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Posted: Jun 22, 2026

Fourteen Owls Set to Continue Baseball Careers at Four-Year Programs

Photo by Cyara Vasquez
Photo by Cyara Vasquez

After a historic season in which Citrus College Baseball posted its best record (33-13) since 2009 and advanced to the 3C2A Super Regional round, 13 Owls have earned the opportunity to compete at the next level and continue their collegiate careers.

Matthew Martinez has committed to Hawaii Pacific University, Cam Casado is headed to Loyola Marymount University, Tim Hudson will continue his career at the University of New Mexico, Jordan Daniels has committed to California State University, Northridge, Joe Gilkeson is headed to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Michael Moses is off to Chico State University, Cole West has committed to Long Beach State, Conner Luetto is headed to Washington State University, Derek Almeda has committed to Fresno State, Ryan Harrison is headed to the University of Connecticut, Evan Ellis will join Long Beach State, Garrett Patterson has committed to Eastern Illinois University, Dominic Torrez is headed to California State University, Bakersfield and Lance Armijo has committed to Cal State Los Angeles.

Martinez, a right-handed pitcher from Glendora High School, appeared in 28 games for the Owls over the 2025 and 2026 seasons. He threw more than 60 career innings, posting a 1.00 WHIP and 3.72 ERA in 2026 while recording 36 career strikeouts, three wins and two saves.

Casado, a first baseman from Bishop Amat High School, put together one of the most dominant offensive seasons in program history. The Citrus College Male Athlete of the Year and Western State Conference South Position Player of the Year led the Owls with a .469 batting average, ranking fourth in the state, while totaling 14 home runs and 60 RBIs. He added 69 hits, 42 runs scored, 15 doubles, 15 walks and 10 stolen bases. Defensively, Casado recorded 279 putouts and 12 assists, helped turn 21 double plays and posted a .997 fielding percentage. Casado was named to the CCCBCA All-Southern California team.

Hudson, a right-handed pitcher originally from Kerr-Vance Academy in North Carolina, played his sophomore season with the Owls in 2026. He appeared in 13 games and posted an 8-1 record with a 3.59 ERA, striking out 59 batters in 57.2 innings pitched for a 9.21 strikeouts-per-nine average. Hudson earned All-Western State Conference South honors.

Daniels, an outfielder/first baseman from Ramona High School in Riverside, appeared in 45 games for the Owls in 2026. He batted .368 with 56 hits, 48 runs, 48 RBIs, 10 home runs, 14 doubles, 23 walks and 10 stolen bases. Defensively, Daniels posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 105 putouts and four assists while helping turn two double plays. He earned All-Western State Conference South honors.

Gilkeson, an outfielder and another Glendora High School product, is headed to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University after batting .270 during his sophomore season. He totaled 24 hits, 20 runs, 20 RBIs, 10 walks, four stolen bases, five home runs and seven doubles.

Moses, a right-handed pitcher from Glendora High School, appeared in 14 games for the Owls in 2026. He recorded four wins across 55.1 innings pitched and struck out 41 batters, averaging 6.67 strikeouts per nine innings.

West, an outfielder from Citrus Valley High School in Redlands, had a standout freshman season in 2026. He batted .349 with 51 hits, 49 runs, 23 RBIs, 32 walks, five home runs, 14 doubles, two triples and nine stolen bases. Defensively, West excelled in center field with 97 putouts and four assists while posting a .990 fielding percentage.

Luetto, a right-handed pitcher from Orange Lutheran High School, enjoyed a stellar sophomore season in 2026. He appeared in 14 games, earning five wins while posting a 4.08 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over 79.1 innings pitched. Luetto struck out 87 batters for a 9.87 strikeouts-per-nine average and earned All-Western State Conference South honors.

Almeda, an infielder from Rancho Cucamonga High School, batted .376 in 2026 with 74 hits, 55 runs, 40 RBIs, 17 walks, four home runs, 17 doubles, 10 stolen bases and two triples. He earned All-Western State Conference South honors and Gold Glove recognition for his play at shortstop, recording 58 putouts and 107 assists while helping turn 16 double plays.

Harrison, a right-handed pitcher from Upland High School, appeared in 14 games for the Owls in 2026. He picked up three wins and posted a 4.55 ERA with an 11.22 strikeouts-per-nine average over 29.2 innings pitched.

Ellis, a right-handed pitcher from Glendora High School, will join Citrus teammate Cole West at Long Beach State. During his sophomore season in 2026, Ellis appeared in 14 games and earned three wins over 20 innings pitched while averaging 10.35 strikeouts per nine innings.

Patterson, a Bonita High School two-way catcher and pitcher, earned All-Western State Conference South First Team honors and was named the conference's Gold Glove catcher. At the plate, Patterson batted .392 with 40 hits, 24 RBIs, 19 runs scored, 11 walks, 10 doubles, two triples and two home runs. On the mound, he recorded five wins in 39 innings while posting a 1.85 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 4.85 strikeouts per nine innings. Behind the plate, Patterson anchored the Citrus defense with 226 putouts, 34 assists and 13 runners caught stealing, finishing with a .989 fielding percentage. He also earned CCCBCA All-Southern California Region honors as a two-way player.

Torrez, an infielder from Citrus Hill High School in Perris, earned ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove honors at third base and Western State Conference South Gold Glove recognition. He totaled 33 putouts and 95 assists, helped turn eight double plays and posted a .977 fielding percentage. At the plate, Torrez batted .311 with 38 hits, 25 runs scored, 21 stolen bases, 13 RBIs, 11 walks, eight doubles, one triple and one home run.

Armijo, a catcher out of Kaiser High School, appeared in 22 games during his sophomore season at Citrus in 2026. He batted .343 with 12 hits, 13 RBIs, six runs scored, 12 walks, one double, and one triple. Defensively, he posted a .981 fielding percentage behind the plate, recording 101 putouts and three assists.