
A.J. Balta is one of the stars leading Valencia in its quest to become king in the tough Southern California landscape.
Photo by Larry Gasinski
When
Valencia (Calif.) baseball standouts
Trey Williams and
A.J. Balta speak about one another, it's with ultimate praise and respect.
"A.J. is underrated. He's a terrific hitter and has great speed. The ball just flies off his bat better than anyone I have ever seen," said Williams, who in many circles is considered a high first round pick in June's Major League Baseball Draft.
Balta, a junior ranked No. 5 in the
Class of 2013 player rankings, has certainly lived up to Williams' praise. He was named the Foothill League's Player of the Year when he batted .425, scored 36 times, drove in 25 runs and hit 11 home runs. League Player of the Year is an award Williams earned a year earlier, during his sophomore season.

Trey Williams, Valencia
Photo by Larry Gasinski
"I remember the first time I saw Trey play," said Balta. "I was in eighth grade and went to watch the (Valencia) varsity play. He (Trey) was a freshman and hit a ball from the varsity field that reached the infield of the junior varsity field. It was about 450 or 480 feet. He was just a freshman. It was amazing."
Since then, Williams has hit 25 home runs, one away from owning the school record, and has terrorized pitchers since starting high school. As a freshman, he hit .429 in 20 games while producing five home runs and 17 RBIs. This included a two-home run, five-RBI game against Golden Valley. He followed that by hitting .388 with 10 home runs and 32 RBIs in his sophomore season. And with pitchers pitching around him as a junior, he hit nine round-trippers, scored 28, drove in 20 and batted .345. His slugging percentage was near .800.
Williams, the son of former Major League player Eddie Williams (Padres and Dodgers), is so feared that the No. 7 young man in the
Class of 2012 player rankings has become known as "The Legend."
The legend began in an April 2011 game against Valencia's archrival West Valley. Williams had belted them for five home runs in the previous two games, so with the bases loaded and a four-run lead, West Ranch decided to intentionally walk Williams, giving up one run instead of facing the risk of giving up four.
West Valley hung on to win, but Williams hit a solo shot in his next at-bat. The strategy worked.
"They were scared to pitch to him," said Valencia coach Jared Snyder. "And they should be. He can hit a ball out of any facility in the country."
Top-ranked lefthander Max Fried (Harvard-Westlake) might wish he had used similar strategy against Williams and Balta in the finals of the recently held Easton Tournament when Williams singled and homered and Balta had four hits and six RBIs as Valencia won 11-4.
"We went early in counts and got fastballs," said Snyder. "The kids went up extremely confident. We got shut out the week before 1-0 and they learned from it. They made good adjustments against Fried. Most of our guys in the lineup squared him up."
Snyder says Fried "is legit and consistently hits 90-93 mph. I'm very proud of our kids."
Three of those kids, in particular. Snyder heaps high praise on Williams, Balta and senior catcher
Brian Mundell, who has committed to Cal Poly. Snyder says Williams is a legitimate first round pick, and is extremely gifted in every aspect of baseball.

Brian Mundell, Valencia
Photo by Larry Gasinski
"Physically, he is 6-foot-2, 210 pounds and runs very well. Mentally, he truly understands all aspects of the game," said Snyder. "Defensively, he has great hands, his arm strength is outstanding."
Normally a third baseman, Snyder moved Williams to shortstop this season.
"We wanted to showcase him at third, but before I finished my sentence ‘I need to move you,' he said ‘Whatever you need to do coach.' He understood we needed him to move to solidify our infield. He's worked hard to learn that position again. He makes all the outstanding plays."
Williams has committed to Pepperdine, but wants to play pro baseball. Perfect Game ranks Williams No. 1 nationally among all infielders.
"It's a dream to play baseball for a living, but an education is important," said Williams. "If I don't get a good offer, I'll get my education. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
With a Major League father, Williams was taught "everything" about baseball at a young age. He says what has stayed with him the most isn't hitting or fielding.
"Biggest thing is that he taught me how to have fun, make every game count and play the game like it is supposed to be played," said Williams, who ranks his humble demeanor ahead of his defense and bat speed.
"Dad taught me to be confident, not to be cocky," he said.
With Balta at second and Williams at short, Valencia has one of the best double play combinations in the country. His bat speed has been clocked at a very impressive 112 mph.
"He's only 5-9, but is amazingly strong," Snyder says of Balta. "He's very fast, has a good arm and knows how to hit. He has some of the strongest wrists I've ever seen. He's very fast and I truly can't recall the last time he was thrown out stealing."
Neither can Balta, who says his 60-yard sprint time is 6.6 second. He ranks his speed as one of his strengths, behind hitting and ahead of throwing.
"He's a very smart baserunner and has a lot of schools showing interest," said Snyder, who is 254-109-2 in his 13th season at Valencia.
Most PAC-12 and Big West schools have expressed interest in Balta, including UCLA, USC, Oregon, Arizona and Hawaii to name a few.
"I'll definitely play in college and if I get a chance to play in the pros, that would be a dream come true. It's something every boy thinks about," he said.
Like Williams, Balta has been playing since he was 5 or 6 years old. And like Williams, Balta attributes much of his success to his father.
"My dad was born in Cuba and played there every day. He was 8 when he moved to Inglewood and he played every day there. He has taught me everything I know about baseball," said Balta.
Williams says his best memory as a player was when he homered three times as an 11-year-old when he was playing up against older players.
Another three-homer game was after the "legend" began. Don't be surprised if more follow. And don't be surprised if Balta makes a legitimate run at Williams' school home run record.
"The best part of the game is when I see the ball leave the pitcher's hand," said Balta.
That's a good part for Snyder as well, who has Williams and Balta alternating between No. 1 and 2 in the order and Mundell batting third.
"What coach wouldn't like that? They all hit and have great presence at the plate," said Snyder, who led the Vikings to a 21-7 record a year ago. "All three are fifth-round (draft picks) or better."
Williams and Balta are
2011 MaxPreps All-Americans and off to very good starts.
After five games, Williams is hitting .429 with one homer and five RBIs and Balta is hot with a .421 mark, 10 RBIs and two homers. Mundell is hitting .364 with five RBIs and six walks, plus he had a walk-off homer against Crespi recently.
Snyder says Valencia will compete for another title if his young players hit and his pitching staff comes through.
Then again, it might depend on whether opponents opt to pitch to Williams, Balta or Mundell.