Email me at socalhsbaseball@gmail.com
SoCal Baseball Notes 3/28/17
If the #NHSI17 has an all SoCal semifinal will @USABaseball move the event to Cali for a year? @MikeP_NHSI pic.twitter.com/6sMmF0ltfz— Les Lukach (@LesLukach) March 27, 2017
Congrats Connor!
Connor with a double down the line against Nick Pratto at Angel Stadium. @LesLukach @connoraoki @EdisonSportsNet @richboyce4 @ocvarsity pic.twitter.com/wJ2g7a8H3u— Damon Aoki (@HB_Aoki_Boys) March 23, 2017
Email me at socalhsbaseball@gmail.com
OC Top 10 3/27/17
SoCal Baseball Notes 3/21/17
’18 MIF Matt McLain of @BPatsBaseball & a @UCLABaseball commit goes Ya-Ya! @SoCalSidelines @ocvarsity @SteveFryer @SoCalSteve9 @ShotgunSprD1 pic.twitter.com/lSwryujU6u— Les Lukach (@LesLukach) March 18, 2017
Freeway League: Fullerton appears to be the frontrunner, but don’t count out Troy. Love what Arlie Kearney is doing at Sunny Hills.
Sea View League: Hans Crouse is the best player on what appears to be the best team in the league.
Moore League: The league may be down a little bit from a talent standpoint, but this is always a fun league to follow. Read the league preview from my friends at the PT Gazette.
In my opinion the class of 2019 is the next best class in the SoCal area as it pertains to MLB Draft prospects. That class is as loaded at the top as this current class, but in my opinion has far greater depth – especially on the mound where there are several top pitchers in this class.
Runners on 2& 3
John Olmstead delivers3run HOME RUN!!! pic.twitter.com/OHEObzLcwC— NHHS Tars Baseball (@NHHSTars) March 14, 2017
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THE BEST PLAYER YOU’VE LIKELY NEVER HEARD OF:
Not many know him, but they will. Say hello to ’19 SS JaJa Bellinger of Carson. @RockstarBasebal @ErikkAldridge @socalscouts @SoCalSidelines pic.twitter.com/zrQtmqsa2Q— Les Lukach (@LesLukach) March 18, 2017
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Kid hits, runs, & throws. Boy does he throw. @RockstarBasebal @ErikkAldridge @socalscouts @SoCalSidelines pic.twitter.com/bPJd7QVXd5— Les Lukach (@LesLukach) March 18, 2017
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I JUST REALLY LIKE THIS GUY
RJ Lan of La Mirada is signed to play baseball at TCU and the funny thing is he could’ve played Division I football had he chosen to. According to his football coach, Lan was the only player in SoCal with Division I offers in both football and baseball. Based on the video below, I think the kid made the right decision.
TCU Commit RJ Lan hitting a 3 run HR today vs. Narbonne; Final LM 9-NHS 1 @LesLukach @SteveRRamirez @latsondheimer @TCU_Baseball @TCUSchloss pic.twitter.com/Cwe9npCCS4— bgdaddylan (@bgdaddylan) March 19, 2017
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As always, thanks for reading.
Email me at socalhsbaseball@gmail.com
OC Top 10 3/20/17
Here is how I voted in this weeks OC Top 10.
Email me at socalhsbaseball@gmail.com
SoCal Baseball Notes 3/13/17
The 2017 season is well underway and so far there have been some surprises. A few teams we expected to come out of the gate hot have not quite found their groove yet, while other teams have come out of that gate on fire while not expected too.
In other words, it’s a typical high school baseball season in SoCal.
The Trinity League is often considered by many to be the best league in the state and that may very well be the case with roughly 50 Division I commits playing among the six participating schools.
However, there are plenty of leagues that play a very good brand of baseball and should have fierce competition this season.
Jake Moberg of @VMHSBaseball1 w/a standup 2B. #UCLA commit. Top #MLBDraft prospect in ’18. @ShotgunSprD1 @SoCalSteve9 @PEcom_preps pic.twitter.com/jk293ucIkG— Les Lukach (@LesLukach) March 12, 2017
Looking Further Ahead:
Case in point, Guillemette w/a huge 2RBI 2B for @ServiteFriarsBB to make it 3-2 #VMHS @ocvarsity @SteveFryer @SoCalSidelines @ServiteSports pic.twitter.com/OWCgNdJTVz— Les Lukach (@LesLukach) March 12, 2017
’19 RHP Alec Rath of @ServiteFriarsBB. Interesting arm. pic.twitter.com/eLYIswm95v— Les Lukach (@LesLukach) March 12, 2017
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Congrats, Dylan. With this award and $2.00, you can get a cup of coffee.
New Mexico commit @dylanzavala5 with a 2r Bomb in 1st inn today for @_walnutbaseball #easypower pic.twitter.com/7eHnsCL5m8— Steve Dye (@dyebaseball) March 11, 2017
This week we are being constantly reminded of what not to do as parents as it pertains to our children’s participation in sports. Unless you’re living in a hole somewhere, you’ve undoubtedly heard about Lavar Ball and his ridiculous comments about both his children’s high school team, and their future earning potential as pros.
You’ve probably also heard his claim that he would school Michael Jordan in one-on-one.
Email me at socalhsbaseball@gmail.com
What A Start To The Season
Welcome back to the zany world of high school baseball in SoCal.
Hunter Greene gives the crowd and Notre Dame a treat. 2-out grand slam in the 2nd inning. pic.twitter.com/fwkZjugpvT— Evan Barnes (@evan_b) February 25, 2017
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Ayala is off to a great start at 6-0 and will play in the championship of the Chino tournament. Head coach Chris Vogt has a bevy of talent on his roster and at the top is two-way standout Joe Naranjo. The LHP/1B is sophomore Cal State Fullerton commit who is a quiet leader of the team. Patrick Ise, Adam Seminaris, Dylan Cook, and Daniel Ramirez are all batting over .400 for the Bulldogs who will challenge South Hills for the Palomares League Title.
El Dorado is off to an impressive start for head coach Matt Lucas. After an opening loss to Cypress, the Golden Hawks have reeled off three impressive wins highlighted by a 4-3 win over a very good, top 10 ranked, El Toro team. The Golden Hawks play Los Alamitos tomorrow in the semis of the Loara Tournament.
Speaking of Riverside King, the Wolves are one of those teams people like to call sneaky good because of the talent that not many know about. This season is a new beginning as head coach Steve Madril came in after guiding JW North for 10 years including a CIF-SS Championship in 2011. The Wolves opened the 2017 campaign with a resounding double-header sweep of highly touted Bishop Amat. It’s way too early to tell, but I wouldn’t be surprised if King is one of the better teams at seasons end.
.@HagenDanner then does this! @NathanRode @hudsonbelinsky @USABEvents @JonathanMayo #NoDoubter #400Footer pic.twitter.com/L7MYtV7v48— Les Lukach (@LesLukach) March 4, 2017
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.@HagenDanner DESTROYS another one on 1st pitch. 3R BOMB! @NathanRode @hudsonbelinsky @USABEvents @JonathanMayo #NoDoubter #HaveADay pic.twitter.com/0tBWlI7izZ— Les Lukach (@LesLukach) March 4, 2017
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One side note about Aliso, one person whose opinion and ability to evaluate talent I respect greatly told me the Wolverines have arguably the best freshman and sophomore class in the county.
Gilbert hits a WALK-OFF single to left scoring Carlos from 3rd! Friars defeat Cypress 5-4 & improve to 5-1 on the season. #Credo pic.twitter.com/DGmzDE6C5J— Servite Athletics (@ServiteSports) March 8, 2017
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Therefore, if little Jimmy is crushing a pitcher who is at-best an average to above average varsity player in their part of the country, how then can one assume that Jimmy is going to handle big time college level pitching?
2017 MLK Tourney (updated 1/12)
The annual MLK tourney has grown into one of the best preseason tournaments in SoCal thanks to the incredible work by event organizers. What started as just a few teams at a few fields has grown into an event that has 48 of the best teams in SoCal all descending to fields in-and-around the Orange County area.
The event is presently scheduled to begin Friday and run through Monday. With rain expected to hit the Southland all day on Thursday, coaches are hoping to have fields ready to play on by the weekend.
There have already been modifications to the schedule as a result of the weather that’s hit the area this week and there are likely to be more coming. Therefore, for updates throughout the event, be sure to follow @sanjuanmissions for updates on the schedule and game results.
The event is expected to have many top committed and uncommitted players participating, giving pro scouts an opportunity to get eyes on some upcoming draft eligible prospects. Every coach I’ve spoken with told me they look forward to this event every year as it serves as the unofficial kickoff for their season.
“It’s an opportunity to play really good competition in mid-January which gives us a really good opportunity to evaluate where we are headed into the season,” said one participating head coach. “We hope (the tournament) continues for a long time.”
Below is the complete schedule as of Wednesday, January 11th.
1. Jserra Catholic | 2. Chatsworth | 3. Vista Murrieta | 4. El Dorado | |
Friday: | vs Villa Park 4:00 | No Game | No Game | No Game |
Friday: | vs Agoura 6:30 | No Game | No Game | No Game |
Saturday: | vs Calabassas 8:00 | at Jserra 10:30 | at Santa Margarita 10:00 | vs De LaSalle 1:00 (JS) |
Saturday: | vs Chatsworth 10:30 | at Dana Hills 1:30 | vs Valencia 1:30 (Saddle) | vs Bishop Amat 6:00 (JS) |
Sunday: | No Game | at Tesoro 10:00 | at San Clemente 10:00 | at St John Bosco 10:00 |
Sunday: | No Game | No Game | No Game | No Game |
Monday: | vs Moorpark 10:30 | at St. John Bosco 10:00 | vs Servite 8:00 (JS) | vs West Ranch 12:00 |
8. Moorpark | 9. San Luis Obispo | 10. Canyon | 11. Great Oak | |
Friday: | No Game | No Game | No Game | No Game |
Saturday: | at Dana Hills 10:00 | at Esperanza 10:00 | vs Thousand Oaks 10:00 | at El Toro 1:00 |
Saturday: | No Game | at El Modena 1:15 | vs El Camino Real 1:15 | vs Agoura 3:30 (JS) |
Sunday: | at Mission Viejo 10:00 | at Villa Park 10:00 | vs Camarillo 10:00 | No Game |
Sunday: | at Tesoro 1:00 | at Canyon 1:00 | vs San Luis Obispo 1:00 | vs Valencia 1:00 (Sant) |
Monday: | at Jserra 10:30 | No Game | vs Palm Desert 10:00 | at Corona 10:00 |
15. Calabasas | 16. Malibu | 17. Palm Desert | 18. Agoura | |
Friday: | No Game | No Game | No Game | at Jserra Catholic 6:30 |
Saturday: | at JSerra 8:00 | vs Riverside Poly 8:00 (JS) | at Tesoro 10:00 | vs Palm Desert 1:00 (JS) |
Saturday: | at Woodbridge 10:45 | at Woodbridge 1:30 | vs Agoura 1:00 (JS) | vs Great Oak 3:30 (JS) |
Sunday: | at San Clemente 1:30 | at St Paul 10:00 | No Game | at Santa Margarita 10:00 |
Sunday: | vs Bishop Amat 6:00 (JS) | No Game | at Santa Margarita 1:00 | at Dana Hills 1:30 |
Monday: | vs De LaSalle 8:00 (JS) | at Tesoro 10:00 | at Canyon 10:00 | No Game |
22. De La Salle (2) | 23. Camarillo | 24. Capo Valley Christian | 25. JW North | |
Friday: | No Game | No Game | No Game | No Game |
Saturday: | vs Temecula Valley 10:00 (Sant) | at El Modena 10:00 | vs West Ranch 10:00 (CYP) | at San Clemente 10:00 |
Saturday: | vs Riverside Poly 1:00 (Sant) | at Foothill 1:00 | vs Sun Valley Poly 2:00 (CYP) | at San Juan Hills 1:00 |
Sunday: | vs ML King 8:00 (JS) | at Canyon 10:00 | at Buena Park 10:00 | No Game |
Sunday: | at Crean Lutheran 10:30 | at Esperanza 1:15 | at St Paul 1:00 | vs West Ranch 1:00 (JS) |
Monday: | at Santa Margarita 9:00 | No Game | No Game | vs Harvard Westlake 10:30 (JS) |
29. Crean Lutheran | 30. Bishop Amat | 31. Sun Valley Poly | 32. Oaks Christian | |
Friday: | No Game | No Game | No Game | No Game |
Saturday: | vs Sun Valley Poly 10:00 | No Game | at Crean Lutheran 10:00 | at Corona 10:00 |
Saturday: | No Game | vs El Dorado 6:00 (JS) | at Capo Valley Christian 1:00 (CYP) | at Corona/Santiago 1:00 |
Sunday: | vs De Lasalle (2) 10:30 | vs Harvard Westlake 3:30 (JS) | vs Temecula Valley 10:00 (Sant) | at El Toro 10:00 |
Sunday: | vs Birmingham 1:30 | vs Calabasas 6:00 (JS) | No Game | No Game |
Monday: | vs Newbury Park 10:00 | at Corona Santiago 10:00 | at Buena Park 10:00 | at Mission Viejo 10:00 |
36. Harvard Westlake | 37. Foothill | 38. Esperanza | 39. Newbury Park | |
Friday: | No Game | No Game | No Game | No Game |
Saturday: | at El Toro 10:00 | vs El Camino Real 10:00 | vs San Luis Obispo 10:00 | at Villa Park 10:00 |
Saturday: | at Mission Viejo 1:00 | vs Camarillo 1:00 | vs Newbury Park 1:00 | at Esperanza 1:00 |
Sunday: | No Game | vs Newbury Park 10:00 | vs El Camino Real 10:00 | at Foothill 10:00 |
Sunday: | vs Bishop Amat 3:30 (JS) | vs Thousand Oaks 1:00 | vs Camarillo 1:15 | No Game |
Monday: | vs JW North 10:30 (JS) | vs Alemany 10:00 | vs Birmingham 10:00 | at Crean Lutheran 10:00 |
43. Woodbridge | 44. El Toro | 45. Mission Viejo | 46. Villa Park | |
(Ryan Lemmon Stadium) | ||||
Friday: | No Game | No Game | No Game | at Jserra Catholic 4:00 |
Saturday: | vs Calabassas 10:45 | vs Harvard Westlake 10:00 | vs De LaSalle 10:00 | vs Newbury Park 10:00 |
Saturday: | vs Malibu 1:30 | vs Great Oak 1:00 | vs Harvard Westlake 1:00 | vs Thousand Oaks 1:00 |
Sunday: | at San Juan Hills 10:00 | vs Oaks Christian 10:00 | vs Moorpark 10:00 | vs San Luis Obispo 10:00 |
Sunday: | No Game | vs Notre Dame 1:00 | vs Riverside Poly 1:00 | No Game |
Monday: | vs Riverside Poly 10:00 | vs Etiwanda 10:00 | vs Oaks Christian 10:00 | No Game |
50. Birmingham | 51. Notre Dame | 52. Alemany | Saturday Host Site Game | |
Friday: | No Game | No Game | No Game | Jserra Field 2 |
Saturday: | at St Paul 10:00 | at Corona/Santiago 10:00 | No Game | 8:00 Riverside Poly vs Malibu |
Saturday: | at Buena Park 1:30 | at Corona 1:00 | at San Juan Hills 10:00 | 10:30 Valencia vs Roosevelt |
Sunday: | vs Etiwanda 10:30 (JS) | at El Toro 1:00 | vs ML King 10:30 (JS) | 1:00 De LaSalle vs El Dorado |
Sunday: | No Game | No Game | vs Servite 1:00 (JS) | |
Monday: | at Esperanza 10:00 | No Game | at Foothill 10:00 | |
Saturday Host Site: | Saturday Host Site: | Saturday Host Site | Sunday Host Site | |
Jserra Varsity | (Saddleback College) | Corona Santiago (Field 2) | Corona Santiago (Field 2) | |
8:00 JSerra vs Calabasas | 10:00 Temecula Valley vs De LaSalle (2) | 10:00 Sun Valley Poly vs Temecula Valley | ||
10:30 Jserra vs Chatsworth | 1:00 Riverside Poly vs De LaSalle (2) | |||
1:00 Agoura vs Palm Desert | 1:30 Vista Murrieta vs Valencia | |||
3:30 Agoura vs Great Oak | ||||
6:00 El Dorado vs Bishop Amat | ||||
5. St John Bosco | 6. Thousand Oaks | 7. Santa Margarita | ||
No Game | No Game | No Game | ||
Friday: | No Game | No Game | No Game | |
Saturday: | vs Etiwanda 10:00 | at Canyon 10:00 | vs Vista Murrieta 10:00 | |
Saturday: | vs ML King 1:00 | at Villa Park 1:00 | vs West Ranch 1:00 | |
Sunday: | vs El Dorado 10:00 | at El Modena 10:00 | vs Agoura 10:00 | |
Sunday: | vs El Camino Real 2:00 | at Foothill 1:00 | vs Palm Desert 1:00 | |
Monday: | vs Chatsworth 10:00 | No Game | vs De LaSalle (2) 9:00 | |
12. West Ranch | 13. Valencia | 14. Temecula Valley | ||
Friday: | No Game | No Game | No Game | |
Saturday: | vs Capo Valley Christian 10:00 (CYP) | vs Roosevelt 10:30 (JS) | vs De LaSalle 10:00 (Sant) | |
Saturday: | at Santa Margarita 1:00 | vs Vista Murrieta 1:30 (Saddle) | No Game | |
Sunday: | vs JW North 1:00 (JS) | at Corona Santiago 10:00 | vs Sun Valley Poly 10:00 (Sant) | |
Sunday: | vs De LaSalle 3:15 (JS) (2) Lights? | vs Great Oak 1:00 (Sant) | at Roosevelt 1:30 | |
Monday: | at El Dorado 12:00 | No Game | at San Clemente 10:00 | |
19. El Camino Real | 20. Buena Park | 21. De La Salle | ||
Friday: | No Game | No Game | No Game | |
Saturday: | at Foothill 10:00 | vs Servite 10:00 | at Mission Viejo 10:00 | |
Saturday: | at Canyon 1:15 | vs Birmingham 1:30 | vs El Dorado 1:00 (JS) | |
Sunday: | at Esperanza 10:00 | vs Capo Valley Christian 10:00 | vs Servite 8:00 (JS) | |
Sunday: | at St John Bosco 2:00 | No Game | vs West Ranch 3:15 (JS) (2) Lights? | |
Monday: | No Game | vs Sun Valley Poly 10:00 | vs Calabasas 8:00 (JS) | |
26. El Modena | 27. Roosevelt | 28. Servite | ||
Friday: | No Game | No Game | No Game | |
Saturday: | vs Camarillo 10:00 | vs Valencia 10:30 (JS) | at Buena Park 10:00 | |
Saturday: | vs San Luis Obispo 1:15 | at Tesoro 1:30 | No Game | |
Sunday: | vs Thousand Oaks 10:00 | vs Temecula Valley (Roosevelt) 1:30 | vs De LaSalle 8:00 (JS) | |
Sunday: | No Game | No Game | vs Alemany 1:00 (JS) | |
Monday: | vs Roosevelt 10:00 | at El Modena 10:00 | vs Vista Murrieta 8:00 (JS) | |
33. San Clemente | 34. Corona/Santiago | 35. Etiwanda | ||
Friday: | No Game | No Game | No Game | |
Saturday: | vs Jw North 10:00 | vs Notre Dame 10:00 | at St John Bosco 10:00 | |
Saturday: | vs Calabasas 1:30 | vs Oaks Christian 1:00 | No Game | |
Sunday: | vs Vista Murrieta 10:00 | vs Valencia 10:00 | vs Birmingham 10:30 (JS) | |
Sunday: | vs Etiwanda 1:00 | No Game | at San Clemente 1:00 | |
Monday: | vs Temecula Valley 10:00 | vs Bishop Amat 10:00 | at El Toro 10:00 | |
40. Riverside Poly | 41. ML King | 42. Corona | ||
Friday: | No Game | No Game | No Game | |
Saturday: | vs Malibu 8:00 (JS) | No Game | vs Oaks Christian 10:00 | |
Saturday: | vs De LaSalle 1:00 (Sant) | at St John Bosco 1:00 | vs Notre Dame 1:00 | |
Sunday: | No Game | vs De LaSalle (2) 8:00 (JS) | at Dana Hills 10:00 | |
Sunday: | at Mission Viejo 1:00 | vs Alemany 10:30 (JS) | No Game | |
Monday: | at Woodbridge 10:00 | at San Juan Hills 10:00 | vs Great Oak 10:00 | |
47. San Juan Hills | 48. Dana Hills | 49. Tesoro | ||
Friday: | No Game | No Game | No Game | |
Saturday: | vs Alemany 10:00 | vs Moorpark 10:00 | vs Palm Desert 10:00 | |
Saturday: | vs Jw North 1:00 | vs Chatsworth 1:30 | vs Roosevelt 1:30 | |
Sunday: | vs Woodbridge 10:00 | vs Corona 10:00 | vs Chatsworth 10:00 | |
Sunday: | No Game | vs Agoura 1:30 | vs Moorpark 1:00 | |
Monday: | vs ML King 10:00 | No Game | vs Malibu 10:00 | |
Sunday Host Site Games | Sunday Host Site | Monday Host Site | ||
Jserra Varsity | Jserra Field 2 | Jserra Varsity/Field 2 | ||
8:00 Servite vs De LaSalle | 8:00 ML King vs De LaSalle 2 | 8:00 Servite vs Vista Murrieta | ||
10:30 Alemany vs ML King | 10:30 Etiwanda vs Birmingham | 10:30 Jserra vs Moorpark | ||
1:00 JW North vs West Ranch | 1:00 Alemany vs Servite | 8:00 Calabasas vs De LaSalle | ||
3:30 Bishop Amat vs HW | 3:15 West Ranch vs De LaSalle (JS) | 10:30 Harvard Westlake vs JW North | ||
6:00 Bishop Amat vs Calabasas | (Until Dark)? | |||
Monday Host Site | Sunday Host Site | St Paul: (Late Add) | ||
Corona Santiago (Field 2) | Roosevelt HS | Sat: vs Birmingham10:00 | ||
No Game | Temecula Valley at Roosevelt 1:30 | Sund: vs Malibu 10:00 | ||
Sund: vs Capo Valley Christian 1:00 | ||||
Monday: |
USD MLK Team Camp
USD assistant coach, Brad Marcelino, has built the MLK Team Camp into one of the best camps on the west coast. The event annually draws the top teams from the west coast. What started as an event with top teams from SoCal has expanded to include teams from as far away as Colorado. This years roster of teams includes teams from Colorado, Nevada, and Arizona in addition to the usual roster of quality programs from SoCal.
This years event will certainly attract scouts from most teams with picks at the top of this years draft as the team camp features three of the top 40 players nationally. Garrett Mitchell (OLu/UCLA), Nick Pratto (Huntington Beach/USC), and Hagen Danner (Huntington Beach/UCLA) are scheduled to participate in the event and are expected to be high round draft picks in the 2017 MLB Draft.
Other top players include Evan Fitterer (Aliso Niguel/UCLA), Ethan Reed (Aliso Niguel/USC), Blake Hunt (Mater Dei/Pepperdine), Grant Burton (Mater Dei/Stanford), Emilio Rosas (Mater Dei/CAL), Blake Mann (Chaminade/UCSB), Sean Sullivan (Chaminade/Oregon State), Austin Wells (Bishop Gorman), Drew Swift (Hamilton), Cole Bellinger (Hamilton/Grand Canyon), Nick Brueser (Hamilton/Stanford).
Below is the complete schedule.
4:30pm Basic HS (NV) vs. Mater Dei HS (CA)
Get To College Camp
San Gabriel Valley youth baseball players are invited to the inaugural San Gabriel Valley “Get To College” Free Baseball Clinic.
The clinic will take place at Mt. Sac on December 26th from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm.
The brainchild of current St. Mary’s head coach Eric Valenzuela, the free clinic is an opportunity for youth ballplayers – both boys and girls – to receive instruction from collegiate coaches, along with some of the areas most respected coaches, and have a good time doing it.
“This is something I have been wanting to do for a long time,” said Valenzuelza who led the Gaels to the NCAA tournament last year in just his third season as the head coach at St. Mary’s. “Giving back to my community is very important to me. I absolutely love where I come from and have been wanting to give back to the SGV community for years.”
Valenzuela, a Bishop Amat alum, is not the only former player from the San Gabriel Valley that will be serving as instructor at the clinic. Sergio Brown, a Mountain View HS alum and current assistant coach at the University of Arizona, and Gabe Alvarez, a Bishop Amat alum and current assistant coach at the University of Southern California are also serving as host coaches for the clinic.
“Gabe, Sergio, and I are the only Division I coaches from the San Gabriel Valley.” said Valenzuela. “Our vision is to give back as well as let kids from the SGV know that going to college can happen.”
While the focus of the clinic is baseball, there will be giveaways, prizes, and an autograph session with other former SGV area players. The hope for Valenzuela, Brown, and Alvarez is that the clinic allows kids from the area to realize that baseball can be a tool to reach their dreams and goals.
“I am hoping we can reach some of these kids and help them better their lives in some way,” said Alvarez who currently serves as the recruiting coordinator at USC. “The SGV is very special to Eric, Sergio and myself and we want to do our part in making it better.”
The San Gabriel Valley has long been a hotbed of baseball talent in Southern California. The region annually produces top collegiate and professional prospects, many of whom have gone on to have successful baseball careers. The talent rich area is a very tight knit community and baseball produces a great sense of pride in the area.
“My love of baseball was established at South El Monte Little League and Mountain View High School,” said Brown who serves as recruiting coordinator at the University of Arizona. “I’m only reciprocating what I owe my community for what it’s helped me become.”
The sense of pride in their community is evident with the three coaches behind this clinic.
-Les Lukach