'I'm really proud of the players': Redwood wins 3rd straight league baseball championship

It was another banner year for the Redwood High School baseball team.

The Rangers captured their third straight outright league championship this season, winning back-to-back East Yosemite League crowns. They claimed a West Yosemite League championship in 2022.

Redwood has been perfect through its first two EYL campaigns, going 28-0 as of May 6.

The Rangers (21-5, 13-0) close out the regular season with a home game against Golden West on May 8 and at Mt. Whitney on May 10.

How have the Rangers been so dominant in league play?

“We knew coming in that we would have pitching and we would play defense,” Redwood head coach Dan Hydash said. “The wild card was our offense. From the beginning of the year until now, I’m really proud of the players for the adjustments that they’ve made and the work that they’ve put in. We obviously have been swinging the bats a lot better the last month and a half. We knew we would have to swing it a bit if we were going to win another league.”

A strong nucleus of players headlines that offensive attack:

• Isaac Esquivel (.337 batting average, 29 hits, 23 runs, 18 RBIs, seven walks, 11 stolen bases, five doubles, triple)
• Hunter Kittinger (.307, 23 hits, 11 runs, five RBIs, six walks, eight stolen bases, two doubles)
• Jaxon Griffiths (.390, 30 hits, 25 runs, 21 RBIs, 22 walks, 13 stolen bases, six doubles, two triples)
• Cruz Rodriguez (.347, 25 hits, 14 runs, 20 RBIs, five walks, five stolen bases, eight doubles)
• Erik Rico (.329, 23 hits, 19 runs, 13 RBIs, 13 walks, six stolen bases, five doubles, triple)
• Wyatt McElree (.340, 16 hits, 12 runs, 13 RBIs, nine walks, two stolen bases, five doubles, homer)

Esquivel, a two-year starter at shortstop, serves as the team’s lead-off hitter.

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Griffiths, the grandson of longtime Visalia youth baseball coach Frank Durazo, is one of Tulare County’s premier hitters. He leads the team with 30 hits and a .525 on-base percentage.

Rodriguez has helped provide veteran leadership and is also one of the team’s top pitchers as a senior.

He has thrown 17 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings with a 2.29 ERA and a 3-1 record. The senior also starts at first base and bats clean-up.

“This year, he’s really surprised us and come around through hard work,” Hydash said of Rodriguez.

Rico, a Fresno State verbal commit, is the Rangers’ ace. The junior right-hander is 7-0 on the season with a 0.96 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 58 1/3 innings.

McElree, a freshman, was pulled up to varsity earlier this season after an injury to the team’s starting second baseman.

McElree launched his first career home run on April 24 to break a 2-2 tie against El Diamante in the fourth inning, leading the Rangers to a 6-2 win. McElree is just the fourth freshman to start under Hydash.

Who are the others?

Joey Volchko, Jace Chamberlin and Jacob Gilbreath. All three reached the NCAA Division I level.

Volchko is now a starting pitcher at Stanford. Chamberlin played at Cal State Fullerton and Gilbreath pitched at Texas Southern University.

McElree is Chamberlin’s cousin.

“We knew he was going to be a special player down the road,” Hydash said of McElree. “We asked a lot of him coming up and he just fit in right away. He’s been in that nine-hole all year. We’re trying to take some pressure off of him but he’s hitting .340 with a lot of big hits for us. He’s just been tremendous.”

How have the Rangers won 28 straight league games?

“We don’t really talk about the streak,” Hydash said. “I don’t think I’ve heard a player mention it all year. We treat every game like it’s one game, and our mindset this year was, ‘We have to be ready to play everybody because everybody is ready to play us.’ That’s been our mindset. It’s gotten us this far. That’s what we’re going to continue to do and into next year, just take it game by game. We don’t ever overlook anybody. Our league, there’s a lot of talented players across the league. We have good coaches. You have to be ready to play.”

Redwood will be competing in the Central Section Division I postseason for the second straight year.

The Rangers are currently ranked No. 7 overall by MaxPreps.com. Last season, they advanced to the Division I semifinals.

Since Hydash’s arrival in 2014, Redwood has captured six absolute league championships (2014, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024) and two Central Section Division II titles (2015, 2016).

During that stretch, the Rangers have posted six 20-plus win seasons.

How have the Rangers been able to maintain that winning culture?

“It’s always fun because there are always new guys,” Rodriguez said. “They’re always competing. There are always new spots up for grabs. We’re always competing for each other.”

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Tulare County Cream of the Crop Power Rankings

Here is one view of the top five baseball/softball teams in Tulare County (records are as of May 6):

Baseball

1. Redwood (21-5): The Rangers are the 2024 East Yosemite League champions.

2. Tulare Western (13-14): Senior pitcher Justin Cuellar is among state leaders with 121 strikeouts.

3. Central Valley Christian (18-8): The Cavaliers have won back-to-back games, sweeping Washington Union.

4. Porterville (15-7): Senior pitcher Louie Torres hurled 13 strikeouts in a 10-6 win over Golden West.

5. Exeter (19-7): Ruben Ruiz, a senior, leads the Monarchs with 35 hits and a .402 batting average this season.

Softball

1. Tulare Union (17-5-2): Senior pitcher Mason Hatton has tossed 210 strikeouts this season.

2. Redwood (15-9-2): The Rangers are in first place in the EYL standings.

3. Mission Oak (18-6): Maleena Martin tossed six strikeouts in a complete game shutout as the Hawks soared past Tulare Union 6-0.

4. El Diamante (16-8): Senior pitcher Jorja Moreno turned in a complete game in a 7-3 victory against Mt. Whitney.

5. Monache (13-13): The Mauraders are coming off a 4-3 loss to Redwood in nine innings.

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: 'I'm really proud of the players': Redwood wins 3rd straight league baseball championship