After finishing 1-2 in this year’s Central California Athletic League standings, the Turlock and Pitman high school baseball teams have proceeded to dominate postseason all-conference awards.
Following a 2026 campaign in which he led the Bulldogs to a third straight CCAL title with a 14-1 record (and a 22-7 overall mark), Turlock skipper Mike Souza was named Coach of the Year. Souza improved his career coaching record to 78-35-2 since taking the helm prior to the 2023 season.
Turlock’s star junior, Mason Hackler, took home league Most Valuable Player honors. Hackler is a dual-threat talent, but especially dominated on the mound. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound right-hander went 7-2 in 11 starts with a 2.35 ERA, 88 strikeouts and limited opposing lineups to a combined .187 batting average. At the plate, Hackler hit .357 (25 for 70) with five doubles, two home runs, 32 walks, 12 RBI and 27 runs scored.
Junior teammate Aiden De Los Santos was named Defensive Player of the Year. De Los Santos caught in each of Turlock’s 29 games this season. He anchored the Bulldog pitching staff to a combined 2.37 ERA while individually posting a .995 fielding percentage (one error), 185 putouts and 11 assists in 197 total chances.
The second-place Pride, finishing at 9-6 in league play and 17-11, had two of its star seniors, Nolan Walker and Ben Vilhauer, headline the special awards list.
Walker, a middle infielder, earned CCAL Offensive Player of the Year after hitting .406 (28 for 69) with three doubles, two triples, a home run, 28 walks, 13 stolen bases, 20 RBI, 44 runs scored and a monster 1.157 OPS.
Vilhauer, a right-hander, went 7-1 in 10 starts, posting a 2.68 ERA and .241 opposing batting average with 51 strikeouts, was named Pitcher of the Year.
Also landing on the All-CCAL First Team was Turlock senior Cooper Pacheco and junior teammates Braydon Keyler and Braiden Fuentes. They were joined by the Pitman duo of senior Jackson Way and junior Cole Kelley.
Second Team selections included seniors Owen McCord and Adam Torres and junior Cameron Henard of Turlock along with Pitman senior Jesse Gutierrez.
Pitman junior Elias Mendez and Turlock senior Landyn Fitzgerald were honorable mentions.
