The Hughson High varsity baseball team put up a 50-burger this week.
En route to sweeping Orestimba and staging a come-from-behind win against Ripon in a rain-delayed game from earlier in the year, the Huskies outscored their opponents 50-5 to remain in the driver’s seat of the Trans-Valley League standings. They improved to 6-0 against conference opponents and to 14-2 overall.
Leading the charge this week was junior Lawson Aviles, who blasted a pair of home runs and drove in 13 runners. He now has a team-high five home runs, passing senior teammate Beau Blake’s four.
After beginning the week’s slate of games on Wednesday with an 18-0 win against the Warriors in which he had a single, a triple and drove in four, Aviles then played the ultimate hero against Ripon on Thursday, delivering a game-tying grand slam to propel an 8-run fifth inning.
Friday was similarly ugly for Orestimba, as the Huskies tagged their pitching for 23 runs in four innings, while the Warriors mustered just two hits. Aviles, batting with the bases loaded again with a 5-0 lead, lifted a fly ball into the neighboring softball field in deep right field.
“That one against Ripon felt good,” said Aviles. “It feels amazing just being basically that new guy on the team, just having that impact that I can have by staying positive and just being a team player no matter what.”
Aviles moved to Hughson last year, prompting him to transfer from Pitman. A standout wide receiver in football who was a member of the Huskies’ section-winning team earlier in the school year, Aviles made his return to the diamond after a season off as he adjusted to the changes in his life.
“I felt like I needed that break mentally, but coming back, it felt like a gift from God,” said Aviles. “I needed to come back to the sport I love and all my teammates, because I was struggling my first week back, but so many people have helped me get through that little hump… I've just been seeing the success now and it feels amazing.”
One of the people Aviles credited to helping him get back to form was head coach Charly Garza, who described having the junior in the lineup as a “luxury.”
“From the moment he came out here, his athletic ability was clear. He's an athlete. He's got a quick bat, he's got quick Twitch, he's got everything you need,” Garza said. “But the one thing about Lawson that you’ve seen from the very first game to now is his mental approach. He just seems like a kid who's having a lot of fun playing baseball, and he's not so much worried about getting hits, but just more concerned with, ‘What can I do to help the team?’
“It was pretty late and he asked if there was still time to come out to join the team, and I said absolutely… I am so glad he put on a uniform and is out here.”
Aviles is now batting .353 (18-for-51) with the five home runs, a double, two triples, 17 walks, 23 RBI, eight stolen bases and 26 runs scored.
And Blake’s stats aren’t too far off.
In the three games this week near the top of the Hughson lineup, Blake drove in five runs while coming across to score seven times. He is hitting a team-leading .562 (26-for-49), with the four homers, five doubles, 12 walks, 24 RBI and 24 runs scored.
Like Aviles, he is thankful to be active at shortstop for every game, especially after sitting out for nearly half the season last year following a transfer from Turlock Christian.
“Last year, I was ready to come in and help the team, and we had a good team, but this year, we’re the same, if not better. We have guys one-through-nine who can swing it,” Blake said. “We have a lot of guys who put in the work, a lot of guys who want it. We have fun out here. It’s a great team atmosphere. We have guys who stay after every practice putting in the work, hitting the gym, getting extra swings in the cages. A lot of hard work is going into this.”
To fend off the likes of Escalon (4-1, 10-6) and Hilmar (2-1, 10-2), Garza will rely on a deep pitching staff that includes Max Mankins, Bryce McDaniel and Benji Ocegueda.
The Huskies will host 2-11 Sonora on Wednesday before wrapping up the series on the road next Friday. Then, the gauntlet comes with two game sets against the Cougars and Yellowjackets the following two weeks.
