Crawdads hitting stays hot, improves to 6-1 in impressive offensive onslaught

There is something in the air at Monte Vista High School.

It's floating around the dugout, around the basepaths and has certainly gotten to the batters box. 

It isn't a disease or virus, but it's certainly contagious. It's hitting.

Since Walnut Creek arrived at their home field in Danville, the bats have been alive. 

The Crawdads did not have a perfect start to the season at the plate after a 17 run performance in the first game of the season. 

A 7-2 win and 6-4 loss in games two and three didn't leave Walnut Creek and coach Brant Cummings feeling perfect, but averaging 11 runs in their four games at Monte Vista High School has certainly picked them up.

"It appears to be a different group, and perhaps sometimes I overlook that last week was all brand new," Cummings said. "Most of them didn't know each other, so there was a little bit of trepidation there. Overall I think being able to play every day and gain confidence and familiarity with your teammates, that's what we're seeing."

After a dominant 14-10 victory over the Menlo Park Legends, the Crawdads now sit with a 6-1 record, placing them first in the CCL North Division.

In the victory, senior left fielder Ryan Ellis, nicknamed "Mr. Crawdad", hit his first home run of the season, breaking the record for all-time home runs by a Crawdad.

Spending a lot of time around the Crawdads organization, Ellis has seen many different eras of baseball in Walnut Creek. Comparing the 2026 squad to groups of years past, Ellis sees some differences. 

"We're a little younger," Ellis said. "It took a couple games to settle in, but we're taking good at bats and playing good defense and really rolling on all facets of the game. It's good to see."

One player that has fully settled in is redshirt freshman center fielder Bryden Bull. Becoming seemingly unstoppable once he got to Monte Vista High School, Bull now sits top five in the CCL in batting average (.500, fifth in CCL), RBIs (9, third in CCL) and home runs (2, tied for second in CCL). 

Bull came into Thursday's game off the back of his 4-for-5, player of the game performance on Tuesday. Before the game, Bull said he wasn't feeling great and was good for "maybe two singles."

Like his feeling before his home run on Tuesday, Bull was incorrect. 

After Ellis hit his home run in the first inning, Bull stepped up to the plate and mashed the second pitch he saw out of the park. While he admitted he didn't have a perfect pre-game prediction, Bull had no complaints.

"Some days the less effort and lower heart rate are the best days I'll have," Bull said. "I didn't feel good, but sometimes those are the best days."

One of the benefits to Bull, and all the Crawdads players, is the white-hot hitting. Bull claimed that seeing the production from the team around him has helped his play improve.

"You instantly feel like you're not carrying a bowling ball on your shoulders," Bull said. "I know I can go up there and strike out and another guy behind me can instantly pick me up."

Keeping the Crawdad's hitting hot one inning later was senior third baseman Kevin Parker Jr. The Brentwood native walked in each of the previous six Crawdads games, but didn't get a free pass on Thursday. He got something much more valuable: the fifth Walnut Creek home run of the season, his first.

Being an on-base machine before, Parker Jr. finally showcased his skills swinging the bat. Like his teammates, he credits those around them for boosting his confidence.  

"We're just starting to play together," Parker Jr. said. "Hits stacking up together. That's how you score runs. Just keep stacking up hits."

The Crawdad offense stayed hot, putting up a five spot in the third inning. By the time the game had ended, Walnut Creek had scored in all but two innings. 

Continuing the theme from Tuesday of offensive production coming from everyone, eight players picked up RBIs for the second game in a row. Since arriving at Monte Vista, all 12 players to take an at-bat for the Crawdads have picked up an RBI.

Outscoring opponents 44-18 at their home ballpark in 2026, Cummings is very happy to see what his team has done in the past four games.

"They're just getting used to being with each other," Cummings said. "We have good players. We have some guys who can really hit. There hasn't been any plan on our part. We haven't said anything. It's just we come out and they hit in the cage and they do their work. We just tell them to be aggressive, and right now they're swinging the bats really well."