SoCal High School Baseball: OC Top 10

The Top 10 this week has no movement in the top five but sees some shuffling in the second five. There are three new entrants into the Top 10 this week and a couple in the “others” list.

This is how I voted in the Top 10 this week with previous rank in parentheses:

1. JSerra 9-2 (1): Coming off a strong 3-1 performance in the Boras Classic, the Lions continue their stranglehold on the top spot. While the pitching and hitting have been a little inconsistent, JSerra is winning games by doing the little things like taking the extra bag and getting bunts down along with playing stout defense. This week will tell us a lot about how serious a title contender the Lions are as they face three league threats.

Santa Margarita (Mon.), Mater Dei (Wed.) and Orange Lutheran (Fri.)

2. Huntington Beach 10-2 (2): The Oilers needed two unearned runs to beat a very good Edison team 3-2 in a game that will serve as a very good win when it comes to playoff seedings. The pitching staff has been lights out carrying a 1.96ERA and Hagen Danner is quickly becoming the toughest closer in the county. The offense should see an uptick with warmer weather coming in the next few weeks.

Newport Harbor (Tues. & Thurs.)

3. San Clemente 15-3 (3): The Tritons continue to go about their business while not being talked about too much and it appears they’re just fine with that. San Clemente is getting it done with pitching (1.79 team ERA) and hitting (.310 team BA). After a 5-0 run through the Lions Tournament, the Tritons get back into league action this week and look to build on their perfect record (2-0).

Dana Hills (Tues.), Aliso Niguel (Fri.)

4. Esperanza 8-2 (4): The Aztecs are as impressive a team as I’ve seen and if it weren’t for a loss to Brea last week they likely would have moved up instead of staying put. Featuring six players hitting over .300 (min. 15 PA) highlighted by Tristan Hildebrandt (.500), Esperanza is proving they’re back after a bit of a drop off last season. The pitching has been outstanding for Coach Curran as well. Harrison Pyatt gets a lot of the pub, and rightfully so, but it’s Dominic Potlongo who is stealing the show. Three games this week will get the Aztecs ready for the always-difficult National Classic next week.

El Modena (Mon.), Foothill (Tues. & Thurs.)

5. Trabuco Hills 12-2 (5): The Mustangs continue to roll after sweeping Paramount in a double header this past week. They’ll get an opportunity to take the outright lead in league this week when they face Capo Valley. Trabuco Hills is a lot like San Clemente in that nobody talks about them much but they just keep winning games and climbing rankings.

Capo Valley (Wed.), Mission Viejo (Fri.)

6. Tesoro 13-3 (7): The Titans went 5-1 in the Lions Tournament and continue to prove they aren’t going anywhere. Jordan Martini, Colton Richardson, Bryan Fettis, and Spencer Heinsius are all sophomores that you’ll be hearing about for the next few years. That core of youngsters is playing beyond expectations so far and could help lead Tesoro into a deep postseason run.

Long Beach Wilson – Edison Tourney (Mon.), El Toro (Tues.), Capo Valley (Fri.)

7. Dana Hills 13-4 (6): The Dolphins hit a bit of a hiccup against a good Sonora team in the Lions Tournament, but still managed a 4-1 record in the event. Pitcher, Louis Raymond (USF signee), has been impressive so far boasting a 6-1 record and a 1.76 ERA. Sophomore infielder, Shawn Kany, is doing it both with his bat (.370 BA) and his glove for Dana Hills, which plays only one game this week, but it’s a big one.

San Clemente (Tues.)

8. Edison 11-5 (NR): First-year head coach, Cameron Chinn, is getting results with his aggressive approach on the bases and his insistence on quality pitching and defense. Junior pitcher, Noah Kronfly, is having a breakout season for the Chargers both on the mound and in the field. Brian Schales and Jake Scott are providing quality support for Edison. The Chargers had Huntington Beach on the ropes but couldn't deliver the knockout blow. Look for the rematch in the second-to-last week of the season to carry league title implications.

Marina (Tues. & Thurs)

9. Laguna Beach 13-2 (NR): The Breakers enter the Top 10 this week red-hot, winners of nine-of-their-last ten games. Laguna Beach is hitting .392 as a team and has 12 players hitting over .300 (min. 15 PA), led by Richie Nunis’ eye-popping .455 batting average. On the mound, the Breakers are tough to hit against (1.80 team ERA), especially when Grant Wilhelm (5-0, 1.17ERA) is throwing.

Capo Valley Christian (Wed.)

10. Servite 8-5 (NR): Since beginning the season 1-3, the Friars have gone 7-2 including a controversial 7th inning loss to JSerra in Angels Stadium (see video here). Second-year coach, Jeff Sears, is beginning to see the results he expected when he took the job last year. The Friars boast one of the most underrated pitching staffs in the county and have used timely hitting and excellent defense so far.