Opening Day - 2022 Baseball Season Preview

January 26, 2021

2022 Baseball Season Preview

Hello baseball fans and welcome back to another season of Giants baseball here at the College of the Sequoias! Coach Jody Allen's teams have led the state in wins the last two seasons and are looking to keep the momentum going. Coach Allen brings back all five coaches in Scott Laird, Jeff Sisk, Ben Walkowiak, Michael Remy, and Dana Gomez.

The team includes several returners that have been instrumental in the program's recent success including the following all-league selections from a year ago: third baseman Flavio Perez (Hanford), first baseman Elijah Cortez (Central), centerfielder Mike McKernan (Mt Whitney), and pitchers Riley Creech (El Diamante) and J.T. Friesen (Immanuel).

While the pitching staff may be a bit light on experience, it is deep with lots of potential and could ultimately be a strength of this year's club. Creech and All American closer Friesen headline the group while four additional returners—Noah Munoz (Tulare Western), Cristian Garcia (Hanford), Austin Fleck (Central), and Tyce Ochs (Golden West)—will be counted on for extensive innings. In terms of newcomers, Anfernee Murrieta (Lemoore) returns to the Valley after spending the fall at Sacramento State and will be joined by fellow freshmen Dylan See (Exeter), Rider Hartman (El Diamante), Stephen Dean (Mt Whitney), Jake Tye (Tehachapi), and lefthanders Julian Lopez (Fresno High) and Cole Schimpf (Golden West) on a staff that will likely grow stronger as the season progresses. Benjamin Pedersen (Tulare Union), an all-league pitcher as a freshman in 2020, will see time as a designated hitter but his availability as a pitcher is still questionable due to injury.

Behind the plate, five catchers will vie for playing time after the graduation of all-league backstop Davis Beavers who has moved on to the Master's College. Jacob Costa (Tulare Union), Tyler Kiggens (Washington Union), and Andrew Pompa (Dinuba) are early favorites for innings while Brody Ono (Ponderosa, Sacramento) fights though injury and Gavin Machado (Exeter) develops.

The infield should be a strong suit for the Giants as all-leaguers Flavio Perez and Elijah Cortez return at the corners. Lefthand hitting Chase Gomez (Tulare Western) will see action at first and as a designated hitter. Up the middle, freshmen Logan Schweizer (Ponderosa, Sacramento) and Lee Trevino (Redwood) appear to be favorites at second and shortstop, respectively. Sophomore Elijah Munoz had a solid freshman season at shortstop in 2020 and will provide depth at second to start the year. Costa and Dominic McLaughlin (Hanford) will also see action as utility players where needed.

In the outfield, Mike McKernan anchors the unit in center with returner Nate Gilson (El Diamante) and lefthand-hitting Jackson Brooks (Exeter) the early favorites to start in left and right, respectively. Kiggens will be a strong option in right as well. Jimmy Wallace (Showlow, AZ), Diego Ambriz (Lemoore), and possibly Hartman will also vie for time in the outfield.

In all, it is a deep, versatile roster that looks to match the standard of excellence set by previous generations of Giants!