Santa Margarita ready for another challenge

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL SEASON PREVIEW

From left, reigning Trinity League MVP Brody Schumaker, Ben Finnegan, Hayden George and Brennan Bauer are looking to lead Santa Margarita to another successful season. The Eagles finished 22-10-1 overall and 10-5 in league play, good for second place, in 2024. Leonard Ortiz / Staff Photographer

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By Steve Fryer

sfryer@scng.com

Santa Margarita’s baseball team has quite a challenge ahead.

The Eagles play a series of games this month — the season opened Monday — against Mission League teams like Harvard-Westlake, the No. 13 team in the Maxpreps.com preseason national rankings.

Santa Margarita is in The Boras Classic South tournament, hosted by JSerra and Mater Dei. The tournament has its usual assortment of mighty teams, including Corona, the No. 1 team in the Maxpreps.com national rankings, national No. 3 Huntington Beach and national No. 17 La Mirada.

Then comes play in the Trinity League that again is loaded. If all goes well, Santa Margarita is a playoff team, likely in Division 1.

Eagles senior outfielder Ben Finnegan likes his team’s chances against such formidable competition.

“We have a lot of team speed and a lot of high IQ baseball players,” said Finnegan, who was All-Orange County first team last season. “Our team culture is unmatched. We have a bond that is unbreakable and we feel like that’s going to help us get where we want to go.”

Santa Margarita junior infielder Brody Schumaker was the 2024 Trinity League Most Valuable Player and All-County first team. His father is Skip Schumaker, who was the Miami Marlins manager the past couple of years.

Versatile junior Warren Gravely was All-County third team last season and plays catcher, first base and pitches. He committed to Notre Dame.

Senior right-handed pitcher Brennan Bauer was All-Trinity League first team, and seniors Blake Ankrum, an infielder, and catcher/first baseman Carter Enoch were all-league second team last year.

The Eagles last season finished 22-10-1 overall and in second place in the Trinity League with a 10-5 league record. They advanced to the CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinals in which they lost to Huntington Beach 3-2 in eight innings. The Eagles advanced to the CIF SoCal Regional Division I semifinals.

Santa Margarita coach Chris Malec, in his eighth season in charge of the school’s baseball program, likes the mix of talent and experience on the roster.

“These kids have been around,” Malec said. “Even the guys who are juniors have a full season of playing experience under their belts. We have four pitchers who threw a serious amount of innings last season.”

NOTES

Orange County has many new baseball leagues this season. Among them is what could be the best public-school league in county baseball, the Crestview League that has Cypress, El Dorado, El Modena, Foothill and Villa Park. …

As in many other CIF-SS team sports, the baseball playoff divisions will be constructed using end-of-the-current-season data to place teams into divisions and to seed teams within the divisions. The first rankings will be posted at CIFSS.org on April 1.

ORANGE COUNTY PRESEASON TOP 10

1. Huntington Beach: The Oilers have 13 players who have committed to NCAA Division I college programs, six of them pitchers. Senior outfielder Ethan Porter was the Surf League MVP last season. Senior outfielder Trevor Goldenetz is a Long Beach State commit. Senior catcher Trent Grindlinger is discussed as an early-round MLB Draft prospect.

2. Santa Margarita: The Eagles are an experienced group, with several All-Trinity League returnees including last year’s league MVP junior infielder Brody Schumaker who also was All-County first team.

3. Orange Lutheran: The Lancers have a new head coach, RJ Farrell and the usual supply of talent. Senior first baseman Josiah Hartshorn (Texas A&M commit) is an MLB Draft early-round prospect. Texas-committed junior Brady Murrietta was All-County second team last season and might be the best catcher in county baseball.

4. JSerra: The Lions usually are pitching-rich, and that appears to be a strength of their team again this season. Senior right-hander Josh Hollis committed to Oregon and senior right-hander Max Reimers to Santa Clara. Senior infielder Tyler Dunning is committed to UCLA.

5. Mater Dei: The Monarchs have a young-ish team, but the talent is there. Leading the senior group is right-handed pitcher/first baseman Brandon Thomas. Junior right-handed pitcher Kai Bratton committed to Tennessee. Another Mater Dei junior right-hander, Jackson Campbell, committed to Notre Dame.

6. Cypress: The Centurions, who have moved from a long residency in the Empire League to the five-team Crestview League, are strong on the mound. Senior lefty Wyatt Rosales is committed to Western Oregon University.

7. Foothill: Pitching will be a strength for the Knights. Senior right-hander Gavin Lauridsen was All-Crestview League last season, also plays shortstop and is among Foothill’s better hitters and has committed to USC.

8. Villa Park: The Spartans scored two runs or fewer in 12 of their 30 games last season. They will have more offensive punch this season, led by senior center fielder Nate Lewis. Senior pitcher Val Lopez, a transfer from Servite, will be a starting pitcher after the sit-out period expires March 28.

9. Servite: The Friars will field a senior-heavy lineup. Senior outfielders Miles Scott, a four-year starter, and Avery Jones, who will bat lead-off, were All-Trinity League first team selections last season. Senior Tomas Cernius was all-league second team last year.

10. Los Alamitos: The Griffins have a new coach, Scott Talanoa, and a deep group of pitchers. Senior right-hander Jack Lorenz was All-Surf League first team last season. Senior lefty Tristan Dalzell was all-league second team last season.

TOP PLAYERS TO WATCH

Trevor Goldenetz, Huntington Beach: Goldenetz, who committed to Long Beach State, was an All-CIF selection last season.

Trent Grindlinger, Huntington Beach: The Oilers senior catcher was All-County third team last season and has committed to Mississippi State.

Josiah Hartshorn, Orange Lutheran: He was All-County third team last season as a junior and is projected to be an early-round MLB Draft prospect.

Josh Hollis, JSerra: The right-handed senior pitcher was All-County second team last year and has committed to Oregon.

Gavin Lauridsen, Foothill: One of the county’s better two-way players as a pitcher and shortstop, Lauridsen was All-Crestview League last season and has committed to USC.

Brady Murrietta, Orange Lutheran: He caught almost every inning last season as a sophomore, won the Trinity League’s Gold Glove award and was All-County second team.

Ethan Porter, Huntington Beach: The senior outfielder, an Oregon State commit, last season drove in 21 runs, had 30 hits and was Surf League MVP and All-County first team.

Wyatt Rosales, Cypress: Rosales, All-Empire League last season, will be the Centurions’ No. 1 starting pitcher and will play in the outfield and bat fourth.

Jarett Sabol, Aliso Niguel: The senior catcher was All-County second team and All-Sea View League last season and has committed to USC.

Brody Schumaker, Santa Margarita: A Trinity League MVP last season as a sophomore, Schumaker batted .383 and was All-County first team.