Hollister High baseball takes its first CCS title

Editor’s note: Hollister lost 5-1 in the first round of the NorCal Championships to Yuba City. Lea este artículo en español aquí.

Led by senior pitcher Trent Roach, the Hollister High School baseball team made history on May 31 by defeating Wilcox High 3-0 to become Central Coast Section champions for the first time in the program’s history. 

This was the third year in a row the Balers made it to the championship game and the eighth time since 2007.

“I can breathe now,” said Hollister coach Michael Luna, who began his second stint as head coach in 2023.

“It feels great being the first team in school history to win a CCS championship with all the talent that has come through,” senior third baseman Jake Esparza said. “Being the first team to get the job done feels amazing.” 

Now, Hollister (21-8) is scheduled to visit Yuba City High (28-5) on June 3 in the first round of the Division II NorCal Championships.

In the CCS championship game, Roach threw a complete-game shutout, repeating what he has done throughout the season by taking control of the game from the first pitch. In 61 innings this season, Roach has still not allowed an earned run. 

Roach was perfect except in the fourth inning, when he allowed two singles. With two runners on and two outs, he walked a batter to load the bases but got out of the jam by inducing a fly ball to center field.

“It’s almost a given that that’s going to happen as a starter every game,“ Roach said about the fourth inning. “You just gotta tell yourself you’re the best on the field and no one is going to beat you. Every pitch you just have to think they’re not going to hit this.”

Roach finished the game allowing just the two hits while striking out eight and walking one.

For Esparza, the team is unstoppable when Roach is on the mound.

“Zero ERA [earned run average this season], that’s not normal,” he said. “Not a lot of people are able to do that and I feel like when he is on the mound he motivates everyone to play at his level.”

The Balers offense gave Roach some breathing room in the third inning by scoring all three of its runs. It turned out it was all he needed to seal the game.

Esparza drove in Hollister’s first two runs with a double to left field. He said his approach was to take advantage of that side of the field because the left fielder was shading toward center field.

“I looked at my dugout and I got hyped up because I knew I just got the job done for the team,” Esparza said of his double. “It just felt great.”

The next batter, first baseman Wes Aviles, drove in Esparza with a single past the reach of the shortstop to center field. Esparza had stolen third base without a throw. 

Hollister had already threatened to score in the second inning when the Balers mounted a two-out rally following back-to-back singles by shortstop Braydon Barone and left fielder Daniel Martinez. But right fielder Anthony Bolin grounded out to the pitcher.

The Balers looked to add to their lead in the sixth inning with runners in the corners with two outs, but catcher Gavin Rodriguez popped out in foul territory near first base. 

The Balers are putting their eight-game win streak on the line against Yuba City High’s Honkers, who are riding an 11-game winning streak after they won the Sac-Joaquin Section title 8-7 in nine innings.

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.