Three local baseball players earned spots on Prep2Prep’s annual All-Central Coast Section teams, the website recently announced.
Monte Vista Christian senior infielder Jackson Collins was named to the All-CCS First Team, Aptos High junior outfielder Forrest Hays made the Second Team and Watsonville High junior pitcher Gio Gonzalez landed on the Third Team.
Collins, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound slugger, led MVC in batting average (.452), hits (28), RBIs (30), scored runs (20), doubles (7) and home runs (5).
His monster offensive season carried the Mustangs to their second consecutive Central Coast Section postseason appearance and an 11-13 season.
Collins, who also earned a First Team All-Monterey Bay League Gabilan division selection, is set to play both baseball and football for University of Redlands next season.
Hays, meanwhile, had a phenomenal offensive season of his own, pacing the Mariners in batting average (.500), hits (34) and RBIs (23), while hitting five doubles, a triple and a homer.
The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder also put together a solid season on the hill. He carried a 2.77 earned run average in 11 appearances, six of them being starts.
Behind Hays, who earned a spot on the All-Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League First Team, the Mariners made it back to the CCS playoffs for the second straight season and finished with a 14-12-1 record.
Gonzalez, an athletic and dominant right-handed pitcher, pushed the Wildcatz to their fourth CCS playoff appearance in the last five years and put up ridiculous numbers en route to Monterey Bay League Pacific division Pitcher of the Year honors.
He posted a 0.68 earned run average over 51 2/3 innings in MBL-P competition, tallying 60 strikeouts and only 19 walks with a 6-1 record.
At the plate the wiry 5-foot-11 Gonzalez hit .340 and led the team in stolen bases with 15.
Ten other locals earned honorable mention: Jake Keaschall (Aptos), Tate Stone-Hinds (Aptos), Dylan McPhillips (MVC), A.J. Valdez (NMC), Davian Quintana (Pajaro Valley), Derric Estrada-Haro (St. Francis), Chase Watkins (St. Francis), Ruben Ibarra (St. Francis), James Gomez Jr. (Watsonville) and Ryan Rivera (Watsonville).
