BOX SCORE - PLAYS - CUMULATIVE STATS: Huntington Beach | JSerra Catholic

CARY, N.C. -- The Oilers’ offense exploded in the top of the ninth inning with two triples and seven runs, and Huntington Beach won its second National High School Invitational title in an 8-1 extra-innings thriller over JSerra Catholic on Saturday at the National Training Complex. It was the first NHSI championship game to go to extra innings since the inaugural event in 2012 when Mater Dei defeated Harvard-Westlake 3-2 in eight innings.

Huntington Beach (4-0) becomes the third school to win multiple NHSI titles, joining Mater Dei (2012 & 2013) and Orange Lutheran (2017, 2018, & 2019). The Oilers move to 18-6 all-time after making their sixth appearance in the annual event this year.

Huntington Beach jumped out to a lead in the third inning and seemingly controlled the game until the bottom of the seventh behind a stellar outing from tournament MVP Tyler Bellerose. Bradley Navarro led off the top of the third inning with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch to put a runner into scoring position. Then, coming to bat with one out, Tony Martinez continued his strong showing in the NHSI with an RBI-single up the middle to score Navarro.

From then on, the pitching and defense ruled the finale. Huntington Beach threatened in the top of the fourth and fifth innings, getting runners into scoring position, but could not come up with a clutch hit.

Andrew Lamb picked up his first hit of the tournament and JSerra Catholic’s (3-1) first hit of the game with a leadoff double to the right-centerfield wall in the fourth inning. Ryusei Fujiwara sacrificed Lamb over to third base to threaten Oiler starter Bellerose, but Bellerose got out of the jam with a flyout and groundout to shortstop Dean Carpentier.

JSerra Catholic first baseman Dominic Smaldino led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a single and advanced to second on a Martinez error, but the Lions could not capitalize. Charlie Caruso attempted a sacrifice bunt, but Trent Grindlinger went after the lead runner and threw him out easily before a flyout and a looking strike ended the inning. The Lions got another leadoff batter aboard in the bottom of the sixth, but Grindlinger threw him out trying to steal second, and Bellerose finished the inning with back-to-back strikeouts to keep the score 1-0 heading into the final frame.

Down to their final three outs, the Lions’ Trent Caraway launched a leadoff double down the left-field line, and Jonathan Mendez was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs and chase Bellerose from the game. Colin McNiven came on in relief and surrendered a sacrifice fly to Charlie Caruso, scoring Caraway and sending the game into extras.

The teams traded zeroes in the eighth, but the Huntington Beach offense exploded in the top of the ninth, beginning with back-to-back one-out singles from Martinez and Carpentier to put a runner into scoring position for Linkin Garcia. Garcia followed with a bloop single to right field that looked to load the bases, but an errant throw from the JSerra right-fielder scored Martinez to give the Oilers the 2-1 lead.

The Lions strategically intentionally walked Ralphy Velazquez to load the bases, but Aidan Espinoza picked up his first hit of the tournament with a monster triple to deep right-center field to clear the bases and extend the lead to 5-1. Grindlinger walked before JSerra went to the bullpen once again, and then Colby Turner welcomed Ryan Vaughn to the game by putting down a bunt to score A. Espinoza on the safety squeeze. Navarro then put the nail in the coffin with the second triple of the inning to bring the score to 8-1.

JSerra would get a runner on with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but a strikeout and groundout to the pitcher would end an exhilarating final.

Starting on the mound, Bellerose was outstanding for Huntington Beach in the championship game. He pitched six shutout innings before being responsible for the lone run in the bottom of the seventh, striking out six batters and scattering just four hits throughout his outing. McNiven came on in relief in the seventh and did not allow a hit before Otto Espinoza finished the game with two innings of shutout relief to earn the win.

JSerra Catholic starting pitcher Brodie Purcell lasted just three innings, giving up one run, but struck out three. Mcallister Zawistosk, Andrew Padova, Josh Hollis, and Jayden Graves followed with four innings of scoreless relief for the Lions, striking out a combined five batters. JJ Hollis suffered the loss after giving up six earned runs in his 1.1 innings.

Offensively, A. Espinoza’s (1-for-5, 3 RBIs) triple and multi-hit games from Navarro (2-for-4, 2 RBIs) and Martinez (2-for-4, RBI) paced the eight-hit performance by Huntington Beach. Caraway (2-for-4) led the offensive effort for JSerra with two clutch doubles in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings.

Bellerose’s stellar championship performance helped earn the sophomore MVP honors for the 2023 NHSI after he combined to strike out eight batters and give up just one run in his two appearances spanning nine innings. In addition to naming an MVP, USA Baseball announced the 15-member All-Tournament Team following the game.

2023 NHSI All-Tournament Team:

• Tyler Bellerose (Huntington Beach) - MVP
• Dean Carpentier (Huntington Beach)
• Trent Caraway (JSerra Catholic)
• Matthew Champion (JSerra Catholic)
• Adam Ciccone (Hagerty)
• Colin Clarke (Santa Margarita)
• Bradley Gilbert (Aquinas)
• Aidan Knaak (Bishop Verot)
• Gunnar Myro (Bishop Gorman)
• Bryce Nevils (Brother Rice)
• Gavin Smith (Basha)
• Ty Starke (St. Xavier)
• Charley Sturm (Jesuit)
• Cole Van Essen (Brother Rice)
• Ralphy Velazquez (Huntington Beach)

Check out the scores and stats from day three consolation play at the 2023 National High School Invitational presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

RESULTS

• Aquinas 7, Jesuit 0 - Box Score | Plays
• Houston County 3, Calvary Christian 0 - Box Score | Plays
• Hagerty 6, TC Roberson 3 - Box Score | Plays
• Basha 7, Brother Rice 2 - Box Score | Plays
• Jesuit 4, Houston County 3 - Box Score | Plays
• Calvary Christian 6, Brother Rice 2 - Box Score | Plays
• Aquinas 10, Hagerty 1 - Box Score | Plays
• Doral 4, Basha 3 - Box Score | Plays
• Bishop Verot 4, TC Roberson 3 - Box Score | Plays
• Blessed Trinity 4, St. Xaiver 3 - Box Score | Plays
• Bishop Gorman 4, Doral 1 - Box Score | Plays
• Santa Margarita 2, Blessed Trinity 1 - Box Score | Plays
• St. Xavier 3, Bishop Verot 1 - Box Score | Plays

CUMULATIVE STATS

• Aquinas
• Basha
• Bishop Gorman
• Bishop Verot
• Blessed Trinity
• Brother Rice
• Calvary Christian
• Doral
• Hagerty
• Houston County
• Jesuit
• Santa Margarita
• St. Xavier
• TC Roberson

BOX SCORE - PLAYS - CUMULATIVES: Bishop Gorman | Huntington Beach

CARY, N.C. – Huntington Beach (Huntington Beach, Calif.) held off a late rally by Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) to win, 3-2, in the semifinal round of the 2023 National High School Invitational (NHSI) presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance on Friday.

The win sends the Oilers (3-0) to the tournament title game for the first time since they won it all in 2016. Bishop Gorman (2-1) falls into consolation play for their NHSI finale.

Huntington Beach scored a run in the first, fourth, and sixth innings to slowly build a 3-0 lead in the semifinal. That lead dwindled to one in the bottom of the sixth, when Bishop Gorman rallied for a pair of runs before Oilers reliever Colin McNiven stranded the tying run on second with a clutch punch out. McNiven returned to the mound for the seventh and worked around a two-out single and stolen base to lock down the win.

Dean Carpentier was responsible for most of the Huntington Beach offense, going 4-for-4 and scoring a run. The shortstop­–whose four hits tie him for the NHSI tournament record with 13 others–led off the game with a double and scored the opening run on a Ralphy Velazquez sacrifice fly before adding singles in the third, fifth, and seventh. Bradley Navarro (1-for-2, RBI) and Colby Turner (1-for-2) had the only other two hits for Huntington Beach. Bishop Gorman out-hit the Oilers, 10-6, led by two-hit days from Burke Mabeus (2-for-3), Anthony Marnell IV (2-for-3, RBI), and Aiden Pollock (2-for-3).

Brad Grindlinger (1-0) started on the mound for the Oilers and scattered five hits over four scoreless innings, working out of several jams to keep the Gaels off the scoreboard and earn the win. Bishop Gorman’s James Whitaker (0-1) was handed the loss after allowing two runs in four innings of work. McNiven (1) was clutch over the final two innings to earn the save.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Huntington Beach applied pressure early and cashed in for the game’s first run when Dean Carpentier led off with a double and later scored on a Ralphy Velazquez sacrifice fly.
• Two consecutive walks put a pair on with none out for Bishop Gorman in the second, but Huntington Beach catcher Trent Grindlinger picked a runner off to help his brother Brad Grindlinger escape unscathed.
• After two quick outs in the Bishop Gorman third, the Gaels rallied for two straight hits but Brad Grindlinger coaxed a fly out to keep it a 1-0 lead for the Oilers.
• A walk and hit-by-pitch put two runners on for Huntington Beach’s Bradley Navarro, who roped an RBI single back up the middle to put the Oilers up 2-0 in the fourth.
• Bishop Gorman put together another two-out rally in the fourth until Brad Grindlinger got out of the jam by inducing a foul out with two runners on to maintain the two-run lead for the Oilers.
• Maddox Riske snuck a ground ball down the left field line and hustled for a double to start the Bishop Gorman fifth, but Huntington Beach reliever Wyatt Thomas got three clutch outs without allowing a run to score.
• Huntington Beach grew its lead to three in the top of the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Brian Trujillo, plating pinch-runner Trevor Goldenetz.
• The Gaels offense awakened in the sixth to get within a run. Burke Mabeus split the right-center field gap for a double to start the inning and scored on Gunnar Myro’s RBI single to trim the Bishop Gorman deficit to two.
• Anthony Marnell IV hit an RBI single to right field to score Bishop Gorman’s second run and make it a 3-2 game in the bottom of the sixth, but Huntington Beach reliever Colin McNiven picked up a big strikeout to stop the bleeding.
• Trailing by a run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Bishop Gorman’s Burke Mabeus singled and stole second base but was stranded on a game-ending groundout.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• With their RBIs in Friday’s contest, Gunnar Myro (Bishop Gorman) and Ralphy Velazquez (Huntington Beach) are tied for the tournament lead with six runs driven in.
• Huntington Beach’s Dean Carpentier joins a list of 14 players, including New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe, as the only players with four hits in an NHSI game.
• With his two-hit day, Bishop Gorman’s Aiden Pollock maintained his .500 batting average at the NHSI.
• Bishop Gorman had not allowed a run in tournament play until Huntington Beach scored in the top of the first on Friday. The Gaels’ tournament-ERA sits at 1.29
• Huntington Beach is now 2-2 all-time in NHSI semifinal games and 17-6 overall in tournament play.

ON DECK

Huntington Beach advances to the NHSI title game against JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) on Saturday, with first pitch set for 4:30 p.m. ET. Bishop Gorman will wrap up its tournament by taking on Doral Academy (Miami, Fla.) at 5:00 p.m. on Friday afternoon.

All games of the 2023 NHSI will be streamed on USABaseball.TV and @USABaseballTV on YouTube.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay tuned with all of the action at the 2023 National High School Invitational by following @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI23 in their posts.

Box | Plays | Cumulative: JSerra

CARY, N.C. -- JSerra Catholic picked up four runs in the top of the first inning, and it was all 18U National Team alum Matthew Champion needed as the Lions move on to the championship game of the 2023 National High School Invitational presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

JSerra will face Huntington Beach High School in the final on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET. The Oilers defeated Bishop Gorman 3-2 in the second semifinal.

Champion was solid on the mound, striking out four batters and scattering six hits over his complete-game effort. He picked up the win, giving up one run in the bottom of the third on a double-play ball. Offensively, the Lions came out swinging in the first inning, tagging Santa Margarita starter Hayden George with four runs. Charlie Caruso led the offense on the day, going 2-for-3, while Dominic Smaldino tallied two RBIs with his 1-for-2 day.

For Santa Margarita, Logan de Groot (2-for-3) picked up two hits, including a leadoff double to deep left-center in the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Eagles could not come up with a clutch hit with runners on base against Champion. Brennan Bauer was stellar in relief of George. Coming on in the second inning, he pitched six innings of scoreless relief, striking out two and giving up just two walks and two hits.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• JSerra leadoff Andrew Lamb started the game with a walk, and Trent Caraway pushed him to third with a single through the right side to put runners on the corners with one out. Jonathan Mendez then sent the first pitch he saw to right field to score Lamp, and the Lions took an early 1-0 lead.
• Dominic Smaldino contributed a two-RBI single up the middle, and Jackson Summers tallied an RBI-walk to cap a four-run first inning for JSerra in the top of the first inning.
• Santa Margarita scratched a run across the plate in the bottom of the third to make it 4-1. Tyler Ankrum led off with a single and moved to third on a single from Blake Balsz before crossing the plate on a double-play ball from Blake Wilson.
• JSerra threatened again in the top of the sixth inning with runners on second and third with one out, but Brennan Bauer got out of the jam. Luke Lavin tagged out the runner from third on a failed suicide squeeze play and Luke Johnson backhanded a hard ground ball to throw out the runner to end the inning still trailing 4-1.
• Santa Margarita’s Logan de Groot launched the first pitch he saw to deep left center for a leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Champion shut the door to advance JSerra to the championship game.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Matthew Champion picked-up the complete-game victory for JSerra Catholic with a dominant outing. He struck out five batters and gave up just one run in his seven innings of work.
• Charlie Caruso led the offense for JSerra, finishing 2-for-3, while Dominic Smaldino came through with the big, two-RBI single in the first inning.
• Santa Margarita starting pitcher Hayden George was chased following the first inning after he surrendered four runs on three hits. He struck out two batters in his one inning of work.
• Brennan Bauer was stellar in relief for the Eagles, giving up just two hits and two walks over six innings of work and striking out two batters.
• Logan de Groot led the offensive effort for Santa Margarita on the day, finishing 2-for-3 with a double.

ON DECK

• JSerra Catholic will face Huntington Beach in the championship game of the 2023 NHSI on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Huntington Beach was victorious over Bishop Gorman, 3-2, in the second semifinal.
• Santa Margarita will face Blessed Trinity in a consolation matchup at 6 p.m.

All games of the 2023 NHSI will be streamed on USABaseball.TV and @USABaseballTV on YouTube.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay tuned with all of the action at the 2023 National High School Invitational by following @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI23 in their posts.

Box | Plays | Cumulative: Brother Rice | JSerra Catholic

CARY, N.C. -- Dmitri Susidko came up with two huge squeeze bunt RBIs and seven other Lions tallied hits as JSerra Catholic beat Brother Rice 8-0 in the quarterfinals of the 2023 National High School Invitational presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

JSerra Catholic advances to the semifinals where they will face Santa Margarita on Saturday at the National Training Complex in Cary.

The Lions were dominant on offense and defense on Thursday night, scoring three runs in the second and sixth innings and a pair in the third. Meanwhile, starting pitcher Ben Reimers and reliever Darius Lukowski combined to scatter three hits over seven innings and striking out four batters in a shutout. Reimers struck out three and gave up just one walk in the victory.

Brother Rice starter Jackson Natanek surrendered five runs (four earned) and walked four batters to suffer the loss on the night. Tadgh Callaghan, Mike Dematteo, and Jack Gilmartin all pitched in relief. Dematteo gave up three runs on four hits in his 0.1 inning relief effort.

Ryusei Fujiwara paced the Lions’ offense, going 3-for-3 with 2 RBIs, and Trent Caraway also contributed a multi-hit night going 2-for-4 with an RBI on a night where eight different JSerra Catholic batters tallied a hit.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Dmitri Susidko put JSerra Catholic on the board in the bottom of the second inning thanks to a squeeze bunt, scoring Brandon Change to put the Lions up 1-0.
• With runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the second, Ryusei Fujiwara pushed a two-RBI single to extend JSerra Catholic’s lead to 3-0.
• JSerra Catholic’s Jonathan Menedez doubled to left field to lead off the bottom of the third inning and would come around to score on a wild pitch to make it 4-0 in favor of the Lions.
• Dmitri Susidko picked up his second RBI of the night on his second squeeze bunt to give JSerra a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning.
• The Lions tacked on another three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to put the game out of reach at 8-0 thanks to a wild pitch, a Trent Caraway triple off the left-field wall, and a Marcus Greis RBI-single up the middle.
• Brother Rice tried to rally, putting two runners on in the top of the seventh inning, but a fly out to left ended the game, 8-0.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Ryusei Fujiwara went a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBIs for the Lions, pushing his tournament average to .571.
• Both of Dmitri Susidko’s two RBIs came from a squeeze bunt, scoring runs in the second and third innings for JSerra Catholic.
• Ben Reimers earned the win for JSerra Catholic, giving up just three runs in six innings and striking out three batters.
• Brother Rice starter Jackson Natanek suffered the loss after surrendering five runs (four earned) and walking four in 2.1 innings.
• Tadgh Callaghan gave up three runs on four hits in his 0.1 outing for Brother Rice.
• Five different Crusaders pitched in hits on the night, including singles from pinch hitters Danny Durkin and Connor Lyons.

ON DECK

• JSerra Catholic advances to face Santa Margarita Catholic in the NHSI semifinals on Saturday at the National Training Complex.
• Brother Rice will face a to-be-determined opponent in consolation action on Saturday.

All games of the 2023 NHSI will be streamed on USABaseball.TV and @USABaseballTV on YouTube.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay tuned with all of the action at the 2023 National High School Invitational by following @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI23 in their posts.

BASHA 5, JESUIT 1

Box Score – Plays – Stats (Jesuit & Basha)

Behind Dallin Harrison’s complete game effort on the mound, Basha (Chandler, Ariz.) used a five-run third inning to earn a 5-1 win over Jesuit (Portland, Ore.) in consolation play at the 2023 National High School Invitational presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

All five of Basha’s runs came in one inning. Drew Douglas opened the scoring with an RBI single with runners at the corners, and then Nathan Nichols made it 3-0 with a two-run triple to right field. The frame was capped off by a sacrifice fly by Tyler Clementz and a Jesuit error.

Jesuit’s lone run of the contest came in the fourth when Charley Sturm drove in Levi Jones from third with an outfield single. Jones started the frame with a one-out single to third base and moved to third on Noble Meyer’s base hit through the right side.

Harrison (1-0) was stellar for the Bears as he allowed just one earned run on four hits and fanned six batters in seven innings pitched. At the plate, Gavin Smith led all players with a 3-for-4 outing while Nichols drove in a game-high two runs.

Jesuit’s Ty Alleman (0-1) was saddled with the loss as he surrendered four earned runs on five hits in four innings of work. Offensively, Sturm led his squad with a 2-for-2 performance and one run batted in.

DORAL 2, TC ROBERSON 1

Box Score – Plays – Stats (Doral & TC Roberson)

Doral (Doral, Fla.) managed to hold off TC Roberson (Asheville, N.C.), 2-1, thanks to a pair of runs in the fifth inning. A bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Adrian Santana put the Firebirds on the board first, and then a Michael Torres single to left field followed by a TC Roberson error doubled their lead.

TC Roberson managed to make it a one-run game when Zeb Swangim drew a leadoff walk and scored on Nick Parham’s double down the left field line. The Rams looked to knot the score by putting runners at scoring position after getting on the board. Parham moved to third on a wild pitch and Reno Jeter reached on a hit-by-pitch and stole second to start the threat, but back-to-back swinging strikeouts ended the frame.

Five different Doral players tallied a hit in the contest, and Santana was responsible for the team’s lone RBI. Keyler Gonzalez (1-0) earned the win on the mound after allowing just one earned run in five innings of work while tallying six strikeouts. Additionally, Torres picked up his first save of the tournament after retiring the final five batters by strikeout.

Nick Parham led TC Roberson at the plate with a 2-for-2 outing and RBI, while starting pitcher Jake Parham (0-1) took the loss after surrendering two unearned runs in 4.1 innings pitched.

HAGERTY 4, HOUSTON COUNTY 3

Box Score – Plays – Stats (Hagerty & Houston County)

Hagerty (Oviedo, Fla.) held off a late rally by Houston County (Warner Robins, Ga.) to secure a 4-3 victory. Despite Houston County striking first, the Huskies plated three runs in the fourth and one more in the sixth en route to its win. The Bears scored runs in the sixth and seventh in attempt to pull off a comeback, but Hagerty was able to hold them off.

Houston County scored first when Vick Gann scored on a passed ball, but Hagerty responded with three runs in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead. With runners and scoring position, Austin DeSoto’s bunt single followed by Eli Fleming’s sacrifice fly and a wild pitch brought the runs across.

The Bears made it 4-2 in the sixth when Christian Wahiwe scored on Ryker Chavis’s sacrifice fly to right field, and then made it a one-run game at 4-3 in the seventh on an RBI groundout with runners in scoring position, but the Huskies held them off when pitcher Brayden Toro fielded a ground ball to first to end the game.

Hagerty’s Talan Bell (1-0) earned the win on the mound as he allowed just two earned runs and fanned six batters in six innings of work. Toro tossed the final inning of the game to pick up the save. At the plate, DeSoto led his team with a 2-for-3 performance while three other players tallied a hit and an RBI.

Houston County’s Eli Stephens went 2-for-4 at the plate while five other players recorded a hit. On the mound, Andrew Dunford was saddled with the loss as he surrendered three earned runs in five innings pitched.

AQUINAS 5, BLESSED TRINITY 1

Box Score – Plays – Stats (Aquinas & Blessed Trinity)

Aquinas (San Bernardino, Calif.) scored five unanswered runs to earn a 5-1 comeback win over Blessed Trinity (Roswell, Ga.).

The Titans got on the board first when Ryan Novak crossed home plate on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch in the first inning. The Falcons knotted the score at 1-1 in the fourth when Owen Egan scored on a passed ball, and tacked on four more runs in the seventh to secure the win. Landon Young started the spark when he drew a one-out walk, stole second, and scored on Eric Bitonti’s double down the left field line to score the go-ahead run. The next at bat, Egan drove in Bitonti with a single to second base to make it 3-1, and then run-scoring singles by Nate Christman and Esteban Olazaba drove in the final two runs of the game.

Bitonti (1-0) picked up the win on the mound as he tossed 2.1 shutout innings in relief, while Cooper Milford (0-1) was charged with the loss after giving up three earned runs in one inning out of the bullpen.

At the plate, Christman went 2-for-3 with an RBI to turn in the lone multi-hit performance of the game while four other Aquinas players tallied a hit. Blessed Trinity’s Michael Zito and Sean Greene were the only two players to record a hit for the team.

Box | Plays | Cumulative: Huntington Beach | Calvary Christian

Ralphy Velazquez and Tony Martinez contributed half of Huntington Beach’s hits, and Nathan Aceves gave up just one run in five innings on the mound as the Oilers defeated Calvary Christian 8-3 in the quarterfinals of the 2023 National High School Invitational presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

Huntington Beach will face Bishop Gorman in the semifinals on Saturday. This will mark the second straight year the Oilers made it to the semifinals of the NHSI.

With the game tied at one apiece after the first inning, Huntington Beach took control of the game by scoring four runs in the third, a run in the fourth, and two runs in the sixth. Velazquez went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a triple, and Martinez went 2-for-2 with a double out of the nine-hole to combine for half of the Oiler hits. Aiden Espinoza (0-for-2) and Bradley Navarro (1-for-4) both contributed two RBIs on the day as six different batters brought a runner in.

JT Long led the Calvary Christian offense with a 2-for-3 day, but only Liam Peterson would add an RBI to his stat line with an RBI-single in the bottom of the first.

Aceves got the win, striking out four batters in his four innings of work. He gave up just one run and one walk on the day. The Oilers bullpen was strong, too, as Wyatt Thomas and Gavin Pacheco combined to strike out four batters and give up two unearned runs in the final three innings of the game. Peterson suffered the loss for the Warriors after giving up five runs in 2.2 innings.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• The first three batters came to the plate for Huntington Beach in the top of the first inning, and the Oilers took a 1-0 lead. A walk, a hit-by-pitch, and a wild pitch put runners on second and third for an RBI-groundout to short by Ralphy Velazquez.
• Calvary Christian tied the game in the bottom of the first thanks to an RBI-single by Liam Peterson, scoring Keeton Burroughs from second base after he legged out an infield single on the eighth pitch of his at-bat to get the rally started.
• Bradley Navarro came up to the plate with the bases juiced in a tie game in the top of the third inning and delivered for Huntington Beach, lining a ball back up the middle for a two-RBI single to give the Oilers a 3-1 lead.
• Tony Martinez picked up an RBI-single up the middle, and Dean Carpentier followed with an RBI-double down the left-field line to cap a four-run top of the third inning for the Oilers, giving Huntington Beach a 5-1 lead.
• Ralphy Velazquez led off the top of the fourth with a stand-up triple to deep right centerfield and came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Aidan Espinoza to give Huntington Beach a 6-1 lead.
• Calvary Christian loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning but Huntington Beach’s third baseman, Tony Martinez, put his body on the line, taking a grounder to the chest before throwing out Andrew Tess to end the threat.
• Huntington Beach scratched two more runs across in the top of the sixth inning thanks to an Adrian Espinoza sacrifice fly and a Colby Turner single to left field, putting the Oilers up 8-1.
• Calvary Christian plated runs in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings on a wild pitch and an error, but its offense was not able to overcome the Oilers, with a final score of 8-3.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Huntington Beach’s Ralphy Velazquez led all hitters on the day with a 3-for-4 day, with a triple, an RBI and a run scored.
• Tony Martinez went 2-for-2 in the nine-hole for the Oilers, picking up an RBI-double and contributing stellar defensive play on the hot corner.
• Nathan Aceves picked up the win for Huntington Beach after striking out four batters in his four innings pitched. He spread out five hits and gave up just one run and one walk in his appearance.
• Wyatt Thomas and Gavin Pacheco combined to strike out four batters in relief for Huntington Beach but surrendered two unearned runs due to Oiler errors.
• Calvary Christian’s Liam Peterson suffered the loss, giving up five runs on five hits and five walks. He struck out five in his 2.2 innings of work.
• Grayson Gibson gave up three runs on five hits in his relief appearance for the Warriors.

ON DECK

• Huntington Beach advances to face Bishop Gorman (2-0) in the semifinals of the 2023 NHSI on Saturday. This is the second straight appearance in the semifinals for the Oilers after advancing last year.
• Calvary Christian will face a to-be-determined opponent in consolation action on Saturday.

All games of the 2023 NHSI will be streamed on USABaseball.TV and @USABaseballTV on YouTube.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay tuned with all of the action at the 2023 National High School Invitational by following @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI23 in their posts.

Box | Plays | Cumulative: St. Xavier | Santa Margarita

CARY, N.C. -- St. Xavier’s Jake Gregor and Santa Margarita’s Sammy Cova battled back and forth in an old-fashioned pitcher’s duel on Thursday, but a Logan de Groot sacrifice fly proved to be the difference in a 2-1 victory for the Eagles at the 2023 USA Baseball National High School Invitational presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

With the win, Santa Margarita (2-0) moves on to the semifinals on Saturday at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary. They will face the winner of Brother Rice and JSerra Catholic.

St. Xavier (1-1) outhit the Eagles 7-3 on the day, but Cova would not budge. He struck out seven batters and only walked one batter in a complete-game, one-run victory. Gregor was solid as well, striking out four and giving up two runs (one earned) in his six innings of work. He also contributed offensively, being responsible for the Tigers’ only run of the game thanks to his RBI-single in the sixth.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Blake Balsz led off the bottom of the first inning with a triple down the right-field line before his courtesy runner, Lucas Owens, came around to score on a Luke Lavin RBI-groundout to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.
• Blake Wilson legged out an infield single and advanced to third on an error and groundout for Santa Margarita. Logan de Groot then lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to bring Wilson across the plate and extend the Eagles’ lead to 2-0.
• Xavier’s starting pitcher Jake Gregor came through with a clutch two-RBI single to put the Tigers on the board in the top of the sixth. Landon Akers and Cooper Smith kickstarted the rally with back-to-back two-out singles before Gregor pushed a ball through the right side to make the score 2-1.
• Santa Margarita tried to respond in the bottom of the sixth, but the Tigers escaped a bases-loaded jam by Gregor, forcing a fly out to center.
• Ryan Comella tried to kickstart a rally in the top of the seventh with a leadoff single and eventually got to third base, but Cova and the Eagles’ defense was too much, closing out the victory with a strikeout.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Sammy Cova started on the mound for Santa Margarita and pitched a complete-game victory, striking out seven batters on the day.
• Xavier starting pitcher Jake Gregor suffered the loss after giving up two runs (one earned) and striking out four in his six-inning outing.
• Landon Akers led all batters on the day with a 2-for-3 day for St. Xavier.

ON DECK

• Santa Margarita will match up against the winner of Brother Rice and JSerra Catholic in the semifinals on Saturday.
• Xavier will play in a consolation game Saturday against a to-be-determined opponent.

All games of the 2023 NHSI will be streamed on USABaseball.TV and @USABaseballTV on YouTube.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay tuned with all of the action at the 2023 National High School Invitational by following @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI23 in their posts.

BOX SCORE - PLAYS - CUMULATIVES: Bishop Gorman | Bishop Verot

CARY, N.C. – Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) scored five runs in the first inning and Kaden Soder threw a complete-game shutout en route to a 5-0 win over Bishop Verot (Fort Myers, Fla.) in the quarterfinal round of the 2023 National High School Invitational (NHSI) presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance on Thursday.

With the win, Bishop Gorman (2-0) secures its spot in the semifinal round. Bishop Verot (1-1) falls into consolation play.

The Gaels did all of their scoring in the top of the first, putting four runs on the board before recording an out. The first five batters reached base for Bishop Gorman in the opening frame as the squad tallied four hits to score its five runs. Aiden Pollock (2-for-4) paced the Bishop Gorman offense in the contest, notching the only multi-hit game of the day for either side. Easton Shelton (1-for-3, RBI) and Blake Mabeus (1-for-3, RBI) added RBI hits for the Gaels. Bishop Verot had four hits from four different players, including Owen Rardin (1-for-3), who followed yesterday’s two-hit game with another knock today.

Soder (1-0) was lights-out on the bump for Bishop Gorman, allowing just three hits in the complete-game effort. He struck out four and did not walk a single batter, inducing a trio of key double plays to maintain his shutout in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings. Fidel Alviar (0-1) suffered the loss for Bishop Verot after permitting five runs (four earned) in the first inning. Jason Bello turned in a stellar relief performance for Bishop Verot, pitching the final six innings and allowing just three hits.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Maddox Riske and Aiden Pollock hit back-to-back singles to open the top of the first and–after a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases–Easton Shelton brought them both home with a single to left to give Bishop Gorman a 2-0 lead.
• With runners on the corners and no outs in the top of the first, Bishop Gorman’s Burke Mabeus blooped a double to left field to make it a 3-0 lead for the Gaels.
• Bishop Gorman capped its busy opening frame by scoring another two runs on a balk and a throwing error as its lead grew to 5-0.
• After going down in order in its first two trips to the plate, Bishop Verot had a golden opportunity to score in the third. Hanlon and Owen Rardin led off the inning with singles and advanced into scoring position on a bunt, but Bishop Gorman’s Kaden Soder picked up two strikeouts to halt the threat.
• Bishop Verot had a leadoff runner on base again in the bottom of the fourth and sixth innings, but Bishop Gorman starter Kaden Soder induced key double plays in each frame to maintain his shutout.
• For the third time in the game, the leadoff batter reached base for Bishop Verot in the seventh on a single by Maddix Simpson. But, as he did in the fourth and sixth frames, Bishop Gorman’s Kaden Soder coaxed a double play to erase the baserunner and then got the final out on a flyout to secure the 5-0 win.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Through two games, the Bishop Gorman pitching staff has not allowed a run. The Gaels are outscoring opponents, 14-0.
• Bishop Gorman’s Aiden Pollock will take a .500 batting average (4-for-8) into the NHSI semifinal round. Pollock has also scored three runs and driven in one.
• Owen Rardin (Bishop Verot) is now 3-for-5 at the plate through the first two games of tournament play.
• Bishop Verot’s Jason Bello pitched the final six innings on Thursday and did not allow a run, striking out five without issuing a walk.
• The quarterfinal game appearance was Bishop Verot’s first in its third trip to the event.
• Bishop Gorman will make its first trip to the NHSI semifinal round.

ON DECK

Bishop Gorman advances to the NHSI quarterfinal against the winner of Calvary Christian (Clearwater, Fla.) vs. Huntington Beach (Huntington Beach, Calif.) on Friday. Bishop Verot falls into consolation play.

All games of the 2023 NHSI will be streamed on USABaseball.TV and @USABaseballTV on YouTube.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay tuned with all of the action at the 2023 National High School Invitational by following @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI23 in their posts.

BOX |  PLAYS |  CUMULATIVE: Calvary Christian | Jesuit

CARY, N.C. -- Calvary Christian took advantage of four Jesuit errors in a 3-1 victory over Jesuit as both starting pitchers battled back and forth all night in the opening round of the 2023 National High School Invitational presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

With the win, Calvary Christian (1-0) advances to face Huntington Beach (1-0) in tomorrow’s quarterfinal.

The name of the game was pitching, as both starters were in control from the jump. Calvary Christian’s Hunter Dietz (1-0) picked up the win, striking out seven batters and giving up just three hits in his five innings of one-run ball. Noble Meyer (0-1) suffered the tough-luck loss after giving up two hits and three unearned runs. He finished with 10 strikeouts in seven complete innings.

Both teams combined to tally just five hits. JT Long (1-for-3, RBI) and Alex Monile (1-for-3) were the only Crusaders to get a hit off Meyer. For Jesuit, Ryan Cooney (1-for-4), Levi Jones (1-for-3), and Meyer (1-for-2) were the only hitters to pick up hits.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Jesuit’s Ryan Cooney led off with a single, and Levi Jones followed with a double to the left-center gap to put two in scoring position in the bottom of the first inning. The Crusaders then scratched one across the plate on an RBI groundout from Brock Leitgeb to take an early 1-0 lead.
• Calvary Christian loaded the bases in the top of the third thanks to an error, a single by Alex Monile, and an Andrew Tess walk, but Jesuit escaped the jam to hold on to its lead, 1-0.
• Calvary Christian took the lead in the top of the sixth inning thanks to three Jesuit errors. With runners on second and third, a fielding and throwing error by the Crusader second baseman pushed two runs across the plate to take a 2-1 lead.
• With a runner on second base, JT long tacked on the third run of the fifth inning with an RBI-single to center to score Blake Opie as Calvary Christian took a 3-1 lead.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Calvary Christian’s starting pitcher Hunter Dietz (1-0) picked up the win, striking out seven batters and giving up just one run on three hits in five innings.
• Noble Meyer (0-1) suffered the tough-luck loss for Jesuit, giving up three unearned runs in a complete-game effort. Meyer struck out 10 batters for the Crusaders and surrendered just two hits and two walks.
• Landen Maroudis (1) picked up the save for Calvary Christian after two innings of perfect relief, striking out two.
• Jesuit suffered defensively as the team surrendered four errors on the day.

ON DECK

• Calvary Christian moves on to face Huntington Beach in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
• Jesuit will face Basha in a consolation matchup.

All games of the 2023 NHSI will be streamed on USABaseball.TV and @USABaseballTV on YouTube.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay tuned with all of the action at the 2023 National High School Invitational by following @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI23 in their posts.

BOX SCORE - PLAYS - CUMULATIVES: Houston County | JSerra Catholic

CARY, N.C. – Dominic Smaldino hit a walk-off sacrifice fly to lead JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, California) past Houston County (Warner Robins, Ga.), 4-3, in the opening round of the 2023 National High School Invitational (NHSI) presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

The win puts the Lions in the NHSI quarterfinal for the first time in their second tournament appearance.

After falling into a quick 3-0 hole in the first, JSerra (1-0) scored a run in each of the first three innings and entered the bottom of the seventh locked in a 3-3 tie. Two singles and an intentional walk loaded the bases for Smaldino, whose fly ball into foul territory was caught to bring home Ryusei Fujiwara for the winning run.

The Lions’ offense was paced by Trent Caraway (2-for-4), who had two hits, a stolen base, and a run scored. Fujiwara (1-for-4) scored a game-high two runs, including the winning run in the bottom of the seventh. Jonathan Mendez (1-for-2), Smaldino (1-for-3), and Dmitri Susidko (1-for-3) all drove in runs for JSerra. Houston County (0-1) mustered just three hits in the contest. Drew Burress, Kai Decker, and Anthony Dunford had the knocks for the Bears, who also drew three walks.

Josh Hollis (1-0) was lights-out in relief for JSerra, pitching five innings of two-hit ball to earn the win. Hollis struck out two batters and walked just one in his five shutout frames. Ryker Chavis got the start for Houston County and weathered some early trouble to pitch six solid innings, allowing three runs on six hits. The southpaw struck out six batters in the outing. Houston County’s Landon Tankersley (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing the winning run in his 0.2 innings on the mound.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Houston County came out of the gates firing in the top of the first, drawing two walks before Anthony Dunford hit an opposite-field double to put Houston County in front by a run before recording an out.
• Kai Decker made it a two-run lead for Houston County with a towering sac fly and Anthony Dunford later scored on an error as the Houston County lead became 3-0 in the top of the first.
• JSerra scratched a run across in the bottom of the first on a two-out RBI-double by Jonathan Mendez, who blooped a full-count pitch into right field to trim the JSerra deficit to 3-1.
• JSerra’s Dmitri Susidko perfectly executed a squeeze bunt in the bottom of the second to plate Tyler Dunning and get JSerra within a run at 3-2.
• Trent Caraway used heads-up baserunning to tie the game at three for JSerra, scoring a run as his teammate got picked off first base.
• JSerra had a chance to take a lead when Tyler Dunning led off with a single and reached third with one out in the bottom of the fourth, but Houston County’s Ryker Chavis notched a strikeout and groundout to halt the threat and keep the game tied.
• Ryker Chavis again picked up a massive strikeout to escape a jam in the bottom of the fifth, stranding the go-ahead run just 90 feet away and maintaining the tie score.
• Singles by Ryusei Fujiwara and Trent Caraway and an intentional walk loaded the bases for JSerra in the bottom of the seventh, and Dominic Smaldino delivered with a walk-off sacrifice fly to give the Lions a 4-3 win.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• JSerra’s Brandon Chang had two of the team’s five stolen bases. Trent Caraway, Tyler Dunning, and Dmitri Susidko also swiped bags for the Lions.
• Josh Hollis pitched an economical five innings for JSerra, needing just 54 pitches to get through five frames.
• JSerra had eight hits from seven different players in the win.
• Ryker Chavis was clutch in several big moments throughout the contest, allowing baserunners to reach in five of his six innings but only permitting three to cross home plate.
• JSerra improves to 5-1 all-time at the NHSI and 1-1 in tournament openers.

ON DECK

JSerra advances to the NHSI quarterfinal against Brother Rice (Chicago, Illinois) on Thursday. Houston County will take on Hagerty (Oviedo, Fla.) in consolation play.

All games of the 2023 NHSI will be streamed on USABaseball.TV and @USABaseballTV on YouTube.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay tuned with all of the action at the 2023 National High School Invitational by following @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI23 in their posts.

Box Score – Plays – Stats (Bishop Gorman & Blessed Trinity)

CARY, N.C. – Highlighted by a five-run burst in the fourth along with four innings of one-hit baseball by starting pitcher Kamdyn Perry, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) secured a 9-0 victory over Blessed Trinity (Roswell, Ga.) at the 2023 National High School Invitational presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

The Gaels improve to 1-0 while the Titans move to 0-1 in the event.

Bishop Gorman plated multiple runs in the third, fourth, and sixth innings, as six different players tallied at least one hit in the contest. Gunnar Myro (3-for-4) led all players at the plate as he drove in five runs to cap off his strong outing. Additionally, Aiden Pollock (2-for-4) and Easton Shelton (2-for-4) turned in multi-hit performances to contribute to the team’s 10 hits on the day.

On the mound, Perry (1-0) tossed four innings of one-hit ball and tallied seven strikeouts, while Sammy Fredrich tossed the final three innings of the game to secure the save for the Gaels.

Bishop Trinity’s Cameron Novak (0-1) was dealt the loss after surrendering seven earned runs in three innings out of the bullpen. At the plate, four different Titan players tallied a hit.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Myro put Bishop Gorman on the board in the third with a 2-RBI double, scoring Billy Scaldeferri and pinch runner Andrew Israel from first and second. Scalfederri drew a one-out walk and after Burke Mabeus was intentionally walked, Israel entered on the base paths to help his team take the lead.
• Bishop Gorman plated five more runs on four hits in the fourth to take a 7-0 lead. Anthony Marnell started the inning with a double and stolen base, and then scored on Maddox Riske’s single to left field to make it 3-0.
• Aiden Pollock then sent Marnell home with a triple to left field, extending the lead to 4-0.
• After a pair of walks loaded the bases, Myro came up clutch again as he cleared the bases with a double to left field to give the Gaels a 7-0 lead.
• With runners at the corners in the sixth thanks to Pollock’s leadoff single up the middle and a Blessed Trinity error, Bishop Gorman scored its final two runs of the game on Easton Shelton’s RBI single to right field followed by an RBI fielder’s choice to the shortstop.
• Blessed Trinity looked to rally in the sixth and seventh innings by putting runners at first and second in both frames, but it wasn’t enough as Fredrich managed to get out of both innings unscathed.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Myro led all players at the plate with a 3-for-4 outing and five runs batted in.
• Pollock Easton Shelton also turned in multi-hit performances with two hits apiece to contribute to Bishop Gorman’s 10 hits on the day.
• Perry tossed four innings of one-hit ball and tallied seven strikeouts to earn the win on the mound, while Fredrich tossed the final three innings of the game to pick up his first save of the event.
• Novak suffered the loss after giving up seven earned runs in three innings of relief.

ON DECK

• Bishop Gorman will face Bishop Verot (Fort Meyers, Fla.) in the quarterfinals.
• Blessed Trinity will matchup with Aquinas (San Bernardino, Calif.) in consolation play.
• All games of the 2023 NHSI will be streamed on TV and @USABaseballTV on YouTube.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay tuned with all of the action at the 2023 National High School Invitational by following @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI23 in their posts.

BOX  |  PLAYS |  CUMULATIVE: Hagerty | Brother Rice

CARY, N.C. – Brother Rice starting pitcher Cole Van Assen tossed a complete-game gem, and the Crusaders scored five runs in the middle frames in a 5-0 victory over Hagerty High School in the opening round of the 2023 National High School Invitational presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

Brother Rice (1-0) will face the winner of the Houston County and JSerra Catholic game on Thursday in the quarterfinals.

The Crusaders chased Hagerty (0-1) starter Garrett Baumann with a three-run fourth inning and padded its lead with two more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Amir Gray (2-for-2, RBI) and Bryce Nevils (2-for-3) paced the Brother Rice offense out of the two and three holes in the lineup, combining for four of the team’s eight hits on the day. Aidan Nohava was responsible for the game-winning run with his two-RBI single off the third-base bag in the fourth.

Van Assen needed just 86 pitches to advance the Crusaders to the next round, striking out seven batters and walking none to pick up the victory. Baumann suffered the loss after giving up three earned runs over his four innings of work on the mound.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Amir Gray singled and Bryce Nevils doubled to left center to put runners on second and third with one out for Brother Rice on Hagerty starter Garrett Baumann. And Aidan Nohava delivered by drilling a pitch off the third-base bag to bring them both around and take a 2-0 lead over Hagerty in the fourth inning.
• Gavin Triezenberg sent a pitch back up the middle for an RBI-single to score Aidan Nohavacap and cap a three-run fourth inning for Brother Rice.
• Lance Moon walked, stole second, and advanced to third on a single by Chris Daugherty before scoring on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fifth to put Brother Rice ahead 4-0.
• Amir Gray lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to score Chris Daugherty from third as Brother Rice took a commanding 5-0 lead over Hagerty in the bottom of the fifth inning.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Cole Van Assen got the win after a masterful performance on the bump. He struck out seven batters and walked none in the complete game, 86-pitch performance.
• Hagerty starter Garrett Baumann (0-1) gave up three runs on five hits in the loss. Topping out at 95 mph, he struck out six over four innings.
• Daniel Beldowicz surrendered two runs in 0.1 innings of relief for Hagerty; meanwhile Jeremiah struck out two and gave up just one hit in his 1.2 innings of work.
• Amir Gray (2-for-2, RBI) and Bryce Nevils (2-for-3) tallied four of the eight hits for Brother Rice on the day, joining Hagerty’s Adam Ciccone (2-for-3) as the only players with multiple hits in the game.
• Aidan Novaha’s (1-for-3, 2 RBIs) two-RBI single in the bottom of the fourth inning served as the game-winning run.
• The Crusaders were aggressive on the basepaths, tallying four stolen bases on the day for Brother Rice.

ON DECK

• Brother Rice will face the winner of the Houston County and JSerra Catholic in a quarterfinal matchup on Thursday.
• Hagerty will face the loser of the Houston County and JSerra Catholic matchup in a consolation game on Thursday.

All games of the 2023 NHSI will be streamed on USABaseball.TV and @USABaseballTV on YouTube.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay tuned with all of the action at the 2023 National High School Invitational by following @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI23 in their posts.

BOX SCORE - PLAYS - CUMULATIVE: Basha | Huntington Beach

CARY, N.C. – Ralphy Velazquez drove in four runs to help Huntington Beach (Huntington Beach, Calif.) to a 6-3 win over Basha (Chandler, Arizona) in the opening round of the 2023 National High School Invitational (NHSI) presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

The win secures the Oilers’ (1-0) spot in the NHSI quarterfinal round.

Velazquez (3-for-4, 4 RBIs) was the key cog in the Huntington Beach offense on Wednesday, providing their first run in the opening inning, the go-ahead hit in the second, and an insurance run in the seventh. The Oilers, who tallied six hits in the win, also got a strong offensive showing from Bradley Navarro (2-for-3, RBI) who had a pair of knocks and added a sacrifice fly. Basha (0-1) collected seven hits in the defeat, led by Alex Dabrowski’s (2-for-3, RBI) two-hit day.

Huntington Beach’s Carson Lane (1-0) started for Huntington Beach and scattered seven hits over four innings of work, limiting damage multiple times to allow just three runs earn the win. Bradyn Barnes (0-1) started for Basha and suffered the loss after surrendering four runs in three innings. Tyler Bellerose (1) entered out of the Huntington Beach bullpen and fired three hitless frames to earn the save.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Huntington Beach jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Dean Carpentier drew a leadoff walk, Linkin Garcia roped a double, and Ralphy Velazquez knocked in the game’s first run with an RBI-groundout.
• Both teams rallied for three runs with two outs in the second, starting with Basha in the top of the frame. An RBI-single by Adam Dabrowski and a two-run infield hit by Gavin Smith put the Bears in front 3-1.
• Huntington Beach loaded the bases with none out, and after going down on two strikeouts, struck for three runs on a bases-loaded walk and a two-run single through the right side by Ralphy Velazquez to take a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the second.
• Basha squandered a pair of scoring chances in the fourth and fifth innings, leaving a combined five runners on in the two frames. Huntington Beach’s Carson Lane escaped a two-on, two-out situation in the fourth before Tyler Bellerose got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth.
• Huntington Beach tacked on another run in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Bradley Navarro.
• Ralphy Velazquez continued his hot day in the bottom of the sixth, splitting the gap in left-center field for an RBI-double to put Huntington Beach in front by three.
• Huntington Beach’s Tyler Bellerose finished off the win with a hitless seventh inning to lock down the 6-3 win.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Linkin Garcia and Ralphy Velazquez each doubled in the opening round win, the only two extra-base hits in the contest.
• By walking twice and hitting a double, Huntington Beach’s Linkin Garcia reached base three times in Wednesday’s win.
• Basha’s Gavin Smith drove in two runs, joining Huntington Beach’s Ralphy Velazquez as the only two players with multiple RBIs.
• Six different players scored a run for the Oilers.
• Huntington Beach pitchers escaped trouble for most of the afternoon, stranding nine Basha runners on base.
• Basha played a crisp game defensively, committing zero errors in the defeat.
• Huntington Beach is now 5-1 all-time in NHSI opening round games.

ON DECK

Huntington Beach takes on Calvary Christian (Clearwater, Fla.) in the quarterfinal round on Thursday. Basha will play Jesuit (Portland, Ore.) in consolation play.

All games of the 2023 NHSI will be streamed on USABaseball.TV and @USABaseballTV on YouTube.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay tuned with all of the action at the 2023 National High School Invitational by following @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI23 in their posts.

Box Score - Plays - Stats (Santa Margarita & TC Roberson)

CARY, N.C. – Santa Margarita Catholic (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) scored a pair of runs in the third, sixth, and seventh innings and Collin Clarke tossed six shutout innings en route to its 6-0 opening-round win over TC Roberson (Asheville, N.C.) at the 2023 National High School Invitational presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

With the win, Santa Margarita (1-0) advances to the quarterfinals and will face St. Xavier (1-0) on Friday.

Combined with multi-hit outings from Blake Balsz (2-for-3), Luke Lavin (2-for-4), and Luke Johnson (2-for-3), Clarke (1-0) had an impressive outing on the mound as he tallied 12 strikeouts and issued just one walk in six innings of work for the Eagles.

TC Roberson’s Matt Simpson (0-1) was saddled with the loss as he surrendered two earned runs in 4.1 innings pitched while contributing a hit to his team’s six total in the game. At the plate, Nick Moses led the Rams with a 2-for-3 performance.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• TC Roberson threatened in the second when JT Gordon reached on a one-out single and then moved to third on Simpson’s two-out single to left center, but Clarke managed to freeze Moses to end the inning.
• Balsz opened the scoring for the Eagles in the third inning when he laced a RBI double to left field, scoring Johnson after he reached on a leadoff bunt single and took second on a balk.
• Wilson’s RBI groundout to the shortstop doubled Santa Margarita’s lead in the frame to bring home Tyler Ankrum from third.
• After two scoreless innings, Santa Margarita plated two more runs in the sixth thanks to Drew Rutter’s sacrifice fly to right field with runners in scoring position, followed by a TC Roberson defensive miscue.
• The Eagles managed to tack on its final two runs of the contest in the seventh when Luke Lavin roped a two-run single to left field with the bases loaded.
• In the final four innings of the contest TC Roberson managed to put at least one runner on base, but was unable to capitalize on its chances.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Santa Margarita’s Clarke had an impressive outing on the mound as he fanned 12 batters in six shutout innings of work. He scattered five hits and issued just one walk in his dominant performance.
• Balsz, Lavin, and Johnson tallied two hits apiece in the contest to combine for six of Santa Margarita’s eight total hits in the contest.
• Additionally, Lavin drove in two runs while Balsz, Blake Wilson, and Rutter each drove in a run for a combined five on the day for Santa Margarita.
• TC Roberson’s Simpson allowed two earned runs in 4.1 innings pitched to suffer the loss. He additionally tallied a hit to contribute to his team’s six total in the game.
• At the plate, Moses went 2-for-3 to turn in the lone multi-hit outing of the day for the Rams.

ON DECK

• Santa Margarita advances to the quarterfinals of the NHSI and will face St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.).
• TC Roberson will matchup with Doral Academy (Doral, Fla.) Friday in consolation play.
• All games of the 2023 NHSI will be streamed on TV and @USABaseballTV on YouTube.

*SOCIAL MEDIA
*

Stay tuned with all of the action at the 2023 National High School Invitational by following @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI23 in their posts.

BOX  |  PLAYS |  CUMULATIVE: Bishop Verot  |  Aquinas

CARY, N.C. -- Bishop Verot plated four runs in the top of the third inning, and Aidan Knaak tossed a gem for the complete-game 4-1 victory over Aquinas in the first round of the 2023 National High School Invitational (NHSI) presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

With the win, Bishop Verot (1-0) advances to face the winner of Blessed Trinity and Bishop Gorman on Thursday.

Knaak was stellar on the mound for the Vikings, striking out nine batters in his seven innings of one-run baseball. Offensively, Matthew Turner (2-for-3, RBI) and Owen Rardin (2-for-3) paced Bishop Verot with multiple hits on the day, while eight of the Viking hitters tallied a hit.

Owen Egan (2-for-3) accounted for half of the Aquinas hits, with Eric Bitonti (1-for-3, RBI) and Esteban Olazaba (1-for-2) tacking on the other two. However, Egan suffered the loss on the mound, giving up four earned runs in 3.0 innings and striking out four batters for the Falcons.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Bishop Verot’s Grayson Carpenter led off the game with a first-pitch single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. But Aquinas left fielder Esteben Olazaba ended the early threat, throwing out Carpenter at home to end the top of the first inning.
• Aquinas starting pitcher Owen Egan surrendered four runs in the top of the third inning to the Vikings, courtesy of an RBI-single by Matthew Turner, an RBI-fielder’s choice by Jason Bello, an RBI-walk by Fidel Alviar, and a sac fly to center by Joey Lawson to put Bishop Verot up 4-0.
• Joey Lawson crushed a double to right-center to lead off the top of the sixth inning for Bishop Verot, but Aquinas reliever Bradley Gilbert got out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts.
• Aidan Knaak gave up a leadoff single to Aquinas’ Esteben Olazaba in the bottom of the sixth inning but struck out back-to-back pinch hitters on six consecutive called strikes.
• Aquinas’ Eric Bitonti laced a two-out double down the right-field line to score Esteben Olazaba to put the Falcons on the board in the top of the seventh, but still trailed the Vikings 4-1.
• Bishop Verot loaded the bases in the top half of the seventh inning on reliever Josh Torres but a heads-up double play by Landon Young and Eric Bitonti kept the Falcons within three heading into the bottom half of the seventh.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Aidan Knaak (1-0) was dominant on the mount for Bishop Verot, tossing a complete game on day one of the NHSI. He struck out nine batters and surrendered just one walk and one earned run.
• Aquinas starting pitcher Owen Egan (0-1) gave up four runs on five hits in his three innings of work. He struck out four batters in the loss.
• Matthew Turner (2-for-3, RBI) and Owen Rardin (2-for-3) contributed multi-hit days for Bishop Verot, tallying four of the team’s nine hits.
• Eight of the nine batters in the Bishop Verot lineup tallied hits on the day.
• Owen Egan tallied half of the Aquinas hits on Wednesday, going 2-for-3. Eric Bitonti and Esteban Olazaba were the only other Falcons with a hit on the day.

ON DECK

• Bishop Verot advances to the second round of the NHSI and will face the winner of Blessed Trinity and Bishop Gorman.
• Aquinas will face the loser of Blessed Trinity and Bishop Gorman in a consolation game on Thursday.

All games of the 2023 NHSI will be streamed on USABaseball.TV and @USABaseballTV on YouTube.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay tuned with all of the action at the 2023 National High School Invitational by following @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI23 in their posts.

BOX SCORE - PLAYS - CUMULATIVES: Doral | St. Xavier

CARY, N.C. – Ty Starke tossed a two-hit, complete-game shutout to propel St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) past Doral Academy (Miami, Fla.), 1-0, in the opening round of the 2023 National High School Invitational (NHSI) presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

Starke and Doral’s Frank Menendez were locked in a pitcher’s duel all morning long, exchanging zeroes until St. Xavier (1-0) finally cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth. After Zach Marks singled and later advanced to third on a throwing error, Cooper Smith lifted a sacrifice fly to plate the game’s first and only run. Starke returned to the mound for the seventh and worked around a two-out error to secure the 1-0 victory.

The two teams combined for just five hits in the game, with St. Xavier accounting for three of them. Marks (1-for-3), Landon Akers (1-for-3), and Luke Wright (1-for-2) had the hits for St. Xavier, while Doral’s (0-1) hits came from Adrian Santana (1-for-3) and Wilfred Gonzalez (1-for-3). Akers hit a double in the fourth which was the only extra-base hit of the day for either side.

Starke (1-0) allowed just two hits and none after the third inning in his shutout performance. Doral reached on an infield single in the third and did not have another baserunner until a two-out error in the seventh, as Starke struck out five and did not walk a batter to earn the win. Menendez (0-1) suffered the tough-luck loss after throwing six innings without allowing an earned run, striking out six and allowing just three hits.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Doral Academy put together a two-out rally in the top of the first on a single by Wilfred Gonzalez and an Alejandro Ludeiro hit-by-pitch. However, Ty Starke coaxed an inning-ending fielder’s choice to keep it scoreless.
• Frank Menendez set the tone for his strong outing on the mound in the bottom of the first, striking out the St. Xavier side to start his day.
• After both sides went down in order in the second, Doral’s Adrian Santana legged out an infield single in the top of the third but got picked off to halt the scoring threat.
• St. Xavier’s first baserunner came on a one-out double by Landon Akers in the bottom of the fourth before a fly out and strike out helped Frank Menendez escape unscathed.
• A two-out single by Luke Wright gave St. Xavier another baserunner in the bottom of the fifth but Frank Menendez ended the inning by inducing a ground out to shortstop.
• St. Xavier finally opened the scoring in the bottom of the sixth when Zach Marks singled, advanced to third on a throwing error, and scored on Cooper Smith’s sacrifice fly to center field to give St. Xavier a 1-0 lead.
• With two outs and a runner on first in the top of the seventh, Xavier’s Ty Starke capped his stellar performance by coaxing a game-ending fly out to left to finish off the 1-0 win.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• St. Xavier’s Ty Starke’s complete-game shutout was the 31st in the history of the NHSI.
• Frank Menendez carried a perfect game into the fourth inning before St. Xavier’s Luke Wright roped a one-out double to right center field.
• Neither Frank Menendez and Ty Starke walked a single batter in the game.
• Three of the five combined hits in the game were infield singles.
• St. Xavier remains in title contention with a 1-0 record, while Doral drops into consolation play at 0-1.

ON DECK

St. Xavier will take on Santa Margarita Catholic (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) in the quarterfinal round on Thursday, while Doral will play T.C. Roberson (Asheville, N.C.) in consolation play.

All games of the 2023 NHSI will be streamed on USABaseball.TV and @USABaseballTV on YouTube.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay tuned with all of the action at the 2023 National High School Invitational by following @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI23 in their posts.

Since 2012, the National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, has hosted many of nation’s the top high school teams and players through the National High School Invitational. The 2023 edition marks the 10th anniversary of the event as USA Baseball has prided itself in building a reputation of bringing the best prep baseball competition to Cary over the years.

Many of the teams that compete at the NHSI are rated as the top high school programs in the nation, as they not only have the reputation of winning championships at the regional and state levels year in and year out, but they also produce numerous top draft prospects. Thanks to the reputation that the NHSI has cultivated by bringing together the nation’s best talent, it has become a premier destination for Major League Baseball scouts in their search for baseball’s next stars.

A combined 171 MLB draft picks, including 37 first-round selections, have participated in the prestigious event. Notable alums like Cody Bellinger (2012), Joey Gallo (2012), Jack Flaherty (2012), and Austin Meadows (2013) all took part in the NHSI on their way to the big leagues. Even with those notable alums, though, are countless players who have put themselves on the national map and planted a seed for their future careers thanks to their performances at the NHSI.

For those past participants who were not drafted by a Major League team out of high school, they have still had very successful paths. Most NHSI alums have gone on to play collegiate baseball, and several have made their way onto the professional scene through the college route.

“I think what sets the NHSI apart is that scouts get to see some of the top draft prospects in the country against really good competition, but in a team setting,” explained MLB.com Draft and prospect expert Jonathan Mayo. “Showcases are great, but there is something a little more artificial about those in that there may not be as strong of opponents, or the stakes may not be as high.

“I think that this event affords scouts the ability to see how the players that they are interested in carry themselves when there is a big spotlight and when there's something at stake. It’s like a playoff atmosphere within their own team setting.”

Not only has the NHSI been a chance for players to catch the attention of scouts in hopes of getting their chance to play professionally, but it has also allowed top prospects to enhance their draft stock. Players like Harvard-Westlake’s (Los Angeles, Calif.) Max Fried and Lucas Giolito, as well as Green Hope’s (Cary, N.C.) Jordyn Adams were able to cement themselves at the top of the draft boards in their respective draft years thanks to their showings at the NHSI.

In addition to the success past participants have had in relation to the MLB Draft, the NHSI has also played host to many USA Baseball alums who have contributed to Team USA’s 66 gold medals in international competition. The National Training Complex is rich in its history of the long list of players who have come through its grounds on their way to stardom.

Like how the NHSI serves as an opportunity for MLB scouts to observe the nation’s top high school talent for future drafts, the event also gives players a springboard to get on USA Baseball’s radar in hopes of one day representing their country on the diamond.

“The NHSI has become a premier event that USA Baseball thoroughly enjoys being able to put on every year,” said NHSI and 18U National Team Program Director Brett Curll. “Not only does the NHSI allow our organization to bring in the nation’s top high school talent to Cary, but it also gives the organization an opportunity to establish a connection with some of those top players in effort towards forming future national teams that will represent our country in international competition.”

Along with the on-field success the NHSI had provided to the game of baseball, the event has also had a tremendous impact off the field in the greater Raleigh area. The NHSI has not only helped give Cary a national reputation for being a marquee destination to see the nation’s best sports talent, but it has also provided economic success for many local businesses.

“The GRSA is excited to celebrate the 10th year of the NHSI,” said Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance Director Tori Collins. “Each year, the NHSI not only gives a boost to our local economy through the tremendous economic impact, but it also provides our local community with the opportunity to witness our country’s best talent as we host our nation’s top athletes. We have always valued our relationship with USA Baseball and are proud of the NHSI and its success at the National Training Complex in Cary each year.”

One of the most significant aspects of the fields that are put together for the NHSI is that not only are local fans able to see what the talent from areas aside from the East Coast has to offer, but the players competing in the event have the chance to broaden their prep baseball experience by having the unique opportunity of facing teams from around the country.

Aside from two occasions, every NSHI champion has hailed from the West Coast. In 2014, The First Academy (Orlando, Fla.) took home the title after Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) won the first two editions in 2012 and 2013, and at last year’s event, Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Fla.) came out on top as they took down three-time champion Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) in the semifinals after it captured titles in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

By truly facing the nation’s best talent at the NHSI, the event gives these high school programs an extraordinary chance to evaluate how their rosters stack up against the competition as well as a taste of what they might face in postseason play.

“For these high school programs that compete in Cary, the NHSI can serve as an early measuring stick for coaches to see where their team is competitively,” explained Mayo. “Regardless of where they are from, teams are able to go back home with a huge boost of confidence or maybe a chip on their shoulder that helps carry them through their seasons as they look to make runs at those titles they are competing for back home.

“Nothing like the NHSI had really existed before its inception, and to have a bit of national bragging rights, if you play really well or if you're the last team standing, is extremely meaningful for high school programs.”

Bracket One Preview
Bracket Two Preview
Bracket Three Preview

• Bishop Verot vs. Aquinas
• Blessed Trinity vs. Bishop Gorman

Bracket Four of the 2023 National High School Invitational features three returning schools in Bishop Gorman High School (Las Vegas, Nev.), Bishop Verot High School (Fort Myers, Fla.), and Blessed Trinity Catholic High School (Roswell, Ga.), along with first-time participant Aquinas High School (San Bernardino, Calif.).

All four of these schools have experienced rosters that showcase some of the nation’s top prospects, and with three of them having prior experience at the NHSI, this bracket is a tough one to advance from into the semifinals.

AQUINAS

Aquinas will make its NHSI debut this month and will bring a talented roster to Cary. Last year, the Falcons put together an impressive 28-3 record, including an 11-1 ledger in league play, and reached the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section Championship. This year they were tabbed the No. 31 team on MaxPreps’ Preseason Top 25 List.

Aquinas’ top player on its roster is senior shortstop Eric Bitonti, rated the No. 42 prospect in this year’s draft class by Baseball America. Standing at 6’5” and 215 pounds, the Oregon commit has plus raw power and is anticipated to do some damage at the plate during the NHSI. Bitonti is already familiar with the National Training Complex as he is a two-time National Team Development Program participant and took part in last year’s Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League and 18U National Training Camp. So, returning to the NTC for the NHSI could warmly welcome the West Coast native.

In addition to Bitonti, 10 other players on its roster have committed to play Division I baseball, including two-way player Owen Egan, who will attend UCLA in the fall. Like Bitonti, Egan has USA Baseball ties as he is a two-time alum, having played on the 2016 and 2017 12U National Teams that earned a silver medal at the COPABE Pan Am “A” Championship and won gold at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-12 Baseball World Cup, respectively. Additionally, he is a three-time NTDP participant as he was at the 14U NTDP in 2018 and 2019 and the 16U/17U NTDP in 2021.

BISHOP GORMAN

Bishop Gorman will be returning to Cary for the first time since it took part in the inaugural edition of the NHSI in 2012. One of the more iconic high school programs from the western part of the country, the Gaels finished 10th on _Baseball America_’s final 2022 high school team rankings after finishing runner-up at last year’s Nevada 5A State Championship with a 35-9 overall record.

The Gaels began the season ranked 26th on MaxPreps’ Preseason Top 25 List and returned five players who earned All-Southern Nevada Team honors. Among that core group of returners are infielders Maddox Riske and Easton Shelton. Riske, a sophomore committed to play at Southern California, led last year’s offense as he slashed .417/.466/.625 at the plate. Likewise, Shelton is the team’s leading power threat after hitting 12 home runs last season.

BISHOP VEROT

The 2023 edition of the NHSI will be Bishop Verot’s third overall appearance at the event, including its second straight after participating last year. Its debut was in 2014, when it closed out the event with three wins by outscoring its opponents 23-4.

Last year, the Vikings compiled a 16-11 record, including an appearance in the first round of the Florida 3A State Championships. This season will be intriguing for Bishop Verot as several underclassmen made a big impact on last year’s squad, and they will be expected to lead the team in 2023.

Key returners from last year’s squad include junior shortstop Maddix Simpson and senior right-hander Aidan Knaak. Simpson led the team offensively last year with a .460 batting average, .500 on-base percentage, and .597 slugging percentage, while Knaak, a Clemson commit, posted a 1.77 ERA in a team-high 51.1 innings in the 2022 campaign.

BLESSED TRINITY

Blessed Trinity returns to the NHSI this year after making its debut in 2019 when it made a run to the semifinals with wins over Marist High School (Chicago, Ill.) and IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.).

The Titans put together a 22-11 overall record in 2022, highlighted by a 13-2 ledger in region play, and reached the second round of the 5A Georgia State Championship.

Pitching will be Blessed Trinity’s key to making a run at this year’s event as it returns top prospects Porter Buursema and Jake Lankie from last year’s team. Buursema, a right-hander committed to Georgia Southern, will be one of the harder throwers in this event, as he can touch 95 mph. Lankie, a Georgia commit, has a solid three-pitch mix and can throw any pitch at any time to keep hitters off balance in the box.

The 10th annual National High School Invitational is set to begin on Wednesday, March 29, at the National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, with the championship game slated for April 1 on Coleman Field. The event is a single-elimination championship tournament, with each participating team guaranteed to play four games.

All games of the 2023 NHSI will be streamed on USABaseball.TV.

For more information on the NHSI, visit USABaseball.com or follow @USABEvents on Twitter and Instagram and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.