The 2015 Baler baseball season is here for a program looking to have another rock solid year. Hollister baseball has a great tradition with outstanding Little League and Babe Ruth teams; the high school team is no exception.
The Balers have had a lot of success in recent years, going 17-1 last season to win the Gabilan Division of the Monterey Bay League before falling to Mitty in the Central Coast Section playoffs. The team has come close to capturing its first-ever CCS championship, losing in the finals two out of the past four years. After opening with a 5-0 win over Santa Cruz this year, the Balers beat West Catholic League Power Serra 8-5 on Feb. 28. Following a recently 17-7 blowout of Carmel, San Benito is ranked no. 6 in the CCS by Prep2Prep Sports.
The Balers feature two players who have already signed with Division 1 programs; catcher Zach Moeller (Utah) and center fielder Garret Kelly (U.C. Davis), and catcher Caleb Menez has signed to play for Master’s College next year.
Returning junior infielder Matt Hill said this year’s team is ready to make the leap and capture a section championship.
“The first games will really set the tone for this season. If we win them we are looking really good,” he said.
Sophomore Diego Fisher has been pitching well at practice, according to Hill, and is expected to be a big part of this year’s team. Fisher is coming off a state championship over the summer in the Central California section of Babe Ruth baseball, in which he threw a complete game tossing only 52 pitches. “That was so fun this summer, but I am looking forward to this year even more,” said Fisher, who threw against Serra.