By Glen Rosales
Special to the SUN

When it comes to District 5-2A baseball, McCurdy has ruled the diamond since 2015.

And while the Bobcats are in a significant retooling season with only three returning players, the history of the program cannot be denied.

“We had a loaded team,” McCurdy coach Ian Maestas said of last year’s seniors. “We’re very inexperienced so we’re at the complete other end of the spectrum compared to last year. We’ve been blessed for so many years to not have this happen, but now we’re feeling the effects of it this year.”

Still, Maestas see good things from his squad, even if it hasn’t resulted in wins on the scoreboard just yet.

“The boys are jelling, starting to come together,” he said. “We’re battling and good things are starting to happen. The future is bright.”

The future is bright, but getting there may prove to be a bit of a bumpy road, which Maestas anticipated and adjusted accordingly by not stacking the Bobcats’ schedule with the usual bevy of behemoths.

“It’s not as loaded as normal because I knew where we were going,” he said. “I wasn’t blind in what I walking into this year as coach, so I did try to taper it down a bit.”

On the bright side for McCurdy, the Bobcats are returning three big bats from last season in senior leaders Ethan Bolton and Victor Sanchez-Valdez, as well as junior first baseman/pitcher Ryan Valdez.

Bolton, who will pitch, catch and play around the infield, hit .577 with five home runs, 50 runs and 33 RBI, while adding 25 steals.

“Ethan’s a competitor, a gamer,” the coach said. “He leads the way with the best intentions. He’s the type of kid when you need something, he can put the team on his back and he’s showing it early this season.”

Sanchez-Valdez, who will play most anywhere needed, hit .440 with 22 runs, 21 RBI and 12 steals.

“Victor has been a bench player for a number of years and has earned his way now,” Maestas said. “Even in positions he normally didn’t play, Victor has shown a lot of growth. His maturity and attitude is huge for the younger boys.”

And Valdez hit .508 with four homers, 39 RBI and 36 runs.

“It’s extremely important to show the younger guys the way and also help them through the growth themselves,” Maestas said of his expectations for the trio.

Some newcomers are looking strong early, as well, particularly junior Ethan Martinez, who has grabbed shortstop for his own and also has looked good on the mound.

“We’re starting to see a lot of growth in Ethan,” Maestas said. “Hopefully the production continues to rise from him.”

Senior Patrick Lovato is another newcomer, one who has never played baseball before, but is taking to it well after playing football in the fall.

Sophomore Chris Sandoval actually joined the team at mid-season last year but has won the centerfield job and he’s being flanked by eighth-grader Julian Baeza and freshman Isaac Corona.

“The game is coming at them fast and they are working very hard to settle in,” Maestas said of his squad. “I think we’re finally settling into who we are and getting these boys to know what it means to play Bobcat baseball. That means aggressive on the base paths. Get them on, get them over, get them in. And we’re starting to figure it out.”

So now it’s a matter of playing well as a team by the time district play rolls around.

“We’ve got a long road ahead of us,” Maestas said. “It’s a long season but it comes at us real fast. Hopefully the time we start district play, we have jelled and come together and ironed out most of the wrinkles. I know nothing is going to be given to us so we have to start stacking up those wins in the district season.”