Historical.
That’s a fitting word to describe Central Valley Christian’s 2026 high school baseball season.
The ninth-seeded Cavaliers made school history on May 29 at Visalia Rawhide’s Valley Strong Ballpark, beating No. 7 Justin Garza 12-2 in a mercy-rule five-inning game to win the 2026 Central Section Division III championship.
It was the private school’s first section championship in baseball, and the first for a Visalia high school in nearly a decade. The last time a Visalia team won a section baseball title came in 2017 when Mt. Whitney defeated Redwood 2-1 with future MLB draft pick Holden Powell starting on the mound.
CVC’s championship run has been impressive.
The Cavaliers (19-13) concluded the regular season on a four-game losing streak, but found their stride in the playoffs, beating Mt. Whitney, Kingsburg, Edison and Garza, all on the road.
“There was never a doubt with this group,” CVC coach Caleb Flores said. “We knew who we had. They’ve put in so much work. At no point this year did I think they were done playing baseball. They wanted to keep playing. We’ve been out of school for two weeks, and it’s a tough thing to do, to stay locked in, to stay focused, but this group of guys are all in. They’re an hour early before practice. They’re staying an hour late after practice to hang out with each other because they just genuinely love being around each other.”
CVC started fast.
Nathan Pursell got the offense going early, drawing a walk on the Cavaliers’ second plate appearance.
Then Macade Atkins, who entered the championship showdown with a .700 batting average, five runs, three homers, and 10 RBIs in three playoff games, smacked an RBI double to left center as the Cavaliers struck first for the 1-0 lead.
CVC led 3-0 after the first stanza.
The Cavaliers’ offense exploded in the third frame.
CVC scored six runs on six hits, including a pair of doubles and a triple, and stretched its advantage to 9-1.
In that inning, Brayden Turner hit a two-run double, and Josh Hilvers also belted an RBI double. Owen Caudle’s two-run triple gave the Cavaliers an eight-run edge.
CVC starting pitcher Jenzten Dunn got the win on the mound, throwing five strikeouts in five innings.
Dunn also went 2-for-4 at the plate, driving in two runs.
Hilvers led the team with a career-high four RBIs and finished with a single and double. Turner and Caudle both had two RBIs. Atkins and Brody Pimental also each drove in a run.
The Cavaliers erupted for 13 total hits.
“It makes my job so easy when these guys are hitting the ball as well as they did tonight,” Flores said. “Their approach was phenomenal, spraying the ball to all parts of the field, staying within themselves. That was really special to see. Seeing guys whose numbers haven’t been called step up in the biggest games of their lives. That just speaks volumes about this team.”
Garza had an opportunity to put a halt to the 10-run mercy rule in the bottom of the fifth inning, loading the bases with only one out, but Dunn had other plans.
Dunn pitched back-to-back strikeouts to seal CVC’s section championship in front of a pro-heavy Cavaliers crowd.
After Dunn’s fourth strikeout, the CVC faithful erupted in a “CVC! CVC! CVC!” chant.
Dunn gave up just four hits in a complete five-inning game.
“It was crazy,” Dunn said. “I’ve never played in a stadium like this, and I’m never going to again, but it definitely was a crazy moment. I didn’t have my best stuff tonight, but my team pulled through, and we hit the ball like crazy tonight. It was really good.
“I’m just thankful for this team, and the camaraderie that we have, and it’s only because of the Lord. He’s our rock. He’s our strength, and he’s why we got this victory.”
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Central Valley Christian baseball claims first ever section championship
Reporting by Vongni Yang, Visalia Times-Delta / Visalia Times-Delta
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
