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 May 4-9 ballot features six nominees from Stockton, Manteca, Escalon, Ripon and Lathrop.
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, May 14. There are no voting restrictions, so vote now and vote often.
Here are the May 4-9 nominees (Athletes listed in alphabetical order by last name):
Brody Abbott, middle infielder/pitcher, Escalon
Ask anyone outside Escalon, and the answer likely would have been the same — the Cougars had no chance.
That was the pressure Brody Abbott stepped into.
Before the upset, No. 8 Escalon opened the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division V playoffs with a 4-1 win over No. 9 Casa Roble, with Abbott going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Then came the road matchup against No. 1 Lincoln, where he was handed the ball against one of the top-100 teams in California. Abbott led Escalon, ranked outside the top 400 in the state, to a 5-4 upset by throwing just the team’s second complete game of the season, allowing four hits, striking out nine and giving up two earned runs.
He has been a major reason Escalon is still playing, hitting .342 with 18 RBIs while posting a 3.10 ERA in 58 2/3 innings pitched with 69 strikeouts.
Trenton Cloward, pitcher, Ripon Christian
A week off before the playoffs can sometimes create rust.
Trenton Cloward never let that happen.
With No. 8 River Islands entering hot after winning the first playoff game in program history, the Ripon Christian sophomore took control in an 8-3 victory fresh off a first round bye, throwing 5 2/3 innings with five hits allowed, four strikeouts and one earned run.
He also stayed productive offensively for the No. 1 seed, finishing 2-for-2 at the plate.
As Ripon Christian keeps rolling after claiming the Trans-Valley League title, Cloward’s season continues to stand out with a .327 batting average, 17 RBIs, a 1.50 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 65 1/3 innings pitched.
Jeremy Cross, pitcher, Manteca
One thing has become clear whenever Jeremy Cross takes the mound.
More often than not, Manteca wins.
The senior delivered again in the first round of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division III playoffs, throwing a complete game in a 7-0 win over No. 14 Antelope as the No. 3 seed.
He struck out nine, allowed four hits and recorded his third complete game of the season.
It also marked the third consecutive outing with nine strikeouts, and every time he has pitched more than four innings this season, he has recorded at least seven strikeouts. He now carries nine wins, a 1.04 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 53 2/3 innings pitched.
Peyton Heath, catcher/middle infielder/pitcher, East Union
East Union coach Dan Bauer summed up Peyton Heath’s playoff performance in the simplest way possible.
“He put us on his back,” Bauer said.
The junior has done that throughout the season, and the playoffs have been no different. He opened the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV playoffs by going 2-for-3 with an RBI in an 11-1 win over No. 13 Center.
Then came the quarterfinals against No. 6 Bradshaw Christian on May 8. Heath delivered a bases-clearing double during East Union’s six-run third inning in a 6-4 victory, finishing 1-for-3 at the plate. He also dominated on the mound, throwing the first complete game of his career with six hits allowed, two earned runs and six strikeouts over 111 pitches.
“We got so much faith when Peyton Heath’s on the mound,” Bauer said. “Guys just know if something happens, he’s going to shut the door.”
With Heath leading the way, East Union has reached its first section semifinal since 2011, and he enters it hitting .452 with 29 RBIs while carrying a 3.58 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 43 innings pitched.
Dawson Labarthe, outfileder, St. Mary’s
The interest surrounding Dawson Labarthe is not by accident.
Big moments continue to bring out some of his best baseball.
The St. Mary’s outfielder has drawn attention from programs including California, UCLA, Stanford, UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly and UC San Diego, according to Perfect Game.
As the No. 1 seed in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoffs, he opened with a statement performance in an 11-0 win over No. 16 Tokay on May 6, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a solo home run.
He followed with another home run and four RBIs in a 2-for-3 performance during a 10-0 win over No. 8 Central Valley on May 8. Labarthe is now hitting .457 with 20 RBIs and four home runs.
“We always talk about it as coaches,” coach Jason Lindholm said. “That ball just flies off his bat.”
Cassious Orndoff, catcher/first baseman/ pitcher, River Island
River Islands had never experienced a playoff victory before May 6.
Cassious Orndoff helped change that forever.
Facing No. 8 Mariposa County on the road in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI playoffs, the No. 9 seed pulled off an 8-1 win behind a dominant outing from Orndoff, who threw five hitless innings with eight strikeouts and one earned run allowed as River Islands combined for a no-hitter.
Two days later, despite an 8-3 loss to No. 1 Ripon Christian, he added a 2-for-4 performance at the plate.
He finished the season hitting .447 with 21 RBIs while also posting a 2.35 ERA with 68 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings pitched, forever becoming part of the first playoff win in program history.
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This article originally appeared on The Record: Voting open for SJ County Martin Dentistry Baseball AOTW for May 4-9
Reporting by Dylan Ackermann, The Stockton Record / The Record
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