Hollister High baseball, softball squads set to compete in postseason competition

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Hollister High School’s baseball and softball teams begin the Central Coast Section playoffs this weekend, while the school’s top track and field athletes are scheduled to compete in the section finals.

Hollister’s baseball team is ranked No. 3 in the CCS Division 2 playoffs and is scheduled to host sixth-ranked Sacred Heart Cathedral High from San Francisco May 24 at 4 p.m. in the division quarterfinals. 

The Balers finished the season with a 18-8 overall record compared to Sacred Heart’s 12-16 record and were second in the Gabilan League behind Palma.

Coach Michael Luna said he expects a low-scoring game given that both teams are putting good pitchers on the mound. He said Hollister will need to take advantage of situations where there are runners in scoring positions.

“I like our chances,” Luna said. “We’re going to have to execute when we have to, whether in bunt or hit-and-run situations.”

According to Maxpreps stats, Hollister catcher Gavin Rodriguez leads the team in batting average (.514), stolen bases (4), runs scored (13) and hits (19). Pitcher and first baseman Trent Roach leads the team in home runs (3) and runs batted in (16), and is second in runs scored with 11.

If Hollister wins, the Balers will advance to take on the winner of a quarterfinal matchup between Menlo-Atherton High and Pioneer High next week.

Softball

Meanwhile, the Balers softball team is ranked fifth in the Division I playoffs and is scheduled to travel to Sunnyvale to face off against fourth-ranked The King’s Academy at 2 p.m. in the division  quarterfinals on May 24. Hollister finished the season with an overall 14-11 record and The King’s Academy was 17-7. The Balers finished third in the Gabilan League behind Salinas High and Monterey High.

In April, The King’s Academy shut out Hollister, winning by a score of 11-0. Balers coach Andrew Barragan said the team will face a tough pitcher and the key to getting a win will be executing quality pitching and defense.

“That’s what helped us win a couple of championships in the last few years,” he said. “Hopefully we can pull a W off and continue.”

According to Maxpreps stats, Hollister centerfielder Grace Peffley leads the Balers in batting average (.524), hits (33), runs scored (25) and stolen bases (30). At third base, Sophia Galindo leads the team in home runs (4), is second in runs scored (13), and third in runs batted in (12).

If the Balers win, they will play in the semifinals at Homestead High in San Jose or at Live Oak High in Morgan Hill next week. The section championship game is scheduled for May 31 at either San Jose City College or West Valley College.

Track and Field

Several Hollister track and field athletes are traveling to Gilroy High for the CCS finals starting at 3 p.m. on May 24.

Hannah Vincent and Emma Franks qualified for the girls long jump and triple jump finals. Vincent finished first in the preliminary rounds held May 17 in Gilroy, recording an 18-06.75 in the long jump, while Franks finished sixth at 17-01.75.

Vincent also qualified first in the girls triple jump at 38-06.25, and Emma Franks qualified eighth at 36-00.5. 

Golda Demby qualified for the finals in shot put and discus throw, placing fourth in both competitions in the preliminary round with distances of 40-08 and 126-08, respectively. 

Jasayla Mariscal qualified in the girls 800-meter run, placing 10th in the preliminaries by posting a time of 2:17:96.

The Hollister squad also qualified in the girls 4X400 meter relay with a 4:01:08 time, placing eighth in the preliminaries. The team is made up of Zamaya Rivera, Ana Kaplansky, Madison Minke, Jasayla Mariscal, Mayah Arreola and Hannah Bocanegra.

The Balers also qualified in the girls 4X800 meter relay with a time of 9:44:27, placing eighth in the preliminaries. The team is made up of Ana Kaplansky, Dani Orsetti, Prienna Chavez and Jasayla Mariscal.

BenitoLink thanks our underwriter, Hollister Rotary, for helping expand the sports coverage around San Benito County. Rotary is a nonprofit organization that conducts humanitarian projects, encourages high ethical standards, and works toward world understanding. All editorial decisions are made by BenitoLink.