The votes are in, and the 209 has made its choice. The April 20-25 Martin Dentistry Baseball Athlete of the Week is St. Mary’s second baseman and shortstop Ethan Silva.
In an online poll that closed Thursday, Moreno earned just under 39% of the votes with 4,843 ballots cast. Manteca catcher and pitcher Jimmy Burns placed second with 3,886 votes.
Explosive series don’t happen without production across the lineup.
Silva still found a way to stand out.
St. Mary’s swept Merrill West by a combined score of 46-4, and Silva’s bat played a major role in driving that margin.
He set the tone April 20.
In a 9-2 win, Silva went 1-for-2 with two walks and a triple, reaching base consistently and putting early pressure on the defense.
Two days later, the production jumped to another level.
In a 21-0 victory, Silva delivered one of the most eye-catching stat lines of the week — going 4-for-5 with seven RBIs and two home runs.
He closed the series the same way he started it — with impact.
In a 16-2 win on April 24, Silva went 1-for-2 with another home run, capping a three-game stretch that pushed his season numbers to a .403 batting average, a .500 on-base percentage and 25 RBIs.
That surge hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Silva’s recent play has started to draw Division I interest, with multiple West Coast programs beginning to reach out after a stretch that raised his profile.
“It feels really good to know that there’s gonna be a home for me next year,” Silva said. “A lot of West Coast schools are starting to reach out. I didn’t have a single Division I offer beforehand.”
The attention reflects more than just numbers.
“He deserves all of it and more,” coach Jason Lindholm said. “Whether it’s workouts, practice or games, he gives 120% in everything he does. It’s showing out here on the field.”
For Silva, the breakout isn’t just about one series. It’s about turning consistent effort into results — and now, into opportunity.
Here’s a look at the past winners:
Original story: Each week during the 2025 San Joaquin County high school baseball season, The Record will honor one standout player with the Martin Dentistry Baseball Athlete of the Week award.
The winner is decided by you, the readers.
The Martin Dentistry award highlights the top performances from 209-area schools. This week’s April 20-25 ballot features six nominees from Stockton, Manteca and Lodi.
Everyone is encouraged to submit nominations for the upcoming week to dackermann@gannett.com.
The poll at the bottom of this page closes at noon on Thursday, April 30. There are no voting restrictions, so vote now and vote often.
Here are the April 20-25 nominees (Athletes listed in alphabetical order by last name):
Jackson Brooks, infielder/pitcher, Stagg
Four years on varsity have shown exactly what Jackson Brooks means to Stagg.
Whatever the team asks, he handles it, and usually in a way that directly leads to winning.
In a 16-0 win over Chavez on April 22, he contributed everywhere, going 1-for-2 with two RBIs and two walks while also throwing five innings, allowing just two hits and striking out nine.
He followed that two days later in another 10-0 win over Chavez, finishing 1-for-2 with an RBI.
If that was his final regular-season high school game, the impact he left goes far beyond the stat sheet. Even so, the numbers stand out — a .373 average in 67 at-bats with 25 hits, 25 RBIs, a 2.84 ERA, 37 innings pitched and 40 strikeouts as a senior.
Jimmy Burns, catcher/pitcher, Manteca
Big moments usually need a big arm, and Jimmy Burns delivered.
City bragging rights and second place in the VOL were both on the line against East Union.
After the teams split the first two meetings, the final regular-season matchup decided everything.
Burns answered with five innings of no-hit baseball, finishing with eight strikeouts, two hits allowed and two earned runs over six innings as Manteca pulled out a 3-2 win on April 24.
He closed the regular season with 60 strikeouts, 50 innings pitched, a 2.10 ERA and seven wins, including four against top Sac-Joaquin Section teams Central Catholic, West Park, Oakdale and East Union.
Ian Cisneros, pitcher, Bear Creek
Most know Ian Cisneros for what he brings as a starter.
This week, he proved the bullpen works just as well.
In a 5-4, 10-inning win over Amador on April 20, he came in relief and gave Bear Creek 4 2/3 strong innings, allowing only one hit and striking out two.
Three days later, he returned to his usual role and handled McNair in a 4-1 win, going five innings with two hits allowed, one earned run and a career-high eight strikeouts.
A year removed from junior varsity, the junior has become the ace of the varsity staff, posting a 2.43 ERA across 54 2/3 innings with 45 strikeouts.
Jackson Fay, outfielder, East Union
Jackson Fay is signed with UC Davis to continue his athletic career.
Football is the destination, with Fay set to play wide receiver, but the way he has played this baseball season, he easily could have made that his future, too.
He opened the three-game series against Manteca with an 11-2 win on April 20, going 4-for-4 with three RBIs.
Even with East Union dropping the next two games, 14-1 and 3-2, he kept producing, finishing 2-for-3 and 1-for-3, respectively.
Despite the results, East Union has put together one of the best seasons in school history, and Fay has been a major part of it, hitting .565 in 46 at-bats with 11 RBIs and 14 stolen bases.
Ethan Silva, second baseman/shortstop, St. Mary’s
Winning a three-game series by a combined score of 46-4 usually means the entire lineup is rolling.
Still, Ethan Silva managed to separate himself.
He opened the Merrill West series on April 20 by going 1-for-2 with two walks and a triple in a 9-2 win, offering an early preview of what was coming.
Two days later, he turned in the kind of stat line that barely looks real — 4-for-5 with seven RBIs and two home runs in a 21-0 victory.
He closed the sweep with another home run in a 16-2 win on April 24, going 1-for-2 and pushing his season numbers to a .403 average, a .500 on-base percentage and 25 RBIs.
Dalton Waites, infielder, Lodi
Second place in the TCAL was on the line, and Lodi needed to win its three-game series against Lincoln.
Dalton Waites understood exactly what that meant, especially after transferring from St. Mary’s junior varsity just last year and getting a shot against a former rival.
He delivered right away, opening the series April 20 with the best varsity game of his career in a 13-8 win, going 3-for-4 with a career-high four RBIs.
Even in a 4-3 loss three days later, he stayed productive with a 2-for-4 performance. Lodi closed the series with a 7-6 win the next day, and he added a 1-for-3 game.
A hitless game in a 13-1 loss to Foothill on April 25 stood out only because it was so rare. In 15 games since becoming eligible after the transfer sitout period, he is batting .469 in 49 at-bats with 11 RBIs, and it was the first game without a hit.
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This article originally appeared on The Record: Meet the SJ County Martin Dentistry Baseball AOTW for April 20-25
Reporting by Dylan Ackermann, The Stockton Record / The Record
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
