Anywhere the Mitty baseball team has needed Nick Yorke over the past few years, he has delivered. Whether that was in the middle of the infield, where he reigned supreme as a sophomore, or in the outfield, where he transitioned during his junior year, Yorke has remained a constant source of production for the Monarchs.

“He had a huge impact on our successful season,” said Mitty coach Brian Yocke. “That is despite starting the year as our designated hitter. By the end of the year, we had him playing the outfield, and he played it incredibly.”

The 2019 Mitty baseball season was a grueling one, a 32-game stretch which included capturing the Northern California championship of the elite Boras Classic and then falling just short of a CCS Open Division title, falling to Valley Christian in the title game. Yorke was held hitless in just three of the 32 games, opening the year on a nine-game hitting streak. When all was said and done, he finished the year with a .505 batting average, slugging seven home runs to go with three triples, nine doubles and 40 RBIs, all part of a 50-hit campaign. And all of those numbers came while doing whatever was needed for the Monarchs to succeed.

“Nick is just a constant team player who will do whatever is necessary to be prepared and help his team win,” Yocke added. “He plays the game the right way, with passion and enthusiasm, and he combines those intangibles with his incredible talent.”

The junior standout also displayed a keen eye at the plate, walking 17 times to compile a .587 on-base percentage and a whopping OPS of 1.456. In the four-game NorCal Boras Classic, Yorke had six hits and six RBIs in wins over Davis, Pleasant Valley-Chico and St. Mary’s-Stockton to reach the title game against two-time defending champion Bellarmine. The Bells, all too familiar with Yorke’s ability at the plate, walked him twice in the title game, but he notched one of his 11 stolen bases in the game and scored one of the game’s only runs in a 2-0 victory.

With one season remaining in his high school career, Yorke has already compiled a career’s worth of accomplishments. The Arizona commit was a first-team all-WCAL selection this year after being named the league’s top player as a sophomore. In three years and nearly 90 games at the varsity level, Yorke holds a career .453 batting average, with 126 hits and 71 RBIs, including 46 extra-base hits.

For his efforts throughout this season, we are pleased to recognize Nick Yorke as the Prep2Prep Central Coast Section Junior of the Year.

Other players considered include Valley Christian’s Eddie Park, Los Gatos’ Tommy Troy, Saint Francis’ Joey Schott and Mountain View’s Tristan Silveira.

NOTE: We would like to thank our media partners, coaches, parents, players and fans for contributing photos for our all-section features. We salute all of the players that have made this a wonderful season of CCS baseball.