BASEBALL/SOFTBALL LEAGUE PREVIEW: Titans aim for might in ESR

Orange Cove baseball figures to be near the top of the East Sequoia-Redwood once again; Lady Titans in season of transition in ESR

Jason Smithberg

Published March 27, 2025 •

11:00 am

FRESNO COUNTY – With less than a week to go before league play begins, the Orange Cove baseball team have been getting in their warm up swings and throwing sessions for what could be another tight race in the East Sequoia-Redwood.

Last season, the Titans finished 7-1 in the ESR to claim their first league title since the 2017 season, when they played in the East Sierra League (ESL). Their closest league competition, Orosi, made life interesting, but in the end, fell to second place at 5-3. And unless a surprise team emerges from the dugout, Orange Cove and Orosi could find themselves locked in another tight league race yet again.

Orange Cove built their success last season around pure contact, rather than power. The Titans only hit four home runs as a team, but their .389 team league batting average helped propel them to some big wins. This season, Orange Cove will have to rely on the same offensive formula in order to secure a second consecutive title.

Roman Ocejo, who swung the biggest stick for the Titans, returns from last season, and his bat could once again be a secret weapon for the team. Ocejo clubbed an astounding .456 and currently ranks second this season with an even .400 average.

Ocejo and teammates Brandon Gonzalez (.467) and Armando Martinez (.462) give the Titans three potent bats to contend with every other night.

Orange Cove’s competition in the ESR could once again come from their friendly neighbors, Orosi. The Cardinals finished a respectable 5-3 in the ESR last season; and with Wonderful College Prep Academy (WCPA), Farmersville and Summit Charter Collegiate Academy (SCCA) not considered big threats, everything is set up for another titanic league season from the Titans.

Orange Cove softball aims to live up to Titan name

The 2024 league season was a picture of perfection for the Orange Cove softball team. The Titans marched their way to an 8-0 record and an outright league title for the third consecutive season. Overall, Orange Cove finished at 21-10 and advanced to the semifinals of the Central Section D-IV Playoffs.

However, the 2025 season could be a challenging year as Orange Cove is playing without three of their top players from last season’s squad, Mia Castillo, Miah Lopez and Star Elizondo.

Castillo, who led the team last season in ERA (1.17) and ranked second in homers (5) and batting (.441), graduated along with Elizondo. And Lopez took her talents to Orosi.

So far, the Titans have struggled to an early 1-6 record outside league play. For a young team in transition, Orange Cove could find it difficult to keep pace with the rest of the league. The Cardinals have benefitted from Lopez’s play, and Farmersville, who finished second last season with a 6-2 record, is undefeated as of this publication.

The Orange Cove softball and baseball teams begin league play at home on April 3 against Orosi.