Central Valley’s baseball program has been named the Courier’s Team of the Year for the spring sports season.
Brad Bussard, leader of the Hawks, was named Coach of the Year.
“It was a historic season,” Bussard said. “We broke a bunch of records. This is the most talented team we’ve had. We had MLB scouts and Division-I colleges at our games this year because we played elite competition. We made a name for ourselves.”
Central Valley set a program record for wins in a single season and claimed its first league title in 2025.
The Hawks also hosted and won their first home playoff game.
Central Valley amassed a 21-9 overall record and annexed the Western Athletic Conference crown with a perfect 14-0 mark.
“To me, it’s just the start. We’re building a program that can be successful for a long time.”
Eight members of Central Valley’s 2025 baseball team earned WAC honors, including Chris Garcia, Mason Whitworth, Nicholas Dominguez, Caden Mendonca, Carter Hernandez, Fernando Dominguez, Andre Flores and Ezequiel Verduzco.
“It shows all the work the kids put in paid off,” Bussard said.
Garcia joined elite company by becoming just the third baseball player from Central Valley High School to earn Most Valuable Player honors.
The senior pitcher was named WAC MVP in a vote by the league’s head coaches.
Garcia posted a 6-0 record on the mound with a 0.00 ERA, 64 strikeouts and just six walks in 302/3 innings.
He ranked first on the team in wins, ERA and strikeouts.
Garcia 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 ranked first on the team in runs and hit by pitches, and third in walks.
Garcia had a combined record of 12-7 at pitcher with 177 strikeouts and 28 walks senior and freshman years.
He totaled 11 strikeouts and one walk in Central Valley’s 8-3 victory against Franklin of Stockton in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-I playoffs this season.
Whitworth was voted WAC Offensive Player of the Year.
The junior shortstop batted .500 from the plate with two doubles, seven RBIs, 16 runs and nine stolen bases in 14 games.
He ranked first on the team in hits, second in batting average, doubles, runs, walks and stolen bases, and fifth in RBIs.
Hernandez, Mendonca, Fernando Dominguez and Nicholas Dominguez were selected to the WAC First Team.
Nicholas Dominguez, a senior pitcher, earned first-team all-league accolades for the second year in a row.
He posted a 4-0 record with a 0.80 earned-run average, 32 strikeouts and 14 walks in 261/3 innings.
Nicholas Dominguez had a career-record of 13-3 with a 1.47 ERA, 111 strikeouts and 49 walks in 114 innings.
Fernando Dominguez earned first-team honors for the first time. The junior catcher was a second-team pick as a sophomore and freshman.
He batted .333 from the plate this year with one home run, one double, 13 RBIs, 12 runs and three stolen bases.
Fernando Dominguez had a fielding percentage of 1.000.
Mendonca, a junior outfielder, batted .514 with one triple, three doubles, eight RBIs, 11 runs and 12 stolen bases.
Hernandez, a junior infielder, batted .342 with one double, 15 RBIs, seven runs and five stolen bases.
He collected go-ahead hits versus Beyer and Pacheco.
Flores and Verduzco were both named to the WAC Second Team.
Flores, a senior outfielder, batted .481 with one triple, eight RBIs, 10 runs and nine stolen bases.
Verduzco, a sophomore outfielder/designated hitter, batted .379 with three triples, three doubles, eight RBIs, 11 runs and five stolen bases.
Previous members of the Central California Conference, Central Valley won all 14 of its games during its triumphant return to the WAC.
“We wanted to show people we are one of the best programs in the area,” said Bussard.
