Jun. 2—Time to present the Journal's final All-Metro teams, selections for the 2024 season in baseball and softball.
Baseball
Junior Braiden Reynolds not only won 10 games for the Class 5A state champion Bears, he also broke New Mexico's state record for RBIs, with 69 (in 30 games) in La Cueva's title season.
He could have been first team at pitcher or first base; he was 10-1 with a 2.17 ERA, but he also batted .551 with nine home runs, and consistently produced multi-RBI games for La Cueva, especially down the stretch in some of the most important games of the season.
He is this year's first-team, first baseman. In fact, in a first, the entire infield is comprised of players from the same team.
La Cueva also has first-team choices at second base in junior Reid Jacobson (.437, 14 doubles, 32 runs, 39 RBIs), at third base in senior Gehrig Pineda (.484, 11 doubles, 49 runs, and not a single strikeout) and at shortstop in slick-fielding senior Ramon Martinez (.467, 51 runs, 27 RBIs).
Senior Jaden Davis from Cleveland, who is signed to play for New Mexico State, and Eldorado senior Johnny Kerze, one of just two pitchers in the state who beat La Cueva, are the first-team selections on the mound this season.
Davis finished 8-1 with a 2.30 ERA and 89 strikeouts in his 61 innings of work. Kerze had a sparkling 9-0 record, and 3.72 ERA.
Albuquerque Academy senior catcher Satish Raichur capped a terrific career with the Chargers with an excellent final season. Raichur batted .564 with 13 doubles, five triples, 26 RBIs and 20 runners caught stealing. He's behind the plate on the All-Metro first team.
Nobody plays the game with more sheer joy than Rio Rancho senior center fielder Casen Savage, and the versatile Rio Rancho Ram anchors the first-team outfield after a season in which he hit .484, had 45 hits (seven of them home runs), plus 41 runs and only three strikeouts, not to mention that Savage was generally considered to be the top defensive player in the metro area at ANY position. He had eight outfield assists.
Joining Savage in the outfield is Rio Grande senior Jose Martinez (.500, 46 hits, 17 doubles, 40 RBIs) and Cleveland sophom*ore Anthony Del Angel (.389, six doubles, six triples, six home runs, 15 stolen bases, 37 RBIs).
Christian Wilson of Belen, who had a monster season for the Eagles, the top metro-area team this year in Class 4A, is the first-team designated hitter. He batted .520 for the Eagles with 10 doubles, five home runs and 37 RBIs.
Cleveland senior Jarren Villa (.422, 43 hits, 13 doubles) is the first-team utility player.
First team
Pitcher: Jaden Davis, sr., Cleveland
Johnny Kerze, sr., Eldorado
Catcher: Satish Raichur, sr., Albuquerque Academy
First Base: Braiden Reynolds, jr., La Cueva
Second Base: Reid Jacobson, jr., La Cueva
Shortstop: Ramon Martinez, sr., La Cueva
Third Base: Gehrig Pineda, sr., La Cueva
Outfield: Casen Savage, sr., Rio Rancho
Anthony Del Angel, soph., Cleveland
Jose Martinez, sr., Rio Grande
Designated hitter: Christian Wilson, sr., Belen
Utility: Jarren Villa, sr., Cleveland
Second team
Pitcher: Matt Delaney, jr., Albuquerque Academy
Dylan Blomker, soph., La Cueva
Catcher: Brysen Soiles, sr., Belen
First Base: Nick DiGregorio, sr., Rio Rancho
Second Base: Adriel Figueroa-Brito, jr., Sandia
Shortstop: Talan Barraza, sr., Sandia
Third Base: Lucian Dixon, sr., Volcano Vista
Outfield: Dean Ellison, soph., Rio Rancho
Silas Hilton, sr., Cleveland
Hunter Martinez, sr., Volcano Vista
Designated hitter: Mark McNaney, sr., Albuquerque Academy
Utility: Lane Shrader, sr., Rio Grande
Softball
La Cueva had the metro area's most complete team, and the Bears, who were a win away from playing in the championship round, are the most heavily represented school on the first team.
There are four La Cueva first-teamers, including both pitchers — senior Hannah Hunt (13-2, 1.91 ERA, 96 Ks in 76.2 innings) and junior Lili Montoya (8-2, 2.60 ERA, 113 Ks in 64 innings).
La Cueva also has two of the three first-team outfielders in seniors Addisen Byers (.456, 10 HRs, 35 RBIs, 20 stolen bases) and Kyra Zamora (.458, 9 HRs, 33 RBIs).
Class 4A St. Pius has three worthy first-team choices, all of whom enjoyed huge offensive seasons for the Sartans.
Catcher McKayla Cable (.662, 51 hits, 16 doubles, 28 RBIs) and shortstop Gabriella Casco (.643, 53 hits, seven HRs, 43 RBIs) are both seniors for the Sartans. The third member is freshman second baseman Jordan Chavez (.536, 45 hits, 15 doubles, 45 RBIs).
Five other schools have a single player on the first team.
Cibola senior outfielder Amaya Castille (.517, 57 hits, 53 runs) helped the Cougars to a district championship and a a top-five seed in the 5A playoffs. Sophom*ore Liliana Villanueva from Sandia (.517, 15 HRs, 61 RBIs.
Rounding out the first team is Los Lunas sophom*ore first baseman Natalie Madrid (.571, 44 hits, 45 RBIs, 16 doubles), Albuquerque High's Natalia Padilla (.573, 10 HRs, 50 RBIs, 49 runs), who is the designated player/hitter, and Rio Rancho sophom*ore Lilyrose Larrabee, who batted .571 with 11 homers and 42 RBIs, plus 48 hits. She is first-team utility.
First team
Pitcher: Hannah Hunt, sr., La Cueva
Lili Montoya, jr., La Cueva
Catcher: McKayla Cable, sr. St. Pius
First Base: Natalie Madrid, soph., Los Lunas
Second Base: Jordan Chavez, fresh., St. Pius
Third Base: Liliana Villanueva, soph., Sandia
Shortstop: Gabriella Casco, sr., St. Pius
Outfield: Addisen Byers, sr., La Cueva
Amaya Castille, sr., Cibola
Kyra Zamora, sr., La Cueva
Designated hitter/player: Natalia Padilla, sr., Albuquerque High
Utility: Lilyrose Larrabee, soph.., Rio Rancho
Second team
Pitcher: Autumn Arriola, sr., Bernalillo
Raquel Waldrop, soph., Albuquerque High
Catcher: Annika Stanley, soph., Albuquerque High
First Base: Layla King, sr., Cleveland
Second Base: Toni Lucero, sr., La Cueva
Third Base: Alissa Ahmed, sr., Sandia
Shortstop: Sixx Arnold, sr., Volcano Vista
Outfield: Zoe Mangrum, soph., Hope Christian
Gaby Moncada, soph., Cibola
Delysia Valdez, soph., Rio Rancho
Designated hitter/player: Zeyda Olvera, sr., Cibola
Utility: Maci Melvin, soph., Cibola
