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8 MUSD players make All-VOL 1st team
All-VOL baseball
Sierra catcher Brendan Rapisura receives the ball as Evan Jeffery plates a run for East Union in a Valley Oak League game on April 5. - photo by Wayne Thallander

Eight Manteca Unified players were named to the All-Valley Oak League first team.

Fourth-place Sierra (6-6 VOL, 12-16 overall) led the four area schools with three selections, while East Union (6-6, 11-12) and Manteca (5-7, 11-14) were each awarded two.

The top two teams in the league swept major awards. Johnny Wylie of runner-up Oakdale (9-3, 18-8) was voted MVP, and fellow Mustang Landon Nunes earned Defensive Player of the Year. League champion Central Catholic (11-1, 22-10-1) has two top award winners in Pitcher of the Year Adrian Garcia and Offensive Player of the Year Braxton Thomas.

Senior catcher Brendan Rapisura, senior infielder Santi Duarte and junior outfielder made all-league for Sierra.

A four-year varsity player, Rapisura led the Timberwolves with 11 RBIs in 12 league games. He also hit for a .333 batting average. Duarte paced them with a .389 average and 14 hits in league and was also their ace pitcher with a 3-1 record, 2.37 ERA, one save, and 29 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings. Cunial scored a team-high 13 runs and routinely made highlight plays in center field.

Senior first baseman Jacob Toste and junior infielder Dylan Lee represents East Union on the All-VOL first team. The left-handed Toste supplied much of the power near the top of the Lancers’ order, slugging three home runs and 11 RBIs in league. His 11 runs scored and 10 stolen bases are also team-highs. He hit .281 and totaled six jacks for the season. Three-sport star Lee registered a .333 average and emerged as a key piece to the pitching staff with a 1.34 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings that were spread across six league appearances.

Manteca’s first-team selections are junior infielder Alex Murrietta and sophomore outfielder Rex Watson. Murietta hit .324 with a home run and nine RBIs. Watson had a .421 average with 16 hits.

Weston Ranch senior pitcher Dustin Tinsley rounds out area players on the all-league team. Tinsley went 0-4 in five league starts but was able to keep his team in games, finishing with a 2.80 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 25 innings. Younger brother Ayden, a sophomore utility player, was picked for the all-league second team.

This was the last season in the VOL for the Cougars (1-11, 7-20), who will begin play in the San Joaquin Athletic Association next school year.

Dallas Baptist-bound Manteca pitcher Zach Todd (.391; 1-3, 1.27 ERA, 39 Ks) is among the notable All-VOL second-team selections from the area. Fellow MHS grads Emiliano Cruz (.345, five extra-base hits) and Dylan DePrater (4-0, 1.58 ERA, 23 Ks) also made the second team.

Senior infielder/pitcher Evan Jeffery (.357, four doubles; 3-1, 2.19 ERA, 26 Ks) highlights East Union’s three second-team selections, which include sophomore pitcher Zach Grabowski (3-1, 1.22 ERA, 30 Ks) and junior infielder A.J. Vasquez (.286).

Sierra’s second-team players are junior outfielder Mitch Van Zwaluwenburg (.324, nine runs) and junior pitcher Tyler Looney (.355; 2-2, 1.81 ERA, 16 Ks). Sophomore Angel Valdez earned honorable mention.