LJHS baseball: Abel Delgadillo, ‘Commissioner of Energy’

LA JOLLA – La Jolla lefthander Abel Delgadillo has ridden his curveball, his signature pitch, to a 4-1 record and an excellent 1.65 ERA this season. But more importantly, he and teammates Travis Lancaster, Hank Hansen, Ryan Kestler, and other seniors have helped lead the Vikings to a strong 9-3 record in the City League.

It has been a resurgent year for head coach Gary Frank’s 2025 squad, after a difficult season two years ago when La Jolla struggled to an overall 10-17 record, 4-8 in the Eastern League, followed by a “rebuilding” year last season, going a so-so 5-5 again in the Eastern.

But Delgadillo, the slender 6-foot-tall lefthander, has fashioned a fine senior season, serving as one of pitching coach Koa Scott’s pair of workhorses alongside Lancaster. Abel has pitched 55 innings in eight starts, striking out 49 and walking only 14 batters. His righthanded alter ego and La Jolla youth baseball teammate, Lancaster, has logged 51 innings, going 4-5 in nine starts, including a sparkling 3-2 win over San Diego High at Petco Park on April 19.

Is the lefty surprised by his close-out campaign for the Vikes? “I thought I was going to be one of the top pitchers on the team,” said Delgadillo, not immodestly, before this week’s CIF playoffs. “I knew I was going to be an ace.”

The self-described “talkative” baseball lifer — dubbed the “Commissioner of Energy” by assistant coach Johnny Agbulos for his dugout-rousing energy — makes sure to mention his cutter along with the curveball as his effective weapons. “I’ve been throwing the curveball since I’ve been on the mound,” pitching in youth baseball.

“It’s my reset pitch,” he explains. “For example, throwing my two-seamer (fastball), if I spin it too much, I can go back to the curveball,” and readjust. He’ll alter his arm angle by the same method if it gets thrown off (he demonstrates throwing the curve with a sweeping motion across his body). “It’s like muscle memory,” Delgadillo says.

Abel also has a good sense of humor. During the interview on campus, when he was asked to show his grips for the curveball, cutter, and two-seamer, we could only find a lacrosse ball in the conference room. Here he was trying to demonstrate his grips using a yellow rubber ball without seams. We had a good chuckle over that.

Leadoff hitter Adam Lafever, who plays third base, is a close friend, as is Lancaster. “I grew up with most of the guys on the team,” recounts Delgadillo. “We played either with each other or against each other.” Another buddy is first baseman Ryan Kestler.

Abel remembers in Little League ending a game with the hidden-ball trick. “My dad (Abel Jr.—the player is Abel III) came out for a mound visit (with another pitcher). I was playing first base. I had the ball in my glove. I just applied the tag to the runner at first base, and held up my glove with the ball.” His dad cooked that one up.