Chris Garcia was undecided about his baseball future prior to committing to Turlock’s Stanislaus State.

The 2025 Central Valley High School grad signed a national letter of intent with the Warriors in May.

“I realized I had a talent I shouldn’t let go of that easily,” said Garcia, a 6-foot-4 200-pound southpaw pitcher.

Central Valley staged a signing ceremony for Garcia in the school’s large gymnasium on May 29.

Family, friends, coaches and teammates attended the once-in-a-lifetime event.

“It’s very much appreciated,” Garcia said. “I worked hard for them. They rewarded me.”

Garcia also drew interest from a host of other baseball programs, including Louisiana State University, University of Miami, University of Southern California and UC Berkeley.

“I had a long list,” he said. “I talked to a bunch of big schools. I had an opportunity to go to a lot of other places. But I wanted to stay close to home so it would be easier for my family to be able to attend my games. My parents are my biggest supporters. My brother Samuel goes to Stanislaus State.”

“It’s a nice campus,” Garcia added. “I’ve heard nothing but good things about their coaches and baseball program.”

Garcia managed to enjoy a success-filled career with Central Valley’s varsity baseball program despite being slowed by arm fatigue junior and sophomore years.

“It was more mental than anything,” he said. “There were times I thought about not playing. I overcame it.”

“I had to do physical therapy for eight months,” Garcia added. “It was a long process to get back to throwing and where I was. Now, I have to make sure I do recovery. Before, I could throw a whole game without any issues.”

Fishing reduced Garcia’s stress.

“It’s something I do often with my family and friends,” he said. “I definitely use it as a way to relax and not think about baseball. I’m a competitive person. I always like to catch more than anyone else. I don’t like to lose.”

Unable to pitch in the 11th and 10th grades, Garcia elevated his play on offense and contributed on defense. He had a combined batting average of .294 with two homers, one triple, 11 doubles, 23 RBIs, 24 runs, 17 walks and six stolen bases.

He logged playing time at first base.

“Once I found out I wasn’t going to be able to pitch, I knew I had to produce in another way for my team,” he said. 

Garcia welcomed the challenge of being Central Valley’s ace pitcher when healthy.

He had a combined record of 12-7 with 177 strikeouts and 28 walks senior and freshman years.

“They trusted me enough to put me in those situations,” Garcia said. “That gave me extra confidence. I also trusted my abilities. That competitiveness in me carries a long way on the mound. You have to be a competitor to pitch against other people.”

Garcia joined elite company this spring by becoming just the third baseball player from Central Valley to earn Most Valuable Player honors. He was named the Western Athletic Conference’s MVP in a vote by the league’s head coaches following the conclusion of the 2025 season.

Garcia followed in the footsteps of Gabrial Lopez (2021) and Ruben Casas (2013).

“It’s definitely a great accomplishment for Chris,” Hawks’ head coach Brad Bussard said. “Every coach voted for him. It was unanimous. He was the most dominant player in the league and everybody knew it. He didn’t give up a single earned run.”

Garcia posted a 6-0 record on the mound with a 0.00 ERA, 64 strikeouts and just six walks in conference play.

He batted .300 from the plate on offense with one double, eight RBIs, 17 runs, seven walks, 13 hit by pitches and four stolen bases.

He totaled 11 strikeouts and one walk on the mound in Central Valley’s 8-3 victory against Franklin of Stockton in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-I playoffs.

“It was definitely a luxury to have him on the team,” Bussard said. “We had a good chance to win every time he stepped on the mound.”

Garcia and the Hawks made history in 2025.

Central Valley set a program record for wins in a single season and claimed its first league title.

The Hawks also hosted and won their first home playoff game.

Central Valley amassed a 21-9 overall record and annexed the WAC crown with a perfect 14-0 mark.

“It was a fun season,” Garcia said. “It was a grind.”

For his career, Garcia batted .285 from the plate with two homers, two triples, 15 doubles, 44 RBIs, 56 runs, 38 walks and 14 stolen bases.

He allowed just 19 earned runs and totaled 204 strikeouts at pitcher.

Garcia is Central Valley’s all-time leader in plate appearances, hit by pitches and lowest earned-run average.

He set single-season records this year for lowest ERA and fewest earned runs.

He broke single-game records for strikeouts and hit by pitches.

“I’m satisfied,” Garcia said. “I think I did pretty well. But I’m a competitor. I could have done better.”

It didn’t take long for Garcia to fall in love with the sport of baseball.

“I started playing when I was five years old,” he said. “My dad signed me up because he was a fan. I started liking it as well.”

Garcia is looking forward to beginning his baseball career at Stanislaus State next spring.

The Warriors posted a 21-27 overall record and finished seventh overall in the California Collegiate Athletic Association standings (16-22) this year.

“I hope I can make an impact on the team and pitch for them early,” Garcia said. “I’m willing to work as hard as I possibly can to earn a starting spot as a freshman.”