shortstop/outfielder
Summary: Striking out 45 batters in 36.1 innings earned Sell a spot on the 2023 All-SJS list for the class of 2025. The Stanford commit was clutch on the mound for the Tigers last season finishing with a 2-1 record. Sell is hoping to play a big role on both sides of the ball to help Tokay get to postseason play.
Ethan Silva
School: Bear Creek
Year: Sophomore
Position: Infielder/catcher
Summary: As just a freshman Silva became an offensive leader for the Bruins last season. He ended his first year on varsity leading all sluggers with a .379 batting average, 29 hits and 30 runs. Bear Creek is hoping Silva has a solid sophomore campaign so it can make another SJS Division 2 playoff appearance.
Grant Sonke
School: Ripon Christian
Year: Senior
Position: Centerfielder
Summary: Sonke put the Knights on the map as the top slugger from the state last season. He ended his junior campaign ranked first in California in total runs, 55. His hot bat had him leading Ripon Christian’s offense ending with a team-high .455 batting average. So far this season, Sonke has four hits and three runs.
Omarion Walker
School: Venture Academy
Year: Junior
Position: Outfielder/infielder
Summary: Walker was a consistent player for the Mustangs helping them earn an SJS Division 4 playoff berth last year. The slugger held the team’s second-highest batting average, .348, and the team’s highest on-base percentage of 57.7%. Venture Academy hasn’t won a game yet this season but Walker is hoping to help change that soon.
Rex Watson
School: Manteca
Year: Senior
Position: Outfielder
Summary: Manteca’s 2-0-1 start can be attributed to Watson’s hot bat. The San Diego State commit holds a .700 batting average so far this season and has seven hits, five runs and four RBIs to go with that. He will need to stay hot for the Buffaloes as they look to get through a tough VOL schedule.
Owen Wilbur
School: Ripon
Year: Senior
Position: Pitcher/infielder
Summary: The 209’s homerun machine last season was Wilbur who hit eight bombs for the Indians. He ended the year ranked second in the SJS and ninth in California for total home runs. Wilbur finished with a .315 batting average and was clutch for Ripon in the SJS Division 4 playoffs.
Record reporter Shannon Belt covers sports. She can be reached at sbelt@recordnet.com or on Twitter @ShannonBelt3. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Top 25 SJ County high school baseball players to watch in 2024
