LLHS baseball, softball players named All-State first team
Three Los Lunas Tigers secured coveted spots on the 5A All-State Baseball first team, while LLHS had two first team selections in softball.
For the Los Lunas baseball squad, Matthew Castillo, a recent LLHS graduate and the District 5-5A Player of the Year, was selected by the New Mexico High School Coaches Association as a pitcher.
Jasiah Byers, a rising senior, is on the first team as an infielder after leading LLHS in RBI. JJ Utash is one of the outfielders, helping the Tigers (19-11) reach the semifinals of the 5A State Championship. Utash batted .526 during his sophomore campaign.
In 4A, three Belen Eagles (19-10) received honorable mention accolades; Damian Avila and Logan Gonzalez in the infield, and Jesse Aragon as an outfielder. Avila and Aragon are recent graduates, while Gonzalez will enter his final season at BHS.
In softball, Natalie Madrid, first base, and Kelsie DeGraaf, outfield, represent Los Lunas (18-7) on the 5A first team. During their junior seasons for the Tigers, DeGraff batted .500 and Madrid led LLHS in RBI.
Eastern New Mexico University-bound Lorissa Scott of Belen, the District 5-4A Player of the Year, was voted to the 4A second team as an infielder. Scott blasted nine home runs and was the Eagles top pitcher with 12 victories.