Daily News’ list of the top baseball pitchers to watch this spring
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The San Fernando Valley and surrounding area is loaded with high school baseball talent. As the 2023 spring season gets underway, the Daily News will look at the best players to watch on the field, from the mound and at the plate.
Be on the lookout for lists that highlight the area’s best pitchers, infielders, outfielders and hitters.
TOP PITCHERS
The Mission League is loaded with pitchers who can throw hard and keep batters off balance. It is known as one of the best leagues in the country, featuring nationally-ranked programs like Notre Dame and Harvard-Westlake, It’s the best place to start when looking for the area’s best pitchers.
Harvard-Westlake assistant coach Joe Guntz sending in the pitch. Watch the hand signals. Not even the Russians can break this stuff. (@GuntzJoe)
The result: Tommy Bridges strikeout. pic.twitter.com/O3Y86qwsIj
— Tarek Fattal (@Tarek_Fattal) May 6, 2022
Notre Dame has four NCAA Division I commits in Justin Lee (committed to UCLA), Oliver Boone (Cal), Levi Sterling (Texas) and Sammy Petrocelli (Stanford). Boone recorded 34 strikeouts in 39 innings last season while Lee fanned 33 batters in 37 innings. Lee and Petrocelli are seniors. Boone and Sterling are juniors
Standout junior Bryce Rainer (Texas) returns to the mound for Harvard-Westlake after not pitching his sophomore season. The Wolverines also return junior Duncan Marsten (Stanford), who is coming off a significant injury that kept him off the mound last season. Tommy Bridges (TCU) is the team’s top returner after going 8-1 in 12 appearances with an ERA of 1.98. He struck out 66 batters in 63 2/3 innings as a sophomore.
Crespi’s Isaiah Magdaleno (Hawaii) is the reigning Mission League Pitcher of the Year. Chaminade senior Cristian Brewster (Cal State Fullerton), Sierra Canyon junior Jonny Hagopian, Alemany senior Josh Habell, and St. Francis senior Lucas Dixon (Columbia) are pitchers expected to lead their respective teams.
In the Marmonte League, Newbury Park has a bullpen highlighted by a trio of talented next-level arms that could rival Notre Dame and Harvard-Westlake, with seniors Cole Miller (UCLA), Derek Turner (Cal State Fullerton) and James Guyette (Kansas State). Miller returns as the team’s top strikeout leader, notching 46 in 43 innings last season.
Westlake will look to juniors Andrew Habermann and Dylan Volontis. Calabasas returns senior Peter Lynch and junior Jordan Kingston. Oaks Christian senior Jaden Onaca is the returning Marmonte League Pitcher of the Year after finishing last year with a 1.74 ERA in 76 1/3 innings.
Be on the lookout for Agoura’s Braylen Dritz, a transfer from Westlake. Coach Anthony Chevrier expects Dritz to have an immediate impact after serving his sit-out period as a transfer.
In the Foothill League, Hart has a savvy bullpen led by four seniors in Mike Rogozik, Sean Elsee (LHP), Chris Downs (LHP) and Lucas DeSpain. West Ranch junior Jackson Banuelos (LHP) and senior Drew Greenberg will anchor the Wildcats from the bump. Valencia senior Ricardo Ojeda (UC Irvine) is the top arm for the Vikings. Saugus’ No. 1 is senior TJ Cataldi, the school’s starting quarterback in the fall. Cataldi plays center field when he’s not on the mound. Castaic returns All-Foothill League second-team selection Kyler Freude, a senior lefty.
Daniel Flores gets Birmingham out of the inning. Bases loaded.
Birmingham 0, ECR 0. Heading to B5 pic.twitter.com/C5V1i9yGl5
— Tarek Fattal (@Tarek_Fattal) May 26, 2022
In the City Section’s West Valley League, Birmingham is very strong and poised for a run at the City title. Seniors Daniel Flores and Kaden Taque (Cal) will lead the way. Cleveland senior Kevin Vazquez, Granada Hills junior Easton Hawk and El Camino Real senior Oscar Lopez are the top pitchers to watch in the league.
Quartz Hill has a pair of senior pitchers in Logan Reddemann and Dominick Lee. Simi Valley senior Matthew Cuccias, Camarillo senior Blake Uribe and Moorpark senior Roman Munoz are other pitchers to watch.