4/08/26
The ace on the mound, the three-hole hitter, and from conversations around the Ridgeview program, “heart and soul of this team.” Gutierrez is a talented baseball player who may be bound for Fresno State on the strength of what he does on the mound with a FB into the low 90’s and a highly impressive offspeed arsenal that he uses with a competitive nature on the mound. But, make no mistake, this young man is not a one-trick pony or a “high school hitter.” There is real ability for him with the bat in the RH batter's box from a swing that is loose and fast with great use of his hands and a bat path that produces leverage with carry from the middle of the field to the pull side foul pole. He stung multiple balls across the entirety of the game, but maybe none bigger than the two-out RBI single he had in the second inning that pushed the lead to 5-0 for Ridgeview and, for all intents and purposes, appeared to put the dagger in the heart of Bakersfield Christian, whose body language and intensity as a team significantly changed. While I do not know the future plans for him once on campus at Fresno State with the bat, but if he does draw some opportunities to hit for the Bulldogs in the 34-man roster era, where a two-way product can be beneficial, I will not be surprised in the least.