Daniels named MVP as Big 5 All-Conference team is announced

By barstoolfanatics on June 11, 2025 • ( Leave a comment )

Submitted photo – The Del Norte all-conference selections, including Big 5 MVP Preston Daniels (right).

By Ray Hamill — It will hardly come as a surprise to anyone who followed this year’s Big 5, but Del Norte senior Preston Daniels has been named the conference MVP in baseball.

Daniels was outstanding on the way to leading the Warriors to a first Big 5 championship in 11 years, impressing both on the mound and at the plate.

The senior standout finished 8-3 and had a minuscule ERA of 1.01.

But it was his growth as a player that really set him apart from his peers.

“That experience, from his freshman year to now, that really helped,” Del Norte head coach Jeff Cook said. “And he actually hit the ball pretty well too.”

Daniels struck out 107 batters in 69 innings this season, while walking just 34 and giving up just 10 earned runs.

He averaged .233 at the plate.

“There were a lot of things he worked on this year and he matured a lot,” Cook added.

Daniels will continue his playing career after graduation and has committed his future to Linn Benton Community College in Albany, Ore.

He was one of seven Del Norte players to receive all-league recognition, five of whom made the all-conference team.

Joining Daniels on the all-Big 5 team are fellow seniors Aidan Rice, Anthony Cardenas and Saxon Taylor, as well as impressive sophomore Landon Williams.

Senior Grayson Franklin and junior Ben Shrewsberry each also received an all-conference honorable mention.

Taylor (0.431 average), Cardenas (0.373) and Rice (0.321) each were among the most impressive bats in this year’s Big 5.

And, according to Cook, it was their collective experience and the hard work each has put in that elevated their games this year and played a big role on the march to the championship.

The Warriors closed out conference play with a record of 10-2 and were 16-8-1 overall.

After opening the season with four losses in their first five games, including a loss at Hoopa, the Del Norte boys got hot at an opportune time and went on an 11-game unbeaten run.

Their two conference losses came against Eureka and McKinleyville, but crucially they took both Big 5 series against those two teams, which ultimately proved the difference in a tight race for the championship.

As always, all five Big 5 teams were represented on the all-conference team.

The McKinleyville Panthers pushed the Warriors all the way to the final day in the race for the championship, finishing just one win back.

Seniors Kolbey Stolpe, Bryce Sargent and Jackson Kelly were all included on the all-conference team for the Panthers, who would go on to win the league postseason Charles Lakin tournament for the second straight season.

Also included on the all-conference team was Eureka’s Robert Williams, who was named team MVP, as well as Cole Zeller.

Arcata junior Tanner Kees was the Tigers’ lone selection on the all-conference team after a big spring behind the plate, on the mound and on offense.

And rounding out this year’s all-conference team is Fortuna’s Mariqus Ludd.