After going winless in the non-league portion of its 2025 spring schedule, Watsonville’s baseball team has seemed to turn things around just in the nick of time.
The Wildcatz have won six straight and are 5-0 to begin Pacific Coast Athletic League Cypress Division play, including a romping 15-0 victory over Marina on Monday evening.
“We had a team meeting and just talked about some of our goals, some of the things that we needed as a team to do and so forth,” Watsonville head coach Tige McSwain said. “The seniors and the upperclassmen that have been varsity players before began to take some of the younger ones under their wing. And when coach says play for each other this is what we’re doing.”
Senior pitcher Rudy Valdez tossed a no-hitter in the ‘Catz’s 10-0 victory in five innings over Gonzales in the teams’ PCAL Cypress Division-opener March 25. He allowed two walks while tallying eight strikeouts.
Valdez, who played with the Salinas Diablos during the offseason, currently owns a 3-3 record as a starting pitcher with 50 total strikeouts and a 3.66 ERA in 28 innings pitched, according to statistics on the Max Preps website.
“Honestly, just when I’m practicing or warming up throwing, I just find all the little details with my throws,” Valdez said. “If I mess up, I’ll fix it. Once I get it right, I’ll stick to it.”
The ‘Catz’s star player also showed off his batting skills with three hits, including one triple, one double, two RBIs and a pair of runs scored in the win over Gonzales. At the plate, Valdez is batting a .660 average (31-for-47) with six triples, seven doubles, 25 runs scored, 17 RBIs and 24 stolen bases in 15 games played this season.
“[Valdez is] a quiet kid, so he’s really trying to lead by example,” McSwain said. “In practice, he’s trying to be the one that’s always hustling, be the one that’s always doing some of those things that other people would think that’s below me.”
The win-streak began with Watsonville sweeping a two-game series against both Gonzales and Pajaro Valley in Cypress Division action. That was followed by an impressive 13-11 win over Silver Creek in non-league play April 5.
Prior to that, the ‘Catz had lost nine straight to begin the season.
“Since we started, all of us as a team, we didn’t really understand each other at first because we don’t have as much baseball knowledge,” Valdez said. “But as time kept going, at the end of preseason, I was like, ‘OK, I see a little more progress.’”
The ‘Catz went toe-to-toe with a Silver Creek team that is currently atop of the Blossom Valley Athletic League West Valley Division standings with an 8-0 record in league play this season. Valdez had an excellent day at the office, batting 6-for-6 with two triples, one double, three RBIs, four runs scored and a pair of stolen bases.
Teammate senior Patrick Miller-Brown had three hits, including one home run, two RBIs and four runs scored. He is batting a .432 average (16-for-37) with a pair of home runs, three doubles, seven RBIs, 20 runs scored and 13 stolen bases this season.
Junior catcher Mathew Silva had four hits, one RBI and six steals in the win over Silver Creek. He is batting a .439 average (18-for-41) with two doubles, four RBIs and 10 runs scored.
Silva is also slowly making more appearances as a pitcher, tallying nine strikeouts in 14 innings pitched for the ‘Catz.
Senior Kaden Ortiz is batting a .469 average (15-for-32) with one triple, six doubles, 19 RBIs, eight runs scored and three stolen bases. On the mound, he has 11 strikeouts in seven innings pitched.
“We actually finally started talking in the dugout,” Valdez said. “In the beginning of a game, we’ll be loud. And then in the second inning, after we’re done hitting, it’ll just quiet down. Me and my catcher, [Matt Silva], and my left fielder, we try to have them talk up. It took time.”
Freshman pitcher Brody Barto picked up his first win of the season in a 13-2 victory against Pajaro Valley in PCAL Cypress Division play April 4. He allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while racking up seven strikeouts.
Senior Gabriel Lara had a solid day at the plate, batting 3-for-3 with one triple, three RBIs and a pair of runs scored for Watsonville. Teammate sophomore Jeremiah Mendez had one double and scored one run.
McSwain said the best part of this year’s group is some of the young guys are coachable, and they’re beginning to apply the things they talk about in practice to the game.
“Even when we weren’t winning, the things that we’re asking them to do in practice, they’re beginning to see those in the game,” he said. “The light bulb goes off and they’re like, ‘OK, this is what we’re talking about here. This is why coach is stressing this specific thing.’”
Watsonville (6-9, 5-0) will continue PCAL Cypress Division action at home against Marina (0-8) on Wednesday at 5pm, followed by a two-game series against Seaside on April 15 and 17. The ‘Catz also have two non-league games remaining, starting with a home contest against St. Monica Catholic on April 25 at 6pm, and at San Lorenzo Valley on April 30 at 4pm.
“The preseason was tough, but they stayed with us,” McSwain said. “Now, they’re beginning to see the belief, and they’re beginning to believe in themselves. We just want to continue this momentum and play our best baseball coming through the month. And if we can do that, we’ll see what happens.”
