By: Lydia Liu

Public Relations Manager

The Los Gatos Wildcats baseball program is ready to make a deep postseason run this spring. With the regular season nearing its end, the hard work put in over months of preparation is now showing up in their record. Sitting at 22-3 overall with a 15-1 mark in league play, the team has established itself as one of the top programs in the Central Coast Section (CCS), currently ranked sixth in the section standings.

The players credit the cohesive culture within the program for the team’s success. “What makes this team special is the coaching. The coaching kind of brings us all together, and we have really good chemistry,” said varsity pitcher Sebastian Schaffer. Junior infielder Josh Carlisle pointed to the depth of the roster as another driving factor, stating,  “We have a lot of guys on the bench that can come in and do their job. We have multiple players that can play each position.”

The Wildcats got an early test of that depth in April, when the program traveled to Lebanon, Tennessee, to take on Friendship Christian School. Senior pitcher Ethan Williams delivered a dominant performance, striking out 11 batters over five innings while surrendering just one hit and no earned runs in an 11-0 shutout. Senior outfielder Brady Simon contributed a home run and four RBI, while junior infielder Blake Mordaunt reached base all three times he stepped to the plate. The trip served as an early signal of just how far this team could go.

Williams has been outstanding all season, posting a 0.53 earned run average (ERA) alongside ten victories. Simon leads the offense with a .466 batting average and five home runs, junior Nicky Gangemi reaches base at a .600 rate, and senior Beau Musser has stolen 17 bases. This dominance has only grown in recent weeks, as the team produced an 18-0 shutout of Los Altos High School on May 7 and a season-best 24-2 victory over Homestead High School two days later.

On the junior varsity side, the Wildcats have been equally impressive. Sitting at 8-7 overall with a perfect 7-0 league record, sophomore JV outfielder Hank Lee credited the team’s long-standing relationships for its cohesion. He stated, “We’ve all been playing together since a young age, so there’s really good team camaraderie, and we all know each other really well.” Sophomore teammate Dexter Torres highlighted a comeback victory over Homestead as the defining moment of his season. “Coming back in the last inning after being down the whole game was definitely it,” he said.

With the CCS playoffs approaching, Schaffer spoke for the group in laying out what remains to be accomplished: “As a team, we hope to win the rest of our games and hopefully win CCS. As an individual, I want to be the best I can and hopefully go somewhere good for college,” he said. Be sure to follow the Wildcats as they pursue a CCS title in the weeks ahead.

(Source: Maxpreps)