Alumni report: Otay Ranch’s Ali Camarillo shines at shortstop for No. 1 Texas A&M

After a highly successful baseball season at Cal State Northridge, former Otay Ranch High School standout Ali Camarillo decided to gamble on himself.

“I loved the staff at Northridge, still keep in contact with them,” Camarillo said. “But I wanted to experience the next level. I wanted a challenge.”

So after hitting .371 last season at Northridge, where he was a first-team All-Big West selection, Camarillo transferred to Texas A&M. The Aggies are 39-6 and ranked No. 1 in the nation heading into a weekend series against LSU.

Camarillo had “no idea what would happen” when he entered the portal, he said.

“But I believed in my abilities, trusted in God, and that He had a plan for me,” he said. “I had five good options, but when A&M called, it was a no-brainer.”

Camarilo’s gamble has paid off.

The slick-fielding shortstop has started every game for the Aggies. At the plate, he’s hitting .321 with four home runs, nine doubles and 28 RBIs. He has 16 multi-hit games and has reached base safely in 31 straight games.

At shortstop, he’s fielding a solid .960 with six errors in 150 chances. He’s error-free over his last 12 games.

“There were some good arms in the Big West, maybe three good guys on every team,” Camarillo said. “In the SEC, 95 percent of the pitchers are top-notch, they all can compete. The overall depth we face every game is the biggest challenge I’ve faced.”

Otay Ranch High School graduate Ali Camarillo has played every game for No. 1-ranked Texas A&M.

(Texas A&M athletics )

Camarillo has taken full advantage of superior training facilities at A&M, getting bigger and stronger. He now checks in at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds. (He was listed at 6-1, 175 at CSUN).

“There are awesome resources here,” Camarillo said. “From strength and conditioning to nutrition, everything is first class. And it’s not cookie-cutter stuff. Everything is individualized. The plans are super specific to each player’s needs.

“And you need it because everyone in the SEC is bigger, stronger and faster than anything you’ve faced.”

The 14-team SEC includes No. 1 Texas A&M, No. 2 Arkansas, No. 3 Tennessee, No. 8 Kentucky, No. 13 Vanderbilt, No. 14 South Carolina, No. 17 Alabama, No. 18 Georgia and No. 21 Mississippi State.

“Playing those kinds of teams can only make you better,” Camarillo said.

“And the atmosphere at the games is insane. The 12th man here at A&M is the best crowd in college baseball. South Carolina has an elite facility, the best surface I’ve ever played on.”

Camarillo has been a star player since his youth days.

He was a member of the 2016 Park View Little League World Series team, a squad coached by his father, Jorge.

“My father hit me my first ground ball, and will probably hit me my last,” Camarilo said. “He has hit me a million grounders. I have to give credit to my dad for my fielding ability.”

Camarillo was named a second-team All-CIF selection as a senior. That year’s All-CIF team included first-round draft picks Marcelo Mayer (Eastlake) and Carson Williams (Torrey Pines) as well as MLB prospects Quincy Scott (Mission Hills) and Duce Gourson (Point Loma).

Pro ball most certainly is on Camarillo’s mind, but he tries not to let it consume him.

“Certainly, I’ve thought about the MLB draft, but you try not to pay attention to it while you’re playing,” Camarillo said. “We have so many great players on this team, players that will go high in the draft.

“We try not to think about the draft. We try not to think about being the No. 1 team in the nation.

“Being No. 1 is just a number. We have a winning mentality here. We trust in each other.

“We’ll see now far that carries us.”

More baseball

Catcher Austin Machado (La Costa Canyon), a junior transfer from St. John’s, is having a big season at Hawaii, hitting .343 with three homers, 13 doubles and 36 RBIs. He has an eight-game hitting streak heading into this weekend’s series against Cal State Northridge.

Left-handed pitcher Randy Abshier (Otay Ranch), a transfer from Arizona, is 2-4 in 11 starts with 67 strikeouts in 55 2/3 innings for the Rainbow Warriors. RHP Kyle Dobbins (West Hills/Grossmont College) has a 2.45 ERA in four appearances. Hawaii is coached by former USD skipper Rich Hill.

• Freshman shortstop Isaiah Lane (Eastlake) is hitting .298 in 18 games for No. 16 Oklahoma.

• Right-handed pitcher Ricky Tibbett (Eastlake), a transfer from San Diego State, is 2-1 with eight saves for No. 10 UC Irvine. A graduate student, he has appeared in 21 games with 34 strikeouts in 31 innings. Freshman infielder James Castagnola (Cathedral Catholic) is hitting .216 with a homer and four RBIs in 20 games. Freshman infiedler Frankie Carney (St. Augustine) is hitting .208 with seven RBIs in 20 games.

• Right-handed pitcher Tyler Bremner (Scripps Ranch) is 8-0 with a 2.50 ERA in 14 appearances at UC Santa Barbara. The sophomore has 62 strikeouts in 54 innings.

• Outfielder Mac Bingham (Torrey Pines), a transfer from Arizona, is hitting .276 with eight homers and 25 RBIs at LSU. The Tigers are coached by Point Loma Nazarene grad Jay Johnson, a former USD assistant.

• Right-handed pitcher Jake Rons (Cathedral Catholic), a transfer from Long Beach State, is 2-1 with a pair of saves at Illinois.

Locals shine

Luther College, an NCAA Division III baseball program in Decorah, Iowa, is 21-12 thanks to a number of San Diego players. Freshman utilityman Noah Kindem (Scripps Ranch) is hitting .353 with five homers, 10 doubles and 23 RBIs. Catcher Gavin Scurr (University City) is hitting .360 with five homers, 12 doubles and 34 RBIs. Outfielder Mark Prince (La Costa Canyon) is hitting .378 and leads the team with 10 homers and 46 RBIs. Right-handed pitcher Evan Nordquist (El Camino) has appeared in three games.

Softball

Veteran utility player Hannah Flippen (Bonita Vista) and former college pitching star Megan Faraimo (Cathedral Catholic) are members of the United States Women’s National Team that will play in the Japan All-Star Series in early July and in the WBSC World Cup in Italy later in July. Flippen played collegiately at Utah, while Faraimo played at UCLA. Rachel Garcia, the pitching coach at UC San Diego, is also part of the WNT. Garcia played at UCLA.

Beach volleyball

The NCAA Championships start Friday in Gulf Shores, Ala., and USC is seeded No. 1. Led by Delaynie Maple (Torrey Pines) and Megan Kraft (Torrey Pines), USC will take on the winner of the North Florida-Chattanooga matchup.

• UCLA, seeded No. 2 in the NCAA Tournament, features Jaden Whitmarsh (Torrey Pines) and Ensley Alden (San Marcos) in its rotation. The Bruins play No. 15 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

• Chloe Hooker (Francis Parker) is a key player for No. 8-seeded Loyola Marymount, which plays No. 9 Hawaii.

Women’s tennis

Sophomore Katie Codd (Canyon Crest Academy) is a key member of the Duke squad that will play East Tennessee State in this weekend’s NCAA Regionals in Knoxville. Duke is seeded No. 21 overall, while East Tennessee State is No. 63. Tennessee and Murray State are the other teams in the Knoxville Regional. The winner advances to a Super Regional. Codd is ranked No. 106 in the nation in singles.

John Maffei’s Alumni Report appears during the college seasons. Readers are encouraged to submit information to john.maffei@sduniontribune.com