Three Magdalena Steers named to Class A all-state baseball team

Magdalena catcher Daniel Martinez fires a throw to second base.
Russell Huffman | El Defensor Chieftain photos

Kaleb Castanon looks for a chance to head for home.

Magdalena’s Kaleb Castanon is a dual all-state baseball player, and the Steers’ Josh Baca and Daniel Martinez were also selected for postseason honors by the New Mexico Baseball Coaches Association last week.

At one point in the season, Castanon was New Mexico’s top hitter, ranked eighth in the country by MaxPreps, and ended the season with a .661 average. Castanon was named to the all-state second-team infield and picked up an honorable mention as a pitcher.

Josh Baca lays off a high fastball.

Baca led the Steers in home runs with three dingers and collected 32 hits in 71 plate appearances. Baca power hit for Magdalena with six doubles and four triples, scoring 33 runs.

Martinez was the brains behind the plate for the Steers and hit a team-high 11 doubles for Magdalena while driving in 21 runs.

The trio helped lead the Steers to their first District title since 2017 and a 13-4 overall record.