A historic season has been rewarded for Brady Miguel, who became the first CSU Monterey Bay baseball player to be named the California Collegiate Athletic Association’s Most Valuable Player.
The Otters shortstop also became the first player for the Otters to hit over .400 in the regular season, finishing with a .406 batting average in leading them to a conference title.
A San Benito graduate, Miguel was the only player to start all 48 games this year for the Otters, leading the team in runs scored (56), hits (70), triples (6) and stolen bases (16).
Miguel was also hit-by-a-pitch a conference-high 15 times, compiled a .511 on-base percentage, and drove in 44 runs from the No. 2 spot in the batting order.
Named CSUMB’s Male Athlete of the Year this year, Miguel sports a .940 fielding percentage at shortstop, putting himself on Major League Baseball draft boards.
Stewart dealing at Utah State
Sophomore Jessica Stewart has made 19 pitching appearances this spring for the Utah State softball team, posting a 6-2 record with one save.
The Salinas High graduate has made 16 relief appearances and three starts, striking out 20 in 30 innings of work for the Aggies, posting a 4.79 earned run average.
Stewart has been flawless defensively for Utah State in handling her position, turning one double play and throwing out a runner.
Last year as a freshman Stewart appeared in 21 games with 16 starts, going 5-9 with a 4.64 ERA.
The Whitesides Scholar-Athlete Award winner last year at Utah State, Stewart was the Pacific Division’s Pitcher of the Year in 2017 at Salinas, helping them to a league title.
Flores in the Mexican Leagues
Former King City High and Hartnell College first baseman Marc Flores is among the league leaders in home runs in the Mexican Leagues.
In his first 16 games with Aguascalientes, the left-handed power-hitting Flores has hit six home runs and driven in 17 runs, with eight of his 13 hits going for extra bases.
Flores has also walked a team-high 11 times, sporting a .360 on-base percentage. The former Chicago White Sox farmhand has scored 10 runs and struck out just seven times in 68 at-bats.
Before the pandemic, which wiped out the 2020 season in the Mexican Leagues, Flores put together a career year in 2019 for Aguascalientes, with 32 homers and 105 RBI, while hitting .316.
Several former major leaguers are in the Mexican Leagues, including former Giants’ World Series hero Pablo Sandoval, as well as Chris Carter, who led the National League in homers in 2019 with 49, and former A’s and Astros outfielder Josh Reddick.
An all-leaguer in football, basketball and baseball at King City, Flores earned All-American honors at Hartnell before finishing his collegiate career at the University of Hawaii.
Sayre at Tennessee Wesleyan
Daniel Sayre put together a big tournament at the plate for Tennessee Wesleyan, hitting safely in all four games, including a 4-for-5 effort in one game to lead them to a conference tournament baseball title.
The former Seaside High standout drove in six runs and scored five in the tournament for the Bulldogs, who are ranked No. 2 in the nation in NAIA.
Hitting in the middle of the batting order, the shortstop has helped the Bulldogs to a 51-5 overall record and an Appalachian Athletic Conference championship.
Sayre was a two-time member of The Herald’s All-County football team, intercepting 12 passes during the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
Roy, Howard earn all-conference honors
Brooke Roy became the first athlete in CSUMB’s short track and field history to earn a top-two finish at the California Collegiate Athletic Association championships.
The distance ace earned all-conference honors after finishing second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, covering the race in 11 minutes, 16.85 seconds – No. 4 all-time in Otter history.
Teammate Nia Howard also earned all-conference honors after placing third in the javelin for the second straight year, unloading it 126-feet, 8-inches.
Mina Tsai took fifth in the long jump, while Taylor Yost finished sixth in the 400 low hurdles. Both were part of the Otters’ school record-setting 1,600 relay team (4:04.07).
Alexis White broke the school record in the 100 (12.13) to finish fifth, while Mackenzie Caprino was fourth in the 3,000 steeplechase, edging teammate Lisa Irvine.
Hannah Marin posted the third-fastest time in CSUMB history in the 10,000 (39.16.00), while Tsai ran a career-best 26.32 in the 200.
Coaches needed
Marina is looking for a varsity boys basketball coach for the 2022-23 school year. Apply at edjoin.org.
Salinas is looking for varsity head coaches in girls water polo, boys soccer, girls basketball and baseball for next season. Resumes should be sent to art.hunsdorfer@salinasuhsd.org.
Pacific Grove is looking for a spirit squad/cheer coach, a co-ed JV water polo coach, a girl’s golf coach, a boy’s golf coach and boy’s varsity wrestling coach. Go to https://www.pgusd.org/Departments/Human-Resources/Current-Openings/index.html
