Cooper Gaoiran was the perfect tone-setter atop the El Capitan lineup. The switch-hitting senior always seemed to find his way on the base and was an instant threat on the bases. Gaoiran led the Gauchos with a .439 batting average to go along with a team-high 39 runs and 33 stolen bases. After helping lead El Capitan to a fifth consecutive Central California Conference championship Gaoiran was selected by the coaches as the conference’s Most Valuable Player.

 

“Cooper was tremendous for us throughout the year and provided exactly the type of leadership and production we needed at the top of our lineup,” said El Capitan coach Aaron Ruiz, who was named the CCC Coach of the Year. “He consistently set the tone for our offense, creating the spark that helped generate momentum and keep us moving forward in games. Defensively, Cooper was outstanding. His glove was exceptional all season, and he routinely made difficult, athletic plays in critical moments when our team needed them most. His versatility, consistency, and impact on both sides of the ball made him an invaluable part of our success. Overall, I believe Cooper was the most complete player in our league this season. His contributions offensively, defensively, and as a leader made him more than deserving of this MVP recognition.”

 

Other top CCC awards went to Atwater High senior Logan Sanchez as the Pitcher of the Year, Buhach Colony’s Ethan Quintana as Offensive Player of the Year and El Capitan’s Matthew McQuillen as Utility Player of the Year.

 

Sanchez went 3-2 with a 1.13 ERA in six CCC appearances this season. He struck out 52 batters in 31 innings pitched in conference play. “Logan was our horse on the mound,” said Atwater coach Jarrod Pimentel. “Super competitive, when he is on the mound we have a good chance to win. His tempo and strike-throwing ability keep the defense on point through the game.”

 

Quintana hit .457 with two home runs, five doubles, four triples, 14 runs scored and 17 RBIs in 15 CCC games this season. “Ethan carried our team offensively,” said Buhach Colony coach Joe Medeiros. “The numbers speak for themselves, but if you look at the progression he made over a four-year period, he was more than deserving of this award.  He was a four-year varsity starter with an unreal work ethic, who was committed to the weight room all four years.  We knew if there were runners on when he came up, we had a great chance of getting them in, and if he got on base, we knew he was going to put pressure on the defense.  Teams focused a lot of their energy on him, and he still was able to put up the numbers he did.”

 

McQuillen played infield, outfield and was a starting pitcher for the Gauchos this season. He finished with a .512 batting average in CCC play with 16 runs and 16 RBIs. He was also 5-0 with a 1.35 ERA as a pitcher. 

 

“Matt possesses more versatility than just about any player I have ever coached,” Ruiz said. “He is the true definition of a ‘game,’ a player who will do whatever is asked of him to help his team succeed. His willingness and ability to move seamlessly between different defensive positions gave us tremendous flexibility and played a major role in our success this season. Quite simply, without Matt's versatility, we would not be where we are today. Offensively, he held down the cleanup spot in our lineup all season. While he may not fit the traditional mold of a power hitter, he embraced that role and delivered time and time again.”

 

The all-CCC first-team selections were pitchers Benny Centeno (El Capitan), Brandon Vargas (Atwater), catcher Angel Rivera (El Capitan), first base Brennan Casey (El Capitan), second base Evan Ingraham (Atwater), third base Mathias Cole (Atwater), shortstop Julian Madriz (Atwater), outfielders Aidan Witt (El Capitan), Noah Ruiz (El Capitan) and Bryce Jimenez (Merced).

 

The second team picks were pitchers Zach Hunter (El Capitan), Jesse Vasquez (Los Banos), catcher Andres Reyna (Atwater), second base Jacob Medina (Buhach Colony), Gavin Estrada (Los Banos), third base Connor Vitelli (Merced), outfielders Elijah Mejia (Los Banos), Kayson Faulk (Atwater) and Hudson Pimentel (Atwater).

 

Livingston High’s Andres Aguilar was named all-Western Athletic Conference first team. Aguilar finished with a .493 batting average to go a long with 12 doubles, 16 RBIs and nine stolen bases. 

Shawn Jansen is the MUHSD Program Manager Digital Media. He can be reached at Sjansen@muhsd.org.