Eagle Freshmen Reap All-Conference Baseball Awards

Three freshmen earned all-conference honors for the 2024 College of the Siskiyous baseball team that finished its season with three home field wins in a row over Redwoods.

Centerfielder and leadoff hitter Vincent Gates of Modesto was 1st Team All-GVC after finishing conference play with a .378 batting average, .445 on-base percentage, 9 runs batted in, 6 doubles, and 6 steals.

Leftfielder Jaxson Kister of Junction City, OR, who usually hits second in the lineup, was 2nd Team All-GVC. He hit .291 in conference with a .402 OBP, 9 RBIs and 3 doubles.

Righthanded pitcher Branson Paulette of Layton, UT, was an Honorable Mention pick in the GVC after a season in which he was both a starting pitcher and "our go-to guy out of the bullpen if we had a lead," according to head coach Tevin Cadola.

Cadola said another freshman, middle infielder/pitcher Dylan Fisher of Henderson, NV, also received all-conference consideration during a postseason coaches' meeting. Fisher hit .259 in conference with a .360 OBP, and a team-high 7 doubles and 15 RBIs.

It was a tough season overall for the Eagles (15-23 overall). They finished 7-18 and placed 5th in a particularly strong GVC. Conference champion Feather River (32-7 overall) is the No. 1 seed in the Northern California postseason playoff bracket, while runner-up Butte (27-12) is No. 4, and Lassen (25-13) is No. 9.

The Eagles relied on many freshmen, especially on the mound. Geoffrey Allen of Stockton and Jase Rothenberger of Bonney Lake, WA, were the only sophomore pitchers. While Allen led the Eagles with 12 starts and 71.1 innings overall, Rothenberger, a utility player, threw 13.1 innings in relief.

The everyday lineup was more of a mix, featuring sophomore regulars Andrew Raebel of Klamath Falls at first base, Dylan Battye of Duncan, Canada, at shortstop/third base, Kadin Bolanos of Klamath Falls in right field, and catcher Nathaniel Cook of Eugene, OR. Two-year players Ashton Durler of Merlin, OR, William Gwynn of Portland, Bryson Estrella of Eugene, and transfer Monte Spence of Phoenix, OR, are also moving on after helping Cadola start his program rebuilding efforts.

"Our record doesn't show the quality of our team," said Cadola. "With a young team you expect ups and downs. We lost at least five games we could have won at the finish line. It's refreshing knowing we have a good group coming back, and we're excited to build on it. Next year looks promising. We're going to continue to work on the culture and growth."

Battye and Fisher led the team with 37 games played overall, while Gates, Raebel and Kister played 36 games each.

A switch-hitter, Gates led the Eagles with 37 hits in 25 conference games, a dozen more than anyone else on the team. He was also second on the team with 18 runs scored. "He's electric and in my opinion, he's a gold glove outfielder," said Cadola.

Kister led the team with 21 runs scored in conference and was second with 25 hits. Cadola said Kister "worked extremely hard all year" and is the kind of player he wants "to build a program around."

Paulette struck out 10, walked just 1 and allowed only 5 hits while pitching a 7-inning complete game in the Eagles' 7-3 victory over Redwoods April 25 in Weed, the team's penultimate game of the season. Only 1 of Redwoods' 3 runs was earned. Overall, Paulette pitched 48 innings this spring, struck out 6.75 batters per 9 innings, and led the pitching staff with a 1.50 WHIP. "He's a great kid who works hard," Cadola said. "We're extremely excited to have him in the rotation next year."

Cadola is also looking forward to having lefthanded pitcher Trey Bennett of Etna back for another season. Bennett was second on the team with 67 innings pitched overall and led Eagle pitchers with 5 wins and 7.35 strikeouts per 9 innings. Like Paulette, Bennett finished the season strong, allowing just 2 hits while striking out 8 in 6 innings during an 8-0 win over Redwoods April 25. "He needs more command but has the potential to be all-conference next year," Cadola said.

The coach described Dylan Fisher as "an all-around athlete and baseball player who has a great feel for the game." A good defensive middle infielder, he also "came in and got big outs on the mound," Cadola said. Fisher struck out 4 and shut out Redwoods while pitching the final 3.2 innings of the season April 26. He earned the victory that day after Nathaniel Cook walked to drive in the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning.

Raebel hit his team-leading 4th home run in the finale and finished with a team-high 17 RBIs and 8 extra base hits in conference.

Battye, the Eagles main shortstop the past two seasons, had a late season highlight too, hitting a home run in the 6th inning of their 8-0 win on April 25.

Geoffrey Allen struck out 6.81 batters per 9 innings and is moving on with a scholarship to Midland University in Nebraska, which competes at the NAIA level.

Third baseman Monte Spence, a transfer who played just one season for the Eagles, is also moving on with a scholarship to play NAIA baseball at Eastern Oregon in La Grande. Limited this season because of injury, Spence had a .271 batting average and .386 on-base percentage in 18 games.

Cadola said other Eagle sophomores are close to signing with a four-year program.

By Steve Gerace