EVHS Baseball 2026 Season
by Aiden Paek and Sean Kim
The EVHS boys baseball team is a dedicated and hardworking group of student athletes who represent their school with the Falcon spirit. Known for their strong work ethic and tough mentality, the players spent countless hours practicing and improving their skills both on and off the field. With a mix of talented young players and experienced upperclassmen, the EVHS boys baseball team is stacked. More than just a baseball team, the players create a sense of community and school spirit. Their commitment to supporting one another and pushing each other to succeed has helped build a culture of leadership and perseverance. Whether they are preparing for a big game or working hard during practice, the EVHS boys baseball team continues to represent their school with dedication, teamwork, and pride.
The first game was against Bert Corona, a non-league team, and it was very memorable. In the 2nd inning, the Falcons were losing 0-6. Everything seemed hopeless as Bert Corona was able to score many runs. But with hard work and determination, the Falcons were able to come back and finish their first game with a 16-6 win. Nicholas Kane pitched 5 innings and didn’t let anyone score after the 6 runs given by Brandon Santiago. This game brought momentum to the team and the Falcons were able to win the next two games against Reseda and Panorama.
Although they were able to win the first three games, their fourth game against Fulton was tough. Fulton is a tough opponent and the Falcons had lost in a very close game, 7-8. After a controversial call during Jaewon Min’s steal to third base, Fulton was able to seal the win. It was a tough first loss for East Valley, but they were motivated to work harder and work to improve during practices. On April 17th, East Valley was able to play against Fulton again. The players wanted to take revenge against Fulton, yet the first few innings weren’t good. Fulton was able to get 7 runs by the 5th inning, but that is when the Falcons started to step things up. The Falcons brought in 7 runs by the 7th inning and caught up to them 7-7. This led to an extra inning where the Falcons scored another 2 runs and shut Fulton down to win and successfully take revenge.
After the regular season, the Falcons played against Arleta High School on May 12th. The game was very close until the 7th inning. Both teams were head to head, but during the 7th inning, Arleta was able to get a few more runs to end the Falcons’ season.
After many days under the hot sun, the EVHS boys baseball season has finished with a final record of 9-7. We spoke to some of the players to find out how they felt their season went.
What does success look like for this team beyond wins and losses?
“Just improving over time” - Coach Juan Quezada
What do you look for in a baseball player?
“Mainly, effort”- Coach Juan Quezada
How did you get into baseball?
“When I was around 6 or 7, I watched the Dodgers play, and that made me fall in love with baseball.” - Justin Kim (bench)
How do you prepare mentally before a big game?
“I mentally prepare by meditating approximately 24 hours before the game. This calms my nervous system down. Then about one hour before the game during warmups, I visualize hitting the ball very far and running around the bases. These are the steps I take to mentally prepare before every game” - Nick Kane (pitcher, outfield, shortstop)
What's your favorite memory in baseball this season?
“My favorite memory is slipping while stealing second base.” - Andres Figueroa (outfield, 3rd base)
“My favorite memory from the baseball season was getting to know everybody and not just the players–,the coach, the dads and moms, and all the supporters for the team!” - Joseph Romero (2nd base)
What do you want people to remember about you as a player?
“I want to be remembered as a hard worker” - Jaewon Min (outfield, 3rd base)
“I want them to remember my perseverance to still play while not being good at baseball” - Nikhil Altimirano (outfield)
What do you do to work through a slump?
“I grind the basics in my backyard and now I’m hitting the best” - Gabriel Arvizu (shortstop, catcher, pitcher)
What are your thoughts on this season?
“This season definitely took me by surprise, as at the beginning of the season I didn't think we were going to have a team in the first place. Fortunately, we did have enough players, and with their improvement over the year the team improved as well. Our losses don't reflect as to how much improvement we made this year, given that only 3 players returned from last year's team, so I would say that this season went well and that there's more in store for next year.” - Luis Saldivar (catcher, pitcher, 3rd base)
“It was alright but next time I can try harder to make our team the best in the league” - Nick Kane (pitcher, outfield, shortstop)
Is there anything you can work on for the next season?
“Just working harder” - Aiden Paek (pitcher, 1st base)
There were many games the Falcons won, as well as a few crucial losses that they suffered when they lost in the first round of playoffs and their season ended. Despite this, the Falcons will continue to strive and improve, and if they keep their focus and determination, they can carry this momentum into next year and make an even bigger impact as they climb the rankings.
