The phrase “the hunters become the hunted” is an apt description for the tall task facing the 2026 Santa Clara Bruins varsity baseball team. Coming off a remarkable season that saw the team win the school’s first-ever CCS Championship for baseball, the Bruins will no longer be able to sneak up on opponents. To use a perhaps overused sports cliche, the Bruins will now have a target on the team’s back due to last season’s success.

For reigning CCS coach of the year Pedro Martinez, the challenge this year is arguably even more daunting than a year ago. Santa Clara has since moved up from the lower “B” division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League and joined the De Anza, or “A” division. The Bruins will face tougher competition and will be doing so with a much different looking roster after graduating nine seniors last season. 

“Obviously we will have a target on our backs,” agreed Martinez in an interview with the Voice. “You’re gonna have people who say, ‘Oh, moving up to the A-League, now you have to play real teams,’ but we played only A-League teams throughout the playoffs. It’s not like they haven’t seen A-league pitching before. 

“We know it is going to be a challenge,” continued Martinez. “We know it will be a little testy out there, but it will be fun. They wanted to play in the A-league last year, and now we get a chance to do it this year.” 

Two of Martinez’s key returners from last season’s title-winning team are captains Zach Gallegos and Dominick Chavarria. Gallegos returns for his senior season, playing in the outfield, at first base and on the mound. Chavarria will still only be a junior, playing primarily in the middle of the diamond, taking over at shortstop for one of last year’s senior stars, Andrew Traffas. 

“I wouldn’t say there is necessarily added pressure,” chimed Gallegos on taking on a larger leadership role this season given all the teammates who graduated from last year’s team. “I’m more just ready to carry the torch from last year and keep my team tightly bonded together and just go out and try to win ball games.” 

What about all that outside noise that last year was a fluke? 

“We definitely use that as fuel,” confirmed Gallegos. “We take that personally. We want to show people that we are not a team to be messed with.” 

Chavarria shared similar sentiments to his fellow captain on whether there is additional pressure on their shoulders as first-year captains on a team defending a championship. 

“I don’t really feel any pressure, I just feel like we have something to prove,” noted the starting shortstop. “We know that we can prove we are an A-league team.” 

“Even though we lost a lot of seniors, everybody knows on this team that we are here to win,” added fellow junior Kyle Yumul. “There’s definitely a heavy chip on our shoulders, but we are here to compete.” 

Yet another junior on this year’s team is Kalani Tesimale, who framed the pressure as an exciting opportunity, a different kind of opportunity than last year. 

“It’s exciting to be the aggressor this year,” noted the two-sport star, who also plays quarterback for the Bruins football team. “To be a team that people see on the map and know they are in for a tough matchup.”

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