Owls Stack All-Conference Honors, Set to Host 3C2A Southern California Regionals
Nine Citrus College Baseball athletes earned All-Western State Conference South honors following the Owls' first 30-win season in over 20 years.
Leading the way, sophomore first baseman Cam Casado was named WSC South Position Player of the Year and earned First Team All-Conference honors. He was joined on the First Team by sophomore shortstop Derek Almeda, who also earned Gold Glove honors; sophomore outfielder Jordan Daniels; freshman utility player Jackson Gray; sophomore catcher/right-handed pitcher Garrett Patterson; and sophomore pitcher Conner Luetto. Freshman infielder Nick Velazquez and sophomore pitcher Tim Hudson each earned Second Team All-Conference recognition, while Dominic Torrez earned Gold Glove honors.
Casado, a sophomore first baseman from Bishop Amat, led Citrus with a .437 batting average (second in the conference), 11 home runs (second), and 49 RBIs (fifth). He finished the regular season with 55 hits, 35 runs, 14 doubles, 12 walks, and nine stolen bases. Defensively, he recorded 229 putouts and nine assists while participating in 17 double plays and posting a .996 fielding percentage. Casado became the first Citrus player to earn Conference Player of the Year honors since 2012.
Almeda, a sophomore infielder from Rancho Cucamonga, appeared in all 40 games, batting .359 with a team-high 60 hits in 167 at-bats. He scored 48 runs with 17 doubles, two triples, two home runs, and 34 RBIs, along with 10 stolen bases. He posted a .426 on-base percentage and a .521 slugging percentage. Defensively, Almeda earned Gold Glove recognition with 50 putouts and 93 assists while turning 13 double plays.
Daniels, a sophomore outfielder from Ramona, hit .380 in 39 games with 49 hits in 129 at-bats. He scored 40 runs, added 11 doubles and eight home runs, and drove in 42 RBIs. He also drew 21 walks and stole nine bases, finishing with a .500 on-base percentage and a .651 slugging percentage.
Gray, a freshman utility player from Chino Hills, appeared in 30 games and batted .358 with 34 hits in 95 at-bats. He scored 19 runs with three doubles and three home runs, driving in 23 RBIs. He also added eight walks and one stolen base, finishing with a .415 on-base percentage and a .484 slugging percentage.
Patterson, a sophomore catcher/right-handed pitcher from Bonita, hit .397 in 37 games with 31 hits in 78 at-bats. He scored 16 runs with seven doubles, one triple, and two home runs while driving in 22 RBIs. He also drew 10 walks and stole six bases, finishing with a .473 on-base percentage and a .590 slugging percentage. On the mound, he made nine appearances with three starts, finishing 4–1 with a 1.93 ERA over 28.0 innings. He allowed 27 hits, six earned runs, five walks, and 18 strikeouts, posting a 1.14 WHIP. Defensively, Patterson earned Gold Glove honors at catcher with 208 putouts, 26 assists, 13 runners caught stealing, and a .987 fielding percentage.
Luetto, a sophomore pitcher from Orange Lutheran, started 12 games and went 5–1 with a 3.99 ERA over 70.0 innings pitched. He allowed 63 hits and 31 earned runs while issuing 14 walks and striking out 80 batters. He posted a 1.10 WHIP and a 10.29 K/9.
Velazquez, a freshman infielder from Arlington High School in Riverside, hit .295 with 33 hits in 112 at-bats. He scored 39 runs with eight doubles, two triples, and five home runs while driving in 18 RBIs. He also drew 26 walks and stole 13 bases, finishing with a .448 on-base percentage and a .536 slugging percentage. Defensively, he recorded 48 putouts and 74 assists while turning 13 double plays, primarily at second base.
Torrez, a sophomore infielder from Citrus Hill High School, was a defensive standout at third base, recording 26 putouts and 74 assists with a .980 fielding percentage while participating in seven double plays. He earned Gold Glove honors.
Hudson, a sophomore pitcher from Kerr-Vance Academy in Henderson, North Carolina, appeared in 11 games with 10 starts, finishing 7–1 with a 3.73 ERA over 50.2 innings. He allowed 41 hits and 21 earned runs while issuing 19 walks and striking out 50 batters. He posted a 1.18 WHIP with 8.88 strikeouts per nine innings.
Citrus College Baseball will host the 2026 3C2A Baseball Southern California Regionals this weekend, welcoming Pasadena City College and Cypress College to campus. The three-team, double-elimination tournament begins Friday, May 1, with Pasadena City College and Cypress College meeting at 11 a.m. Citrus will play later that day at 3 p.m. against the loser of Game 1. Tickets are required for each day of competition (one ticket per day) and can be purchased through the below link.