Soquel two-way star Jake Escalante repeats as Player of the Year | All-SCCAL baseball

Soquel High two-way baseball star Jake Escalante posted even better numbers this season than he did a year ago, when he was voted the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League's Player of the Year.

When it came time for league coaches to select the recipient of the league's top postseason honor in 2026, there was no discussion. It was a no-brainer. The Cal State Fullerton commit, a left-handed pitcher and slick fielding outfielder, was the unanimous winner.

"The number speak for themselves," Knights coach T.J. Moran said. "Everyone knew how dominant he was. On top of that, how competitive he is. His competitiveness is second to none of any kid I've seen before. He's just a special player."

Two other talents on the mound, Harbor senior right-hander Joey Raffo and Soquel junior left-hander Luke Shoemaker, were named Co-Pitchers of the Year.

Moran, who guided the Knights to a second straight SCCAL title, victories over a pair of West Catholic Athletic League foes in the first two rounds of the Central Coast Section Division I playoffs, and the program's first berth into the CIF NorCal Regionals, repeated as Coach of the Year.

The Knights (23-6 overall, 13-2 league), who sparked "best county baseball team ever" conversations, were rewarded handsomely for their stellar play during all-league voting. In addition to Esclante and Shoemaker receiving special honors, the Knights had a whopping total of six players receive first-team recognition.

Escalante's competitive nature was on full display in the NorCal Regionals. One game after he suffered an arm injury that forced his early exit from the CCS D-I championship game, he returned as a designated hitter against Elk Grove and shined in the Knights' walk-off loss.

Escalante, a draw for MLB scouts each time he took the mound, posted a 10-1 record with a 1.35 ERA over 57 innings. He gave up 27 hits, 21 walks, 13 runs, 11 of which were earned, and struck out 91 batters, many of which he emphatically celebrated.

On offense, the leadoff hitter batted .396 (38 for 96) with 14 extra-base hits, including a team-high four home runs. He posted a .473 on-base percentage and 1.119 on-base plus slugging percentage.

Escalante drove in 37 runs to share the team lead with Fresno State committed shortstop Hudson Summerrill, scored 34 runs, and stole 12 bases. He drew 11 walks and struck out 11 times.

"He's almost like a generational player you'll see from the area," Moran said.

Asked which he enjoyed watching most, Escalante's pitching, hitting, or defense, Moran offered, "It's a tie. … Honestly, his pitching was fun to watch."

So was his defense. "He reads it so well," Moran said. "He makes hard plays look routine. When you put him out there, you kinda expect him to get everything. And, he kinda does."

Raffo and Shoemaker, both committed to NCAA D-I programs, were also worth the price of admission.

Raffo, a UC Davis commit, was an overnight success story after he benefitted from a productive offseason, improving his arm strength and mechanics.

He threw less than seven innings as a junior. This season, he operated on a pitch count to ease his way into an increased workload and still found a way to work deep into games and lead the Pirates to success.

"He's the best arm I've had in my 19 years as coach, given his consistently high velocity," Pirates coach Joseph Allegri said, "Besides strikeouts, he was the guy who had an electric arm."

Raffo entered the season armed with a fastball clocked in the low 90-92 mph range, and developed a changeup and slider as it progressed. He finished with a 6-4 record with a 2.40 ERA over 58 1/3 innings. He gave up 35 hits, 24 walks, 28 runs, 20 of which were earned, and struck out 74 batters.

"I think he learned how to pitch, not try to throw everything past everyone," Allegri said. "He pitched to force contact and keep his pitch count low."

He posted a 10-strikeout outing in six innings to lead the Pirates to a 7-2 win over Aptos on April 24.

Raffo also batted leadoff and hit .360 (31 for 86) with 14 extra-base hits to help the Pirates (19-10, 8-7) finish tied for third place in the SCCAL with Santa Cruz (18-12, 8-7).

Shoemaker, a UC Santa Barbara commit, went 6-1 with a 1.31 ERA over 48 innings. He gave up 32 hits, 20 walks, 13 runs, nine of which were earned, and struck out 73 batters.

"He was outstanding all year," Moran said. "He's a great kid. We love having him around. We love his energy. He's a super positive guy."

Shoemaker and senior right-hander Dylan Hull threw a combined shutout in a thrilling, 1-0 win over No. 1 seed Saint Francis of Mountain View in the CCS D-I semifinals.

Shoemaker is armed with a fastball that checks in at 90 mph, a changeup, and a plus curveball.

"It's sharp," said Moran, of the curve. "Kids couldn't deal with it. His spin rate is out of this world. … He's not going to blow it by everybody. He challenges with his skill. He's not going to throw a fastball down the middle. He executes pitches at a high level. His stuff is pretty electric. He's got a bright future."

The Knights finished with a .355 batting average and average 8.9 runs per game. Their pitching staff posted a 2.12 ERA with eight shutouts.

They had two other pitchers receive first-team honors: Senior right-hander Connor Corlett, who is committed to Whitman University, and Hull, who was brilliant in the playoffs with 10 1/3 scoreless innings.

Knights senior catcher Cash Moran, a third-year varsity player who called all the pitches for a second straight season, also made the first team. So did Summerrill, an offensive juggernaut, senior outfielder Brady Downs, and senior utility player Trey Sousa.

Aptos junior two-way talent Cole McGillicuddy, a Cal commit, was a first team selection in the infield. He batted .500 (33 for 66) with 17 extra-base hits and went 4-2 on the mound to help the Mariners (14-9, 9-6) take second place in league and advance to the CCS D-III semifinals.

Harbor senior Noah Solano, who smacked a school record six home runs, and Scotts Valley junior Rex Thompson were also infield honorees.

Other outfielders on the first team were Santa Cruz senior Cam Fusari, who helped the Cardinals win the CCS D-IV title and advance to NorCal Regional action for the first time, and Harbor sophomore Pierre Bell.

2026 ALL-SCCAL BASEBALL

SPECIAL HONORS

Player of the Year: Jake Escalante (Soquel), Sr.

Co-Pitchers of the Year: Joey Raffo (Harbor), Sr., RHP; and Luke Shoemaker (Soquel), Jr., LHP

Coach of the Year: T.J. Moran (Soquel)

FIRST TEAM

Catcher: Cash Moran (Soquel), Sr.

Pitchers: Connor Corlett (Soquel), Sr., RHP; Dylan Hull (Soquel), Sr., RHP

Infielders: Hudson Summerrill (Soquel), Sr.; Noah Solano (Harbor), Sr.; Cole McGillicuddy (Aptos), Jr.; Rex Thompson (Scotts Valley), Jr.

Outfielders: Pierre Bell (Harbor), So.; Cam Fusari (Santa Cruz), Sr.; Brady Downs (Soquel), Sr.

Utility/DH: Trey Sousa (Soquel), Sr.

SECOND TEAM

Catcher: Matteo Caltabiano (Santa Cruz), Sr.

Pitchers: Adam Fowler (Santa Cruz), So., RHP; Elliott Smith (Scotts Valley), So., RHP

Infielders: Luke Santee (Soquel), Jr.; Finn Cormier (Aptos), Jr.; Bryce McDonnell (Scotts Valley), Jr.; Brody Egner (SLV), Sr.

Outfielders: Sam Whelan (Soquel), Sr.; Larrabee Mitchell (SLV), Jr.; Caleb Cmaylo (Santa Cruz), Sr.

HONORABLE MENTION

Merrick Smith, Fr., Merrick DaCosta, Fr. (Santa Cruz); Logan Felich, Jr., Evan Lampel, Fr. (Harbor); Monte Jordan, Jr., Dash Baker, Jr. (Scotts Valley); Anthony Skinner, So., Scotty Miller, Jr., (Soquel); Liam Fields-Rapley, So., Spencer Bruce (SLV); Damien Espinoza, So., Alec Mendoza, Jr. (Aptos)

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.