Preseason Preview: San Joaquin Memorial Panthers

TEAM:

San Joaquin Memorial Panthers

HEAD COACH (years at school):

J.D. Salles (5)

OFFICIAL TWITTER:

@SJMhardball

CIF SECTION & DIVISION:

Central Section / Division 1

CONFERENCE/LEAGUE NAME:

CMAC

LAST YEAR’S RECORD:

8-1

# OF RETURNING STARTERS:

5

# OF RETURNING PITCHERS:

2

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS:

2021 MIF Eddie Saldivar - Long Beach St

2021 OF/C/RHP Tanner Sagouspe - Cal Poly

2021 RHP Josh Castro

2022 OF/RHP Giovanni Blanchette - St. Mary's

2022 MIF Michael Bell

2022 RHP/C Bryce Padilla

2022 RHP/3B Colby Evans

2022 LHP/1B Michael Monreal

2022 INF Seth Gonzalez

THE FUTURE:

2024 RHP Max Mendes

SEASON OUTLOOK: 

After a red-hot start to 2020, the Panthers of San Joaquin Memorial are looking to carry that momentum into 2021 bringing back 5 starters and 2 arms from last year’s team. The core group of returners has had lots of experiences at the Varsity level and with that experiences, great success as well. Coach Salles has high expectations for his team in 2021 with a belief that they’ll be one of the best teams come the end of the season. The pitching staff will be the backbone for this year’s Panthers as they return some leaders on the mound and guys who have pitched in big games previously. Their offense will be led by two four-year varsity players who will sit in the middle of the lineup and look to continue their punishment of the baseball during this season. One of Coach Salles’s biggest questions for this season will be at the INF Corners where he’s going to have two up-and-coming players ready to step in and learn on the job. In a tough CMAC conference, the Panthers will be tested, but they’re ready to show that once again they’re one of the best teams in the Central Section this season.