Without question, it was a successful season for the 2023 Colusa RedHawk baseball team, after finishing as the Northern Section Division IV Champion with an overall record of 27-4-1.
A leading component of that prosperity was the team’s ace, Luke Kalfsbeek, who in 68.1 innings of work on the mound finished with a 1.13 ERA and 106 strikeouts, while yielding just 17 walks and 40 hits.
But it wasn’t just his pitching, as he played a multipurpose role by sporting a .357 average at the plate, knocking in 35 runs and nearing a national record for being hit by pitch after getting plunked 22 times.
As a result, the rising senior, who has verbally committed to the University of Washington, was named both the Sacramento Valley League and Northern Section Most Valuable Player.
Still, as the summer has progressed, he has received more recognition, this time on a state and national level.
CalHi Sports named Kalfsbeek to its second team All-State Underclassmen Team as a multipurpose player, and then followed up by adding him to the third team All-State as a pitcher.
Meanwhile, Max Preps selected the lefty to its Small-Town America Team, the only representative from California.
A fourth generation ballplayer, Kalfsbeek follows in the footsteps of his great-grandfather John Vedo, a semi pro pitcher for the Yuba City Bears in the 1930s; grandfather Tom Vedo, who was slated to join the Chicago Cubs before being drafted during the Vietnam War; and uncle Matt Vedo, a pitcher in the Seattle Mariners organization.
While Kalfsbeek continues to pursue his baseball dream, the path became clearer recently when he was invited by the Oakland A’s to participate in the 2023 Area Code Games, one of the most prestigious high school showcases in the country, which will be held from August 6–11 at the University of San Diego. ■
