Baseball is a tradition for Tulare Western High School’s Corral family.
Matthew Corral, a senior, wrapped up his final season this year.
Corral’s older brother, James, also played at Tulare Western and graduated in 2023. A pitcher and infielder, he finished his three-year varsity prep career with 65 career strikeouts, 89 hits and 54 RBIs.
Their father, James Sr., started the family’s love for baseball and also put on a Mustangs jersey.
All three Corrals won league championships and helped lead their respective squads to the semifinal round of the Central Section playoffs.
Their father was part of Tulare Western’s 2003 East Yosemite League championship team. His senior year, he fired 18 strikeouts in a win over Exeter.
And Corral’s sibling helped the Mustangs capture their first West Yosemite League title in 2023 en route to first-team All-WYL honors.
This year, Matthew Corral joined his family as a league champion, guiding Tulare Western to an outright WYL crown as the team’s ace pitcher.
Tulare Western head coach Ken Searcy got to coach all three Corrals, beginning with father Corral when he was an assistant under then-skipper Danny Costa.
Matthew Corral credited his success to his family, especially dad.
“He taught me everything I know,” Corral said. “Ever since I was young, he’s always been my coach.”
Corral put together a memorable senior season.
He got thrust into ace duties when reigning All-WYL Pitcher of the Year Will Masterson suffered an injury, which kept him away from the mound.
Corral seized the moment, though, throwing 56 strikeouts in 68 1/3 innings. That resulted in an 8-3 record — the most wins among Tulare Western pitchers, and a 2.97 ERA.
He had one of his best performances in an 11-0 shutout of Dinuba on March 25, throwing 10 strikeouts in a six-inning, mercy-rule victory. He allowed just four hits in that win and faced only 21 batters.
Corral also had a mid-season stretch where Tulare Western went undefeated when he was starting on the bump.
From March 18 to April 29, Corral won all of his starts, six consecutive wins, and totaled 35 strikeouts in 31 innings. He went the distance in three of those victories.
Corral is also a standout at the plate, finishing the season among the Mustangs’ prime hitters with a .292 batting average, 23 runs, 28 hits, and a team-high 21 RBIs.
“He’s a special player,” Searcy said. “He doesn’t pass the eye test by his size, but when he gets on the field, everybody knows who he is. He’s the hardest-working guy. He’s the little grinder. He’s scrappy. His skills and fundamentals are far above kids of his age. His plate discipline, his ability to hit the ball in the gap or drive bunt, are awesome.”
Corral’s strong senior season was the result of his commitment and dedication.
Even when he was in a slump — Corral had only one hit in his first 14 at-bats of the year — the Mustang senior kept honing his craft.
Despite Tulare Western’s 1-4 start, Corral put in the extra work to improve.
He also had help from James, his brother, who took the time to join him in the cages. James culminated his playing days at Tulare Western with a career .312 batting average.
“We came and hit in the tunnels,” Matthew Corral said. “He was working with me, helping me get my batting average up, and that’s when I started hitting the ball better.”
After those sessions, Corral went on a 10-game hitting streak. His batting average improved from .071 to .265.
During that stretch, he also had 13 RBIs and launched a pair of doubles.
“He’s always there for me,” Corral said of his brother. “He cares for me, and he just wants to see me do better.”
Tulare Western concluded the 2026 season with a 20-10-1 overall record and won at least 20 games in the same year for the first time in three years.
The Mustangs enjoyed a deep run in the Central Section Division II playoffs, too, beating San Luis Obispo 9-2 in the first round and Hanford 10-2 in the quarterfinals. In the semis, they fell 9-2 at Arroyo Grande, the eventual section champions.
Corral had a strong game in the postseason win at San Luis Obispo, throwing four strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings to pick up the win. He gave up just seven hits and two runs, one earned, to register the final pitching victory of his career. He culminated up his high school career with 92 strikeouts and 12 wins as a pitcher.
“He gets after it,” Searcy said. “He’s a really good kid. The Corral name will be missed around here.”
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Matthew Corral continues family baseball tradition at Tulare Western
Reporting by Vongni Yang, Visalia Times-Delta / Visalia Times-Delta
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
