Herschbach, Tafoya named All-State baseball players

Magdalena Steers juniors Javen Tafoya and Ayden Herschbach have been named to the New Mexico High School Coaches Association All-State baseball teams after their performances in the 2024 baseball season.

“Getting selected as an all-state athlete is a huge honor. It means you are one of the best athletes in that class at that selected position. To have two guys, one first team and one second team, is a testament

to the hard work and the athleticism of the kids we have here in Magdalena,” Magdalena head coach Kyl Candelaria said.

Tafoya leads the way with his first-team All-State selection as an outfielder who batted .368 with 14 RBI and a home fielding percentage.

Herschbach’s second-team infield All-State selection comes after a utility season that saw him play a number of spots, including pitcher and catcher. His .442 led the Steers through 16 games played, where he collected 23 hits and scored 15 runs. Herschbach’s fielding percentage was another team-high through 16 games played.

“You can have all the talent in the world, but without hard work, it doesn’t mean much. Javen and Ayden had solid seasons. That is something that should motivate everyone else on the team -- not for the competition of individual awards, but the desire to get better. If 12, 13, or 14 guys strive be better individually, the overall outcome of the team will be incredible. I have a feeling that you will see a couple more all-state selections and great gains from Magdalena Baseball next season.” Candelaria said.