The 2018 spring season is officially underway, with teams completing their scrimmages and hitting the diamond for some marquee non-league games. While it is impossible to highlight all the top returning teams and players, especially with the depth of talent in Northern California, we take a look at 10 teams worth keeping an eye on, and 25 players who will bear watching.
And if your team is not featured in this preview, that just means we assume we will be writing about you down the road. After all, while programs such as De La Salle and Casa Grande have made a habit of being around at the end in recent years, others such as Miramonte last year emerged from off everyone’s radar to win their first 27 games and reach the Division III title game.
There are some traditionally strong programs, such as San Ramon Valley and Heritage, who are not on this list right now after heavy losses to graduation, while others such as Dublin could catch our eye soon enough, with a ton of returners from last year’s team. With that in mind, let the fun begin, as we start down the road to crowning new champions at the conclusion of the spring season.
10 TEAMS TO WATCH (in alphabetical order):
Amador Valley
The Dons have a strong core returning from last year’s team which earned the second seed in the Division I playoffs before getting stunned by Heritage in the first round. Mitch Benson and Trevor Wallace provide a solid righty-lefty combo on the mound, while George Briggs, Nick Proctor, and Chico State commit Carlos Quintana anchor what should be a solid infield. Max Heverly brings plenty of range to the outfield, while Proctor should also bolster the pitching staff.
Cardinal Newman
The big change for the Cardinals is in the dugout, where former Maria Carrillo coach Derek DeBenedetti now resides, having taken over for TJ McMahon, who resigned after last spring. He inherits a team which reached the playoffs last year, and has a pair of key multi-sport returners in Jason Moran and Beau Barrington, who both received first-team All-NBL honors last year. Losing Vinny Tosti to Mater Dei-Santa Ana certainly hurts, but with DeBenedetti’s track record and a few key returners, look for the Cardinals to make some noise.
Casa Grande
Longtime coach Paul Maytorena is retired, replaced by Chad Fillinger, who will rely on a few key pieces to build around, after the graduation of one of the top senior classes anywhere last spring. AJ Miller will be one of the cornerstones of the infield, as will fellow senior Dylan Moore. Having a healthy Aaron Van Tighem will be key for the pitching staff, which also returns 2017 All-NBL selection Nik Kamages and Broc Burleson.
De La Salle
The Spartans and their hefty 33-man roster are an annual staple on this list, and for good reason. Helping the pitching staff this year is the return of Austin Elder behind the plate, after a near flawless junior season. He will handle a staff that is headlined by the return of Nick Cirelli, along with senior Ryan Costeiu and sophomore left-hander Kyle Harrison. Trace Tammaro anchors the infield and the middle of the lineup, and keep an eye on the emergence of multi-sport athletes such as John Deitchman and Jack Powers, plus senior infielders Dominic Grupalo and Taison Corio.
Drake
After winning the Division III title last spring, the Pirates find themselves in Division II, but the expectations for coach Will Mosley’s team have not changed, especially with the return of senior pitcher Ryan McLaughlin, who was a first-team All-NCS selection last spring. The rest of the pitching staff was senior-laden last year, but watch for junior Eamonn Lance as one of the other arms, while senior Case Delst is another key returner to the lineup. Drake has a challenging non-league schedule, which should prepare the Pirates for both the MCAL and the transition to Division II.
Foothill
Getting back the combination of Brett Hansen and Sam Novitske makes the Falcons one of the early favorites in the section, and they are hardly the only key returners. Catcher Jeremy Lea is back after a stellar junior campaign, Jake Simons is another key returner in the infield, Dylan Pottgieser will strengthen the rotation, and Owen Camp helps in multiple places.
James Logan
It’s nothing new to highlight programs who return their top arms, so therefore Logan lands on our watch list, even after losing coach Matt Matuszak. Mark Turnquist and Nino Bartolome, along with Oscar Lepe, handled nearly all the pitching duties last season, and all three are back this spring. The lineup loses the big bat of Michael Gallagher, but Lepe and Bartolome are key returners, along with Jose Esquivez and Kimo Fukafuka.
Marin Catholic
If pitching wins championships, the Wildcats will be in excellent shape under coach Jesse Foppert. Addison Berger and Jordan Baldwin are both Division I-bound pitchers, while multi-sport standout Ben Skinner adds to a deep staff that includes returners Dylan Joyce, Vaughn Mauterer, and Sean Henry. The return of Joyce should also help an offense which struggled at times in 2017. Chad Vasquez and CJ Castillo are also key returners to the lineup.
Monte Vista
Much like Marin Catholic, the returning Division I finalist Mustangs are well set on the mound, with Josh White, Jackson Ertz, and Ryan Fleming among the returners. The lineup is also in decent shape, especially if it can set the table for Andrew Howard. That will be up to returners such as Tom Gavello, Dylan Lawlor, and Nick Evans.
Northgate
The Broncos have a well-rounded group of returners, headlined by Ian Villers, Chris Rogan, Kevin Clancy, and Nico Zeglin. Villers anchors the pitching staff, while Rogan, Zeglin, and Ryan Birdwell all gained some experience on the hill last season. All four are also key to the lineup, along with Shuichi Rountree and Alex Howard. Nash and Brock Rudy round out the returners with significant varsity experience.
25 PLAYERS TO WATCH (in alphabetical order):
Mitch Benson, Sr, Amador Valley
The University of Pacific commit went 7-2 last spring with a 1.64 ERA, and held opponents to a .219 batting average. Included among his victories on the mound last year were big wins over De La Salle, Monte Vista, and Foothill.
Addison Berger, Jr, Marin Catholic
The Oregon commit had limited playing time last season, but held opponents to a .233 batting average in those 28 innings pitched, and the Wildcats won each of his final three starts. Now, he will anchor a quartet of returning arms which once again should have Marin Catholic emerging as one of the elite programs in the section.
Dalton Bowling, Jr, Kennedy-Fremont
The 6-foot-3 infielder/pitcher combo hit .397 with 23 RBI and 13 stolen bases last spring for the Titans, while also going 8-0 with a 1.50 ERA on the hill.
Michael Dixon, Jr, Berkeley
The junior centerfielder for the Yellowjackets is a threat with both power and speed, after hitting .358 with eight home runs and 20 stolen bases as a sophomore. Dixon, who is verbally committed to the University of San Diego, did not commit an error in the field last spring and shows great range.
Austin Elder, Sr, De La Salle
The CSU-Northridge commit is the rock behind the plate for the Spartans, where he threw out 78 percent of would-be base stealers last spring, and did not commit a single error. He can also get it done at the plate, hitting .301 last season with 24 RBI.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Sr, College Park
With 77 games of varsity experience already under his belt, Encarnacion-Strand is an unquestioned leader for the Falcons this year. The numbers from his junior year may not have matched his sophomore campaign, when he hit .409 with seven home runs, but his contact numbers continued to improve last spring, walking more times than striking out, and still hitting .359.
Garrison Finck, Sr, St. Bernard’s
One of the best all-around athletes behind the Redwood Curtain, Finck returns after a league MVP-caliber season last spring. The 6-foot-1 shortstop/pitcher combo had a 0.93 ERA last year, going 6-3 with four complete games, while also batting .329 with seven doubles and drawing 17 free passes for a .448 on-base percentage.
Bubba Gomez, Jr, Fremont Christian
So far, no opposing pitching at the high school level has slowed down Gomez, who hit .605 with three home runs and 61 RBI last spring. In his first two high school seasons, he is batting .550 with six home runs, 116 RBI, and 42 stolen bases. Our 2017 NCS Sophomore of the Year’s numbers on the mound are just as sparkling, with a 22-4 career record to go with a 0.56 ERA and 285 strikeouts in 150 innings pitched.
Brett Hansen, Sr, Foothill
Hansen named Co-MVP of the EBAL last season, and was also our NCS Junior of the Year. On the mound last spring, the left-hander went 7-1 with a 1.38 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 61 innings pitched. At the plate, he hit .321 with 26 RBI and did not commit an error at first base. Hansen was an Area Code Games selection in July.
Andrew Howard, Sr, Monte Vista
One of the key pieces returning in the outfield and at the plate for the Mustangs, Howard slugged four home runs with 30 RBI last spring, including the game-winning RBI in last year’s semifinal win over Heritage. He is committed to UC Santa Barbara.
Osiris Johnson, Sr, Encinal
The Cal State Fullerton commit was last year’s MVP in the WACC-Shoreline, after batting .481 with five home runs, 20 stolen bases, 27 RBI, and 33 runs scored. The Area Code Games selection also turned eight double plays last spring.
Sam Liang, Sr, Miramonte
Liang earned Co-MVP honors in the DAL-Valley last season, when Miramonte went 27-1 and reached the NCS Division III title game. Now, the middle infielder and right-handed pitcher looks to lead the Matadors to a successful league title defense and a return trip to the championship. He is committed to San Jose State.
Danny Marzo, Sr, Petaluma
Marzo was a first-team All-SCL selection last spring, after hitting .479 with 12 stolen bases, and striking out just twice all year. He also posted a 2.53 ERA last season, and was named a Triple Impact Scholarship finalist by the Positive Coaching Alliance this spring.
Ryan McLaughlin, Sr, Drake
A first-team All-NCS selection last season, McLaughlin went 9-1 with a 0.45 ERA, including back-to-back complete games in the playoffs. The only earned run he allowed in his last eight starts of 2017 was in the Division III title game victory over Miramonte. He struck out 74 batters in 77 innings pitched, and also hit .321 with 15 RBI and seven stolen bases.
AJ Miller, Sr, Casa Grande
The Oregon commit turned heads over the summer, literally, with an exit velocity at the plate during the Perfect Game National Showcase that ranked fifth among all athletes. Last spring, Miller hit .370 with three home runs and 32 RBI for the Gauchos, while committing just one error at first base.
Jason Moran, Sr, Cardinal Newman
One of the top dual-sport athletes in the section, Moran was an All-NCS selection for football and baseball in his junior season, and repeated the football selection again this past fall. Now, he gets back behind the dish for the Cardinals, as one of the top returning catchers. Last spring, he hit .421 with 15 extra-base hits and 21 RBI.
Sam Novitske, Sr, Foothill
The middle infielder is another Oregon commit, after earning first-team EBAL honors last spring. Novitske had a team-high 31 hits and 16 stolen bases last year, while batting .369 and turning six double plays.
Kyren Paris, Jr, Freedom
The two-time Area Code Games Underclass selection is the anchor to the Falcons’ defense from his shortstop position, after turning 13 double plays last spring. He notched 10 stolen bases last season, so an improvement on his .382 on-base percentage could be dangerous for opponents. Paris is verbally committed to the University of San Diego.
Dominic Pipkin, Sr, Pinole Valley
Pipkin had a banner off-season, shining at the Perfect Game National Showcase in June, and then being selected for the Area Code Games in July. His fastball has been clocked in the low to mid 90’s, and struck out 50 batters in 35 innings last spring. The Cal commit will also roam centerfield for the Spartans, and has a .341 career batting average.
Chris Rogan, Sr, Northgate
Rogan hit .405 with nine doubles and two home runs last spring. The first-team All-DAL infielder has received interest from numerous major college programs.
Bret Soulages, Sr, San Ramon Valley
The Oregon State commit was an Area Code Games selection this past July, and showed flashes of excellence last spring as well, when he posted a 2.06 ERA, with 52 strikeouts in 47 innings pitched. The 6-foot-5 righty tossed five no-hit innings against Foothill last year, and threw four innings of one-hit ball in a playoff win over Irvington.
Trace Tammaro, Sr, De La Salle
The big slugger for the Spartans posted a 1.196 OPS last spring, and committed to Portland shortly after. Tammaro slugged six home runs last year, along with a team-high 26 RBI.
Ian Villers, Sr, Northgate
The 6-foot-5 Cal commit has a 2.13 career ERA for the Broncos, and opposing batters hit just .133 against him last spring. He anchors a staff of multi-talented arms who can produce on the mound and at the plate. Offensively, he looks to return to the form of his sophomore year, when he hit .342 with 18 RBI.
Alex Williams, Sr, Redwood Christian
The Stanford commit led Redwood Christian to the NCS Division V title last season, and did so by example with a series of dominating performances on the mound. The Area Code Games selection struck out 10 in a complete game title-game victory over Athenian, on the heels of back-to-back shutouts over St. Joe’s and St. Bernard’s, in which he struck out 27 batters in those two games.
Josh White, Jr, Monte Vista
The Cal commit struck out 75 batters in 60 innings pitched last spring, and headlines a strong cast of returning arms for last year’s section finalists. Opponents hit just .173 against White in his sophomore season, when he went 6-1 with a 1.75 ERA. That included a five-inning, one-hit performance in a 1-0 win over Heritage in last year’s semifinals.
