Elbow soreness did not keep Dustin Hoekstra from contributing to Ripon Christian’s run to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division VII championship this spring.
The 6-foot-3 ace pitcher was still able to compete at second base and with the bat, earning the Manteca Bulletin All-Area MVP award. Lathrop hurdler Adonis Siga and tennis standouts Yok Chai Ma (boys) of Manteca and Sahaj Gill (coed) of Ripon are among the boys All-Area athletes of the year for spring sports.
Ripon Christian’s baseball team (23-8) captured a share of the Southern Athletic League championship, reached the NorCal Division V semifinals and was awarded Cal-Hi Sports Division V Team of the Year. The Knights shattered many team and individual records along the way, including Hoekstra’s miniscule 0.71 ERA. He also fired a whopping 87 strikeouts in 49 innings against 21 hits and 28 walks.
Hoekstra had some dominating efforts from the mound but became more limited late in the season because of the balky elbow, pitching just 3 1/3 innings in seven postseason contests.
He did continue to rake, however, registering the second highest batting average on the team (.430) to go with 10 doubles, a triple, 33 runs, 38 RBIs and 16 stolen bases.
Hoekstra had a hit in six of seven playoff games and drove in three runs in the pivotal second game of the best-of-three semifinal of the SJS tournament. The Knights evened the series with higher-seeded Woodland Christian with the 11-3 win and took the rubber match, 8-5. In the Section final, they routed touted pitching prospect Gavin Farinha and Turlock Christian 11-3. Hoekstra went 1 for 2 with two walks, two runs and an RBI.
Ripon Christian made its first appearance in the California Interscholastic Federation Northern Regionals, getting the No. 1 seed. The Knights defeated Firebaugh 15-7 and lost to eventual champion Lowell, 7-6.
Hoekstra racked up other postseason awards, such as the SAL MVP and a spot on the MaxPreps All-SJS Team. Only a junior this past year, the two-way workhorse will be a cornerstone for a championship club that graduated just four seniors.
Here’s the rest of the All-Area Baseball Team:
Co-Offensive Players of the Year
Grant Sonke, Ripon Christian, Jr.: The Knights’ third-year center fielder posted some gaudy numbers, most notably his program-record 55 runs scored 40 steals — ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in the SJS, respectively.
Sonke also totaled 40 RBIs, 12 doubles, two triples and four homers for a .455 average, .548 on-base percentage and .737 slugging percentage. While had had other impressive single-game performances this season, he saved one of his best for the entertaining, NorCal opener versus Firebaugh. He went 2 for 4 with a three-run homer and a bases-clearing double to highlight the Knights’ 15-7 comeback win.
Rex Watson, Manteca, Jr.: Committed to University of San Diego, Watson enjoyed another breakthrough in his third varsity campaign.
The outfielder was named Co-Offensive Player of the Year in the ultra-competitive Valley Oak League with improved numbers across the board. Watson led the Buffaloes with an area-best .494 batting average to go with 37 runs, 16 RBIs, 13 doubles, three triples and two homers. He also drew 14 walks for a .621 on-base percentage and added an .818 slugging percentage to his outstanding slash line.
Co-Utility Players of the Year
INF/P Dawson Downs, Ripon, Jr.: The Trans-Valley League MVP shined in every facet for the outright champion Indians.
Downs compiled 37 runs, 21 RBIs, nine doubles, four triples, two jacks and 11 steals while hitting for a .374 average. From the mound, the 6-4 righty had a 6-3 record with a 1.61 ERA and a save, striking out 47 in 52 1/3 innings. A versatile infielder, he finished with a career-best .929 fielding percentage.
Downs was especially dominant in league play, hitting .537 while registering a .90 ERA.
OF/IF/P Alex Murrietta, Manteca, Sr.: Murrietta played multiple positions in the infield, the outfield and was a pitching ace over his three-year varsity career for the Buffaloes.
He was voted Defensive Player of the Year in the VOL after committing just one error for a .958 fielding percentage in 15 league tilts. Overall, he had a .957 fielding percentage, two errors, 17 assists and 28 putouts in 47 chances.
Offensively, Murrietta hit .431 with 35 runs, 32 hits, eight doubles, a triple and four homers. He also pitched to a 3-3 record, 3.06 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 52 2/3 innings.
Pitcher of the Year
Eli Terpsma, Ripon Christian, Sr.: An all-around contributor for the Knights, this three-sport standout played an important role for a deep pitching staff, especially with ace Dustin Hoekstra slowed by injury in the playoffs.
Terpsma finished with a 1.60 ERA and fired 59 strikeouts in 39 1/3 innings. Whether it was as a starter or in relief, he was one of their more reliable hurlers late in the season. He was the winning pitcher of the SJS Division VII final, striking out seven while giving up just one hit over five shutout innings in long relief.
Team: C Josh Buffalow, Ripon Christian, Sr.; P Joe Brizuela, Ripon, Jr.; P/IF Tyler Looney, Sierra, Sr.; P/IF A.J. Duenez, Lathrop, Sr.; P/IF Ashton Heath, East Union, Sr.; P/IF Jasper Tovar, Lathrop, Sr.; IF/P Owen Wilbur, Ripon, Jr.; IF Landon Chamberlain, Manteca, Sr.; IF Dylan Lee, East Union, Sr.; IF Isaac Sandoval, Ripon, Jr.; IF Angel Valdez, Sierra, OF Ace Avelar, East Union, Sr.; OF Omare Cross, Lathrop, Jr.; OF Troy Morrow, Sierra, Jr.
SWIMMING
Michael Chavez, Ripon, Sr.
Chavez won four VOL races and finished as the last varsity male swimmer from the area remaining on Day 2 of the SJS Championships.
He qualified for the 100-yard consolation final of the Section meet, placing 10th in 47.81 seconds. Chavez also competed in the 100 butterfly and 200 free relay prelims.
In the league finale, he ruled the 200 free in 1 minute, 47.71 seconds and 100 fly (53.20) and was on the winning 200 medley and 400 free relays.
Team:
Bayen Ballew, Sierra, Fr.; Brody Biedermann, Ripon, So.; Owen Curtiss, Ripon, Jr.; Alan De la Garza, Lathrop, Sr.; Ben Rodgers, Ripon, So.; Nathan Selna, Ripon.
BOYS/COED TENNIS
Yok Chai Ma, Manteca, So.
A VOL and SJS doubles champion last year, Ma campaigned as a singles player for the postseason and dominated en route to the league’s singles crown.
Ma finished undefeated in dual matches, including Manteca’s first-round defeat in the SJS Division III team tournament. His only loss of the season came in the first round of the SJS Division II Individual Tournament, falling to two-time Western Athletic Conference titlist Eidan Mercado of Mountain House, 4-6, 6-4, 7-10.
The Trans-Valley League’s boys singles champion made a surprising run to third place in the SJS Individual Coed Tournament.
He lost to runner-up Ethan Krieshok of Amador but bounced back in the third-place match, coming from behind to dispatch Twelve Bridges’ Dylan Potter, 3-6, 7-5, 10-6.
Team: Brady Alves (boys), Sierra, So.; Jaden Bohn, Ripon Christian, Sr.; Drew Meester, Ripon Christian, So.; Tatum Sonke, Ripon Christian, Fr.; Peter Van der Meulen, Ripon Christian, So; Josie Bohn, Ripon Christian, Jr.; Ellie Dyt, Ripon Christian, Sr.
