Student-Athlete of the Week – Luciano Zaragoza

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Luciano Zaragoza is a senior left fielder for the Indio High School baseball team, and he is the final student-athlete of the week for the 2025-26 school year.

The Indio Rajah's were Desert Valley League champions this year, and for first-year head coach Alex Chavarria, Zaragoza played a big role in that achievement.

“I expect a lot from him," Chavarria said. "And, he's done a good job.”

While Zaragoza has mainly been a left fielder, this season he tried a new position on the mound.

“It was winter ball practice. [Chavarria] is like, 'Oh, you have a good arm. How come you don't pitch?' Zaragoza said. "I was like, 'I was never really a pitcher.' So he's like, 'I'm going to put you in the game, see how you do.' I guess I did good.”

“He's had some huge games for us," Chavarria said. "He's one of our first relievers we bring in and on the play I mean he fights, fights the whole way. And just, how we say, he's a dog.”

For Coach Chavarria, helping the Rajah's to a league title this season is just one reason while he would describe Zaragoza as a leader.

“He's positive. Always positive. A bad AB [or] doesn't pitch good, he's always with a positive attitude getting the guys going and just a great human being. Even in school, he's a great leader.”

Zaragoza said being on the Rajah's baseball team has meant everything to him. So much so, his teammates have become like family.

“We just built those relationships," Zaragoza said. "Friendships became family, and it's just a strong bond."

For Zaragoza, baseball has been his life. He started playing when he was six years old. While he has big plans to study business accounting next year, he's not sure his baseball career is done just yet.

But no matter what, he hopes to carry with him the memories and bond of his Rajah team.

“I'm going to go to Cal State Monterey Bay for school, and then hopefully I'm going to try to walk on as a baseball player there," Zaragoza said. "I hope that all of my teammates behind me, they're able to reflect years from now and be like, 'Okay, you know what? That's family.'”

The student-athlete of the week segment airs every Tuesday on KESQ News Channel 3.

If you know a senior who is a strong student, standout athlete and an exceptional person, submit a nomination to share@kesq.com.