Baseball is extremely competitive and one of the deeper sports in the Journal’s coverage area.

This past spring was a testament to that after the area saw multiple standouts from various schools reach a successful outing.

Treven Crowley of Hilmar High is the 2018 Turlock Journal Player of the Year after the sophomore stood way above his peers and overshadowed all opposition when he was competing—especially in league play.

League play was a breeze for Crowley, who earned Offensive Player of the Year honors in the Trans-Valley League after he batted .644 in the TVL with a slugging percentage of .684 and nodded 32 runs in 24 games played.

He finished with an average of .566 in 76 at-bats.

“I always start on a prayer and always have a mindset that I'm the best and basically just being positive and having faith in myself,” said Crowley. “I was dominate because I worked hard in weight room and also with my older brother and my dad and also pushed to where I wanted to be the best in league.”

The offensive numbers for Crowley were well beyond the rest in the TVL. 

Crowley broke the Hilmar and TVL batting record while on the mound, he tossed 47 and 1/3 innings and struck out 67. He finished three complete games, including two shutouts, a no-hitter and finished with an ERA of 2.66.

“My goal for the next two years is to be all state in hitting and pitching and also break more records,” said Crowley. “I knew this year was the year for me to dominate as an underclassman in the TVL and also the next two years and I was happy about my stats but I knew I could've done better.”

Pitcher of the Year honors for the Journal was awarded to Brett Hagen (Pitman). Mason King (Turlock) was named the Offensive Player of the Year.

Turlock’s King was perhaps one of the best offensive producers for the year in the area and especially in the Central California Conference.

He was the only one on the Bulldogs squad that in 26 games played batted .380 in 92 at-bats.

“My approach up to the plate was simple. I didn’t try to do too much. I stayed within myself and believed in my abilities,” said King. “I’m really honored, I know there’s a lot of great ball players in the area. It’s a good feeling knowing all the extra work and hours in the cage paid off.”

King finished with a team-high 35 hits along with 14 RBI and had one of the team’s four home-runs for the year.

He was a big contributor in earning a share of the final CCC title for Turlock, which went 9-3, in the final year for head coach Mark de la Motte. Turlock shared the title with Buhach Colony and Pitman.

“It’s a good feeling knowing that we finished coach D’s last season on top. He’s done so much for this program and it was a pretty special ending it on the note we did,” said King.

Hagen was named the CCC Most Valuable Player and his outstanding pitching earned him the honors of Pitcher of the Year for the Journal after he was without a doubt one of the best in the valley this spring.

“It feels pretty nice. I just always went out and gave it my best and to be recognized by the coaches for it is an honor,” said Hagen. “I just went out there every game with intensity and something to prove. I knew that my team was giving the same effort. You have to trust the guys that are out there with you. That was key in this year’s success.”

Hagen was 8-1 on the mound as he tossed 55 and 2/3 innings and allowed just eight earned runs on 39 hits. He struck out 68 and opponents hit .211 off him while he capped off the year with an ERA of 1.01, the best on the team.

“My success at Pitman is largely due to coaches, teammates, and the bag who always had my back,” said Hagen. “I plan on continuing my baseball career at MJC.”