Central Valley senior shortstop Mason Whitworth added to his already-impressive baseball resume this spring by being voted Most Valuable Player of the Western Athletic Conference.
Whitworth became just the fourth Hawk player in program history to be named league MVP.
He followed in the footsteps of Chris Garcia (2025), Gabrial Lopez (2021) and Ruben Casas (2013).
“Mason was our heartbeat, offensively, all season,” Central Valley leader Brad Bussard said. “He was our most consistent and clutch hitter throughout the year. He really set the tone for us.”
Whitworth and Hawk teammates Ezequiel Verduzco, Tyson Hunt, Noah Maldonado, Dominic Delatorre, Fernando Dominguez, Isaias Valdovinos and Adrian Vega were all rewarded during the conference’s year-end head coaches’ meeting this past month in Ceres.
Whitworth, Verduzco and Hunt won three of the WAC’s four specialty awards.
The WAC-champion Hawks compiled a perfect 14-0 record for the second year in a row.
“Our representation should be what it is based on our dominance in league,” Bussard said.
Whitworth batted .419 from the plate with two triples, two doubles, 15 RBIs, 25 runs and six stolen bases.
He had slugging and on-base percentages of .558 and .544, respectively.
He ranked first on the team in runs, second in batting average, triples and RBIs, and fourth in slugging percentage and on-base percentage.
“He took a huge jump from sophomore to junior year,” Bussard said. “Senior year, we expected that. He works hard in the weight room and at practice. He puts in work outside of school.”
A three-year varsity contributor, Whitworth was named the WAC’s Offensive Player of the Year as a junior.
He was a Central California Conference honorable-mention selection sophomore year.
Whitworth had a batting average of .374 with two triples, 12 doubles, 49 RBIs, 90 runs and 29 stolen bases in 89 career games.
He’ll be remembered as one of Central Valley’s greatest players.
Whitworth is the Hawks’ all-time career leader in batting average, hits, runs and on-base percentage.
He set single-season program records in plate appearances, hits and runs this season.
“To break the records he broke in only three years is very impressive,” Bussard said.
Verduzco was named WAC Offensive Player of the Year.
The junior rightfielder batted .553 from the plate with three triples, five doubles, 15 RBIs, 18 runs and four stolen bases.
Verduzco had on-base and slugging percentages of .617 and .842, respectively.
He ranked first on the team in batting average, triples, doubles, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, second in RBIs, and third in runs.
“Ezequiel caught fire after spring break,” Bussard said. “He was a big part of our team down the stretch. To his credit, he took coaching, and continued to be confident and work on his craft. It paid off for him.”
Tyson Hunt was named the WAC’s Utility Player of the Year.
The junior contributed at pitcher, designated hitter, first base and in the outfield.
Hunt batted .419 from the plate with two triples, two doubles, seven RBIs, 13 runs and six stolen bases
He had on-base and slugging percentages of .550 and .613, respectively.
He ranked second on the team in batting average, triples and slugging percentage, third in on-base percentage, and fifth in runs.
Hunt compiled a 4-0 record on the mound with a 1.56 earned-run average, 16 strikeouts and six walks.
“Tyson was the energy on the team,” Bussard said. “He was one of the biggest competitors we had. He continually got the job done for us.”
Maldonado, Delatorre, Dominguez and Valdovinos were selected to the WAC First Team.
Maldonado, a sophomore pitcher, posted a 6-0 record with a 0.90 ERA, 33 strikeouts and 14 walks.
“Noah should have been Pitcher of the Year,” Bussard said. “He was 100 percent the best pitcher during league play.”
Delatorre, a junior pitcher, compiled a 2-0 record with a 0.47 ERA, 25 strikeouts and 10 walks.
“He did everything we needed him to do for our team to be successful,” Bussard said.
Dominguez, a senior catcher, batted .417 from the plate with four doubles, 10 RBIs, 23 runs and three stolen bases.
He had an on-base percentage of .569.
He ranked second on the team in doubles, runs and on-base percentage, third in batting average, and fourth in RBIs.
Dominguez posted a batting average of .305 with three home runs, 24 doubles, 65 RBIs, 87 runs and 13 stolen bases in 116 career games.
He’s Central Valley’s all-time career leader in plate appearances, walks and games played.
He set single-season program records for walks and hits in a game this year.
“Fern has been our rock the last four years,” Bussard said. “He caught almost every game. He filled the biggest position on the field. I don’t think our program would be where it’s at without Fern being a part of it for the last four years.”
Valdovinos, a senior second baseman, batted .361 from the plate with two triples, four doubles, 17 RBIs, 15 runs and four stolen bases.
He had a slugging percentage of .583.
Valdovinos ranked first on the team in RBIs, second in triples and doubles, third in slugging percentage, and fourth in runs.
“He did a really good job for us the last three years,” Bussard said. “He led by example.”
Vega was an honorable-mention selection.
The junior first baseman/designated hitter batted .367 from the plate with nine RBIs, 12 runs and two stolen bases.
He ranked fifth on the team in RBIs, and sixth in batting average and runs.
“Adrian should have been higher in all-league status,” Bussard said.
Whitworth, Verduzco, Hunt, Maldonado, Delatorre, Dominguez, Valdovinos and Vega filled key roles while leading Central Valley to its second straight undefeated season in WAC play.
The Hawks have won their last 28 conference games dating back to the 2025 campaign.
“We’ve really established ourselves as the dominant team in our league,” Bussard said.
Whitworth, Dominguez and Valdovinos, Central Valley’s three seniors, graduate this week.
“We’re definitely going to miss them,” Bussard said. “They’ve done a great job setting the foundation for our program.”
