San Gabriel Valley All-Area baseball team, player of the year
The All-Area baseball team selections from the San Gabriel Valley, Pasadena and Whittier areas.
SAN GABRIEL VALLEY ALL-AREA BASEBALL 2026
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Logan Schmidt, Ganesha, Senior
Ganesha's Logan Schmidt had never played high school baseball before this season and he put together one of the best seasons in San Gabriel Valley history.
Schmidt, an LSU commit who previously was home schooled, was arguably the top high school pitcher in California. He was also an outstanding hitter, giving off Shohei Ohtani-type vibes.
Schmidt is projected to be selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft in July. ESPN's most recent mock draft has him going 25th overall.
Schmidt was the leader on a loaded Giants roster that won the team's second consecutive CIF Southern Section championship. Ganesha defeated Loyola, 6-3, to win the Division 2 title, a year after winning the Division 4 championship. It was the Giants' third title in four seasons. They finished the season 26-3-1.
Schmidt's final stat line was incredible.
On the mound, the 6-foot-4 left-hander with a mid-90s fastball was 10-0 with a 0.12 ERA. He had 103 strikeouts in 60 innings. He allowed only 15 hits all season and gave up just one earned run. He earned his first save by pitching the final inning against Loyola to close out the CIF-SS championship game.
Schmidt was just as remarkable with a bat in his hands. He batted .568 with 34 RBIs, five home runs, 12 doubles, three triples and 30 runs scored.
He delivered something special in every round of the playoffs too by throwing 15 shutout innings with some timely at-bats
In Ganesha's 2-1 victory in eight innings over Linfield Christian in the first round, Schmidt threw seven shutout innings, then belted a two-run home run in the eighth.
In the Giants' second-round victory over South Hills, 5-2, Schmidt had two hits and drove in four of their five runs.
Schmidt took the mound again in the quarterfinals against Elsinore. He struck out 14 and allowed three hits in a 4-0 victory. He was 3 for 3 at the plate.
In the semifinals, Ganesha trailed Newport Harbor 1-0 going to the bottom of the seventh inning. Schmidt got a rally started with a leadoff hit, his third of the game, and the Giants went on to pull out a 2-1 victory.
PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Joe Bell, La Cañada, Junior
La Cañada junior Joe Bell had a special season while helping his team win the Rio Hondo League title. Bell finished 11-2 with a 1.71 ERA. He threw a no-hitter with eight strikeouts against a strong St. Francis lineup in a 4-0 victory. He threw a shutout in a 6-0 win over San Marino and pitched in both victories against Monrovia in the final week of league play to help the Spartans win the league title. At the plate, he batted .364 with 16 RBIs, five doubles and two home runs.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Chris Cardenas, La Salle, Senior
La Salle catcher Chris Cardenas, a UC Riverside commit, put together an incredible season. Cardenas batted .511 with 25 RBIs, 12 doubles and five home runs. He is one of the SGV's top prospects. Cardenas had eight games with three hits or more. He usually had his best games against the toughest opponents. In an 11-1 win over Bishop Amat, Cardenas was 4 for 4 with three RBIs and a triple.
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Blake Barberena, La Mirada, Freshman
La Mirada freshman third baseman Blake Barberena was one of the top hitters on a loaded squad that played a challenging schedule. The Matadores won the Gateway League title and reached the quarterfinals of the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs. The Mats came up a game short of reaching the CIF SoCal Division I Regional championship game. Barberena was a key part of it all, batting. 333, which was second best on the team. He also had 19 RBIs and a team-best 11 doubles.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Jerry Lewallen, Glendora
Glendora's Jerry Lewallen is the SGV coach of the year for the second year in a row. Glendora closed the season with eight straight victories in the playoffs and two championships. The Tartans had come-from-behind victories in both finals. In the CIF-SS Division 4 final, Glendora defeated Laguna Beach, 3-2, in nine innings with a walk-off hit from Santiago Garza. It was the Tartans' second straight section title. The Tartans also won their first CIF SoCal Regional title by scoring five runs in the sixth inning for a 7-3 victory over Kaiser in the Division III final.
FIRST TEAM
Pitcher: Julian Pardinas, La Mirada, So.
Pitcher: Christian Santoyo, South Hills Jr.
Pitcher: James Quesenbery, Monrovia, Sr.
Pitcher: Robbie Blaine, Sonora, Sr.
Utility: Jacob Vargas, Los Altos, Sr.
Utility: Donovan Johnson, Covina, Sr.
Utility: Damian Catano, Arcadia, Sr.
Utility: Sebastian Lawrence, Glendora, So.
Infielder: Troy Grise, Monrovia, Sr.
Infielder: Michael Burgueno, La Mirada, Jr.
Infielder: Carson Baker, South Hills, Sr.
Infielder: Frankie Robles, Charter Oak, Jr.
Infielder: Ford Stoen, Ganesha, Sr.
Infielder: Ray Castro, Bishop Amat, Jr.
Infielder: Jordan Vogel, Arcadia, Jr.
Infielder: Trevor Rivas, Maranatha, Sr.
Outfielder: Tanner Grable, Glendora, Sr.
Outfielder: Drew Ward, La Salle, Sr.
Outfielder: Kaleb Derosier, Maranatha, Sr.
Outfielder: Joaquin Ortiz, Bishop Amat, So.
Catcher: Yahir Treto, Maranatha, Jr.
Catcher: Dyson Grant, Ganesha, Sr.
SECOND TEAM
Pitcher: Kaden Corns, La Mirada, Sr.
Pitcher: Diego Ortiz, Los Altos, Sr.
Pitcher: Caysen Sullivan, St. Francis, Sr.
Pitcher: Niko Armendariz, La Salle, Sr.
Utility: Eleazar Santillan, San Dimas, Sr.
Utility: Matt Manzo, Arcadia, Sr.
Utility: Fernando Cruz, Montebello, Sr.
Utility: Gabriel Canchola, South El Monte, Sr.
Utility: Alex Aparicio, El Rancho, Sr.
Infielder: Daniel Izaguirre, St. Francis, Sr.
Infielder: Elius Kelly, Damien, Sr.
Infielder: Diego Villarreal, South Hills, Jr.
Infielder: Charlie Danenhauer, San Marino, Sr.
Infielder: Santiago Ramirez, Bishop Amat, Sr.
Infielder: Martin Luna III, Charter Oak, Sr.
Infielder: John Seader, Glendora, Sr.
Outfielder: Marc Hernandez, Alhambra, Sr.
Outfielder: Kahlil Rishwain, Muir, Sr.
Outfielder: Luke Martinez, California, Jr.
Outfielder: Lucas Thorpe, Covina, Sr.
Catcher: Braydon Blackmore, Monrovia, Jr.
Catcher: Nathan Barrera, Los Altos, Sr.
HONORABLE MENTION
Pitcher: Joey Armano, Schurr, Sr.
Pitcher: Dylan Nunez, Walnut, Jr.
Pitcher: Marc Morales, South Hills, Sr.
Pitcher: Colin Wildeman, San Marino, Sr.
Pitcher: Isaac Flores, Covina, Sr.
Pitcher: Jayden Morales, Maranatha, Jr.
Pitcher: Noah Navarro, Alhambra, Sr.
Utility: Noah Fonseca, Arroyo, Sr.
Utility: Ryan Molinar, Mountain View, Sr.
Utility: Noah Ramirez, Edgewood, Sr.
Utility: Danny Quesada, Azusa, Sr.
Utility: Josh Calcanas, San Dimas, So.
Utility: Ross Piken, La Canada, Jr.
Utility: Joaquin Covarrubias, Bonita, Jr.
Utility: Carlos Cruz, Nogales, Sr.
Infielder: Sean Compton, Bonita, Jr.
Infielder: Ezekiel Rodriguez, Muir, Sr.
Infielder: Gibson Laracuente, La Serna, Sr.
Infielder: Adam Lenero, Walnut, Sr.
Infielder: Manny Arana, Schurr, Jr.
Infielder: AJ Guzman, Charter Oak, Sr.
Infielder: Ian Aguayo, La Mirada, Sr.
Infielder: Esteban Lopez, El Rancho, Sr.
Outfielder: Adrian Dominguez, La Serna, Sr.
Outfielder: Elijah Lain, Marshall, Sr.
Outfielder: Adam Vitela, California, Jr.
Outfielder: Chase Mena, San Marino, Jr.
Catcher: Michael Mendoza, Northview, Sr.
Catcher: Joaquin Mendez, Bonita, So.
Catcher: Parker Wilson, San Marino, Jr.
Catcher: Justin Torres, La Mirada, Sr.
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