The Gilroy baseball team took another step forward in 2026. The Mustangs recorded a strong 14-10 overall record and a solid 6-8 league mark, finishing fifth in an eight-team league. That marked an improvement after records of 12-15 and 7-20 the previous two seasons.
Gilroy was led offensively by three big hitters. Evan Passama hit .470 with four triples, scoring 25 runs and knocking in twenty-three. Jayson Quezada hit .406 with 26 runs scored and a team-leading 12 steals. Brennan Neander was at .400, with 19 runs and 15 RBIs.
On the mound, the trio of Mitch Friebel, Levi Guel and Andrew Gamboa shined. Friebel tossed 50 innings with an ERA of 3.78. Guel threw 41 frames and his ERA was 3.41. Gamboa was at 2.27 in 28.1 innings. Friebel and Guel are sophomores, with Gamboa a junior.
Gilroy notched eight non-league wins and the offense hummed. Gilroy scored 10 or more in five of the eight and seven or more runs in all but one. They demolished Hill 17-3, ripped Mt. Pleasant 7-1, bashed North Monterey County 12-2, outscored Lynbrook 17-14 and dumped Pioneer 7-2.
Later in the year, they shut down North Salinas 10-0, wiped out Pacific Grove 12-4 and beat Everett Alvarez 4-1.
In Blossom Valley Athletic League, Santa Teresa Division play, Gilroy showed they can play with anybody. They edged Oak Grove 10-9, topped league champ Live Oak 3-1, beat Prospect 9-5 in nine innings and 7-1 and swept Evergreen Valley 8-1 and 17-14.
Individual highlights were many. Quezada had three hits against Lynbrook and Lincoln and four hits versus Oak Grove. Neander had three hits with three RBIs against Lynbrook and four hits against EV.
Passama knocked in three runs in the Lynbrook and NMC games and had two RBIs in the landmark 3-1 upset of Live Oak.
Friebel tossed a five-hit complete game masterpiece in the 8-1 win over Everett Alvarez, with the only tally being an unearned run. Gamboa threw 6.1 innings to beat powerful Live Oak, yielding just five hits and one run.
Friebel had a complete game six-hitter in the 7-2 win over Pioneer. Guel pitched four innings and Gamboa three in the 7-1 win over Mt. Pleasant, a combination one-hitter with only an unearned run given up. Lightly-used Ryan Smith had the highlight game of the year with a five-inning run-rule no-hitter against North Salinas.
Softball team rebuilds
After two very strong years, graduations hit the Gilroy softball program and the team was in rebuilding mode in 2026 with a very young crew. After league records of 14-2 and 11-3, the Mustangs were back in the pack with a 4-10 mark.
The fierce BVAL Mt. Hamilton Division is loaded with powerhouse teams and there is no breather.
Overall, they were 7-17. Nonetheless, Gilroy showed progress and had some big wins and competitive losses. Additionally, the young players showed promise.
“This season has been a journey for us,” Mustang pitcher Brooklyn Puthoff said. “We are a very young team. We’re going to build up. I’m excited to see our growth.”
For the season, Christy Haro was the top Mustang at the plate, hitting .438 with three homers, 18 runs scored and nine RBIs. Dayanara Jaimes hit .303 and Averi Peters had 12 RBIs.
On the mound, the Mustangs were led by Olive Burke and Puthoff, both of whom are freshmen. Burke threw 85.1 innings with a 4.18 ERA. Puthoff tossed 52 innings with a 4.44 ERA.
“The future is really bright at this school,” coach Tom Barrera said. “We have six freshmen on varsity, one sophomore, two juniors and three seniors. They’re in an ‘A League’ (BVAL Mt. Hamilton Division). They’re young and once they get a feel for what it’s like in the ‘A Division,’ they’ll bounce back. Going forward, it’s very positive.”
The Mustangs beat James Logan 13-5 in pre-season, as Haro and Peters each had two hits.
They defeated neighbor Christopher 4-0 in the Sarah Villar Memorial game.
They also topped Presentation 5-3, a West Catholic Athletic League team that had an overall mark of 11-12. In that contest, Jaimes, Emma Mendez and Kendall Oakes each went 2-for-2 and Haro had three hits.
In league play, they beat Westmont 5-4, as Haro had a triple and a homer. Peters, Puthoff, Jaimes and Ariel Gustamantes each had two hits.
Gilroy also had three victories over teams higher in the standings. The Mustangs beat Sobrato 10-4 as Burke had three hits and three RBIs. Mendez, Haro and Peters each had two hits. Later, they beat the Bulldogs again, this time by 8-4.
Mendez and Haro each had two hits and Peters knocked in three runs. The Mustangs also handled Santa Teresa 8-5. Peters, Burke and Lalita Solis each had two hits, with Solis’ day including a home run.
The spirit remained high during the season and the younger players provided excitement and promise for the future.
