Gavin Farinha of Turlock Christian is shown pitching in one of his six no-hitters last season aganst Hilmar. That broke a state record that was first set in 1957 at Mater Dei (Santa Ana) and tied twice in 2011. Photo: Candy Padilla / Turlock Journal.
The 2023 high school baseball season in California has begun for many teams, but before it really gets going here is an honor roll list of players from 2022 who have been added to the Cal-Hi Sports all-time state baseball records. There is no place else that these lists exist (unless stolen from us). Several significant players are back for their senior seasons this spring.
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(This is an honor roll for those players newly listed after last season in state record categories; teams such as Arlington of Riverside, Colusa and Kerman and more also earned state record additions during the 2022 season)
(All listed in alpha order)
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Team (Streaks, Historical)
Team (Hitting, Pitching, Runs)
Individual (Hitting)
Individual (Runs, RBI, Etc.)
Individual (Pitching)
All-Time Coaching Wins Leaders
(All listed in alpha order)
Eric Bitonti (Aquinas, San Bernardino)
One of this spring’s top MLB Draft prospects, Bitonti already has a state record listing for most runs in a season with 55 from last year when he was a junior. Several career listings seem to be in his reach, but this year’s seniors still were not able to have a freshman season due to COVID. It won’t be until next year when we’ll have a complete class of players who didn’t have a season shut down by the pandemic.
Henry Bolte (Palo Alto)
The 56th player selected in the MLB Draft in 2022 also was a Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year finalist. It was known that Bolte led the state with 57 runs scored, but it wasn’t reported that his 57 runs set a new CIF Central Coast Section record. It also makes it on to the all-time state list. Bolte just missed all-time state listings for career homers (27) and for stolen bases in a season (49). He signed with Oakland Athletics after the draft, turning down a scholarship with Texas.
Nico Newhan from Maranatha Christian of San Diego was among the state leaders last season in home runs, hits and RBI. Photo: Maranatha Christian / MaxPreps.com.
Austin Charles (Stockdale, Bakersfield)
Considered the CIF Central Section Player of the Year, Austin’s 57 RBI for the Mustangs is the total that lands him a listing. He’s now playing in the Kansas City Royals organization after being drafted and then signing last June. His future as either a pitcher or hitter is still to be determined.
Devon Daniel (Kerman)
The graduated standout pitcher for the Lions had a 13-0 record last season, which does not go on to the all-time state list, but he did gain a listing in the category of best career ERA. Daniel finished with 38 runs allowed in 194 2/3 innings for a career ERA of 0.43.
Gavin Farinha (Turlock Christian)
He began last season by throwing four straight no-hitters, which is not a state record, but the two other no-hitters that Gavin had to give him six did eclipse the previous state record of five set in 1957 by Tony Ankerson of Santa Ana Mater Dei and then tied in 2011 by two players from Maxwell (Steven Perry & Tyler Wells). Gavin also is tied for the state record in the category of most career no-hitters. A seventh this season would give him the record in that category as well. Farinha has signed a letter of intent with The Master’s College.
Jacob Gutierrez (Ridgeview, Bakersfield) &
Matt Torres (Stockdale, Bakersfield)
These two Kern County standouts from 2022 (both seniors) were among the state leaders with 55 runs scored, both of which make the all-time state list. Both Gutierrez and Torres also played in the same number of games (31).
Tre Larranaga (Modoc, Alturas)
He stole 51 bases in 24 games for the Bears, which was just enough to earn him a placement on the bottom of the all-time state list.
Ethan Lay (Colusa)
He played for a team that got to 33-0 before losing in a CIF NorCal regional final to Bradshaw Christian of Sacramento. Lay, a 2022 grad, had a 0.16 ERA that makes the book. He also finished 23-0 for the final record of his sophomore, junior and senior seasons. His 26-1 career record, his record for 2021-22 and winning 23 straight starts are all now listed in the book as well.
Marco Lopez (Hoover, San Diego)
Has a player ever been added to the state record book in the same season for a pitching and hitting accomplishment? We don’t know, but Marco did it last season. The graduated senior struck out all 21 batters in one seven inning game that Hoover won, 4-2, over Lincoln. At the plate, he finished the season with 10 triples, which is the number it takes to be added on to the all-time state list in that category.
Jacob Mainer (Sierra Pacific, Hanford)
He was just behind Henry Bolte of Palo Alto for the state lead in runs scored with 56. That also put Jacob on to the all-time state list. Mainer also had 16 doubles for the Golden Bears.
Malcolm Moore (McClatchy, Sacramento)
It didn’t take long for the 2022 Mr. Baseball State Player of the Year to make an impact at Stanford. He homered in his first game and he’s also had two in a game already for the Cardinal. Moore didn’t quite make the all-time state list for career homers with 27 but he did for career RBI with 147.
Leo Veliz could have been called Mr. Triple last season at Calexico. Photo: MaxPreps / Calexico Baseball.
Nico Newhan (Maranatha Christian, San Diego)
The San Diego Union-Tribune just ran a preseason feature about Nico and his father, former Padre David Newhan, who is head coach of his son’s team. Nico will be back this season after posting the reported state lead of 60 hits as a junior in 33 games. Getting 60 hits also landed Newhan on the all-time state list.
Jobe Olson (Laton)
There’s a new category in our state records that was added during the pandemic for best strikeout averages per inning. Jobe was the reported state leader last season with 195, which is not close to the record book, but he did it in 83.1 innings for an average of 2.35 and that mark did get added. He is now at Reedley College.
Myles Potter (Gunderson, San Jose)
The Grizzlies’ grad for 2022 posted 12 triples in 20 games to gain a state record listing for most triples in a season. Three of them came in a 14-0 win over Yerba Buena of San Jose, which makes the state record book in the single-game category.
George Soto (Animo Leadership, Inglewood)
There were a few players who gained listings for highest batting average in a season and George was the best of those. He went 41 for 60 for a .683 total. Note that it takes a minimum of 40 at-bats to be eligible for that list and there were a few with less than 40 who had higher reported batting averages last season than George.
Leo Veliz (Calexico)
He was the Desert League Player of the Year as a junior with a .605 batting average and 52 hits. It’s not those totals, though, that put Leo on an all-time state list. It’s for triples. He had three in one game (one short of the state record) in a win against San Diego High. Veliz also had two triples in two other games and finished with 13 in 25 games. He was just one short of the state record.
Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle.
