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Former Central Valley baseball teammates compete at collegiate level
Sergio Solis and Gabrial Lopez
Three former Central Valley High School baseball standouts are playing the sport at the college level this spring, including Sergio Solis (left) and Gabrial Lopez.

Just 7.5 percent of high school baseball players go on to play the sport in college according to data released by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Former Central Valley High School teammates Alex Solis, Sergio Solis and Gabriel Lopez beat the odds.

The Solis brothers and Lopez are competing for NCAA Division-II programs that are members of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA).

Alex is a junior outfielder at Stanislaus State, while younger sibling Sergio is a sophomore catcher at Cal State Monterey Bay.

Lopez is a freshman pitcher at San Francisco State.

All three earned baseballs scholarships.

All three of their teams have winning records.

“It’s awesome,” said Derrick Goblirsch, who coached the trio at Central Valley. “Every weekend, I follow what they’re doing. I’m happy for them. I’m proud of them. They’re getting to do what they enjoy and their hard work is paying off.”

“I’m happy for my brother and Gabrial as well,” Alex said. “All three of us had the goal of playing baseball at the college level and worked hard to get there. Goblirsch was always very supportive of us. That’s exactly what you want from a coach.”

“It’s pretty cool to see us playing at the next level,” Sergio said. “Who would have thought we’d play in the same conference? It definitely adds excitement to the games. We come from the small town of Ceres. Not many people can say they played college sports.”

“I’m super proud of them,” Lopez said. “I know what it took for me to get to the spot I’m in. They did the same thing. It was a grind.”

Alex and Sergio have already crossed paths this season.

Sergio and Monterey Bay won three of four games versus Alex and host Stanislaus State in February.

Sergio collected one single, one RBI and two runs.

Alex singled, knocked in one run and scored once.

The Otters prevailed by scores of 8-0, 15-6 and 12-5.

The Warriors secured a 7-6 win.

Sergio and the Otters earned a four-game sweep of Alex and the Warriors as the two brothers battled for the first time in 2022.

“The day of the doubleheader, we hung out between games,” Alex said. “It’s always fun competing against him. When you’re playing your brother, it adds more to the intensity. There’s always friendly trash talk that goes on. The biggest thing for me is I’m happy our parents are proud of both of us.”

“Every time I’m playing against Stanislaus, I want to beat them even more because my brother’s on that team,” Sergio said.

Sergio and Gabrial faced off for the first time earlier this month at the Otter Sports Complex in Seaside.

Monterey Bay won all four games (11-4, 9-6, 7-6, 5-1).

Sergio batted 4-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs while making one start at catcher.

Gabrial totaled three strikeouts in one relief inning.

“It was a little reunion,” Lopez said. “I got to take a picture with him after the weekend was over. Even though we’re conference rivals, I’m really proud of him.” 

“Obviously, it feels good to win,” Sergio said. “But the goal isn’t just to beat them. I want to win every time I’m out there no matter the opponent.”

Alex and the Warriors will play against Gabrial and the Gators in Turlock next month.

“I know Gabrial comes to Stanislaus in April,” Goblirsch said. “I’ll try to make it out to one of those games.”

Alex batted .299 from the plate with 26 hits, one home run, eight doubles, 13 RBIs, 15 runs and seven walks in 23 games with the 16-14 Warriors this spring.

“Alex had a lot of success last year, too. He’s always had natural talent. As he got stronger and his hands got quicker, that helped him become an elite hitter.”

“I’m at a new position this season,” said Alex, who logged playing time in the infield as a sophomore. “There’s definitely a learning curve. It was rough at the beginning of the year. I’m getting the hang of it. To get better is the main goal. I show up early and do things on my own.” 

Sergio has five hits, one double, three RBIs, four runs and two walks in 11 games with the 18-9 Otters.

“To go to a program like that was perfect for his mentality. Sergio is not intimidated by other guys. He’ll always find his way onto the field because he works so hard. He’s a grinder. Coaches reward that.”

“I’m content with myself,” Sergio said. “But I still strive for improvement. I’ve been working a lot harder this year. Every day, I’m getting up in the morning at 7 to go lift. College guys definitely throw a lot harder. It doesn’t really faze me at all. I’m doing a better job now adjusting to the speed. There isn’t that much pressure. I like to go out there and have fun. That’s why I’m playing baseball.”

Gabrial has a 0-0 record with a 0.00 earned-run average, 13 strikeouts, three walks and one save in eight innings of relief for the 13-10 Gators.

“I expected this out of myself,” Lopez said. “I have bigger goals than making the travel roster. I want to be in the rotation. I want to win games. Half the battle is competing against your own teammates. We have so many good pitchers. You have to prove yourself every week. I have confidence in myself.”

“I’m not surprised,” Goblirsch said. “We saw what he was capable of his last two years with us. He performed at a high level in big games. He’s going to continue to impress the more opportunities he gets.”

Alex and Sergio graduated from Central Valley High School in 2019 and 2021, respectively.

A four-year varsity member, Alex earned first-team all-conference honors as a senior and junior and was a second-team pick as a sophomore.

He batted .339 with four homers, three triples, 31 doubles, 100 hits, 55 RBIs, 81 runs and 39 stolen bases in 105 career games.

He totaled seven wins at pitcher with 184 strikeouts and three shutouts in 1592/3 innings.

Sergio earned four varsity letters in baseball at Central Valley.

Sergio received first-team, all-Western Athletic Conference honors as a senior. 

He batted .404 with one triple, four doubles, 16 RBIs, 14 runs and three stolen bases while logging playing time at pitcher, catcher and third base.

He committed just two errors on defense. 

Lopez competed at the varsity level with the Hawks for four seasons as well.

He made history as a junior by becoming just the second Central Valley player to earn Most Valuable Player honors.

He was named WAC South Division MVP in a vote by the league’s head coaches.

Lopez posted a perfect 7-0 record on the mound with a 0.60 earned-run average, one no-hitter, three shutouts, six complete games, 84 strikeouts and 18 walks.

“They (Alex, Sergio and Gabrial) went above and beyond to lead our team,” Goblirsch said. “A lot of success we had was because of them.”

Alex Solis at play
Central Valley grad Alex Solis is a major contributor on the Stanislaus State baseball team this year. The junior outfielder has scored 15 runs in 23 games.