Player of the Year Torkelson leads Gaucho stars

The entire lineup, plus two reserves, from Casa Grande High School’s North Bay League champion Gauchos received recognition from NBL coaches on the All-League baseball team.

Casa Grande’s senior outfielder Spencer Torkelson was chosen the NBL’s Player of the Year for the second time during his four-year varsity career.

He led a list of six Gauchos named to the first team, joining center fielder Max Cerini, catcher/outfielder John Green, pitcher Chris Joaquim, first baseman A.J. Miller and catcher/shortstop Hance Smith. All except junior Miller are seniors.

Picked to the second team were second baseman Eddie Bermudez, pitcher/outfielder Quenton Gago, infielder Hayden Klemenok and pitcher Parker Ruoff.

Pitcher Nik Kamages and infielder Dylan Moore received honorable mention notice. Both are juniors.

NBL coaches paid tribute to retiring Casa Grande assistant coach Dominic Wirtz by naming him Coach of the Year as he leaves the dugout after helping build Casa Grande into the Redwood Empire’s most dominant team over the past 25 years and helping guide and develop young players into young men.

Torkelson has had a brilliant varsity career at Casa Grande. This season was his best. He batted .481 with 37 hits in 29 games. He scored 41 runs, drove in 43. Counted among his hits were 12 doubles, a triple and seven home runs.

Patient at the plate when opposing pitchers refused to throw him strikes, he walked 27 times for an on-base percentage of .612. His slugging percentage was .935.

He moved from third base to the outfield mid-way through the season and was immediately one of the best defensive outfielders in the league with several highlight-caliber catches and throws to his credit.

Cerini was an equally outstanding defensive outfielder, playing alongside Torkelson in center field. He was also the leadoff catalyst that made the Casa Grande offense run.

Battling back after missing his entire junior season with a severe leg injury, he batted .460 and led the team in hits with 40 in 29 games, and in runs scored with 42. He had an on-base percentage of .578. He used his speed to hit four triples and lead the team with 11 stolen bases.

Green was another outstanding Casa Grande defensive outfielder, but he didn’t get much of a chance to show his glove work, spending most of his games behind the plate, where he was also a very good defensive backstop with a strong arm.

Batting behind Cerini, he gave the Gauchos a pair of excellent table setters for the Casa power hitters. He batted .407 for the season with 37 hits in 28 games. He scored 28 runs and drove in 31. He slugged three home runs, including a grand slam and one in the North Coast Section championship game.

Miller got hot and stayed hot as the season progressed. He finished with a .370 batting average with 30 hits in 27 games. He scored 22 runs and drove in 32. He also hit three home runs, including a crucial four-bagger in a NCS semifinal win over Ukiah.

He played exceptional defense at first base, often saving his infield teammates with sure-handed picks of bounced throws.

Smith may have been Casa Grande’s best defensive player at two positions. He was a gifted catcher adept at blocking pitches, and he was also an excellent shortstop who made outstanding plays on an almost game-by-game basis.

He added a productive bat to the Casa lineup, hitting .374, with 34 hits and 30 RBIs in 28 games. He slugged eight doubles, a triple and two home runs.

Joaquim was at times the most dominant pitcher in the North Bay. He pitched a team-high 48 innings with a 7-3 record and 1.75 earned run average. In his 48 innings, he walked 19 and struck out 56.

Ironically, his best mound performances of the season, and his career, came in the Boras Classic Tournament when he held Davis, a tournament finalist, to just one hit, but lost the game, 1-0.

Joaquim sometimes played in the outfield and often served as Casa’s designated hitter, adding to the offense with a .325 batting average that included two home runs.

Bermudez was part of a rotating crew of middle infielders, playing a solid second base and adding a consistent bat to the bottom of the Casa Grande order. He hit .378, with 17 hits and 11 RBIs. He also walked 13 times for a .517 on-base percentage.

Gago was even more valuable to the Casa Grande offense than his solid .337 batting average indicates. He had the key job of protecting Torkelson in the Casa batting order. When his slugging teammate was walked, either overtly or covertly, Gago’s challenge was to make the opposition pay. He did so to the tune of 31 hits and 21 RBIs in 29 games. He split his time between playing a good right field and designated hitting.

Gago was also one of Casa Grande’s top pitchers whether starting or relieving. He had a 5-2 record, recording just one less win than Joaquim, and a 3.25 ERA with 29 strikeouts and just 11 walks in 32 innings.

Klemenok was one of the most versatile of the Casa infielders, but he proved most valuable at third, expertly taking over at the hot spot when Torkelson moved to the outfield. He was another who contributed key hits at the bottom of the order, batting .292 with 21 runs scored and 11 RBIs in 24 games.

Ruoff became one of Casa Grande’s key pitchers as the season moved down the stretch, culminating in the Gaucho league championship. He pitched 40 innings, going 6-0, with a 2.08 ERA. He allowed just 19 hits and 12 runs in his 40 innings, striking out 48 and walking 28.

Kamages, used primarily in relief, although he did start two games, had a 2-0 record with a 3.87 ERA.

Moore was another in the infield mix, playing well at second, third and shortstop. He batted .323 with 21 hits in 23 games with 15 runs scored.