Pod 2 of the 2026 NHSI features only two returning teams, but it brings together four programs loaded with talent and ambition. Headlined by top-ranked St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), the pod also includes NHSI mainstay Casteel (Queen Creek, Ariz.), rising power Nolensville (Nolensville, Tenn.), and perennial New Jersey contender Delbarton (Morristown, N.J.).

Collectively, these four programs boast more college commitments than any other pod and five USA Baseball National Team alums. The stage is set for what could be the most competitive part of this year’s bracket.

St. John Bosco

The No. 1 ranked team in the country according to MaxPreps and the reigning CIF SoCal State Champion, St. John Bosco comes to Cary looking to capture another title. The Braves boast 10 seniors committed to play Division I baseball and seem to have one at nearly every position. Four players have previously competed for USA Baseball National Teams, giving them more than any other school in the NHSI. With a star-studded cast returning from last year’s 30-4 championship squad, Head Coach Andy Rojo will have a wealth of options at his disposal in Cary when games begin in a few weeks.

Any discussion about the roster starts with outfielder Jaden Jackson and shortstop James Clark, who teamed up to win a gold medal for the 18U National Team this past summer. Jackson is committed to UCLA, while Clark sits at No. 52 on this year’s MLB Pipeline Top 100 Draft Prospects list. Clark plays alongside his brother and senior outfielder Miles Clark, who is committed to Princeton. Rounding out the group of high-profile sluggers is USC commit Jhett Ohira, who starred at the 2024 National Team Championships in Arizona. Not to be outdone, the Braves pitching staff features three Division I arms in Gavin Cervantes, Cole Knupfer, and Julian Garcia. With a balanced roster and a championship pedigree, St. John Bosco seems poised to make a run on the national stage.

Nolensville

Looking to knock off the No. 1 Braves are the Knights of Nolensville, who make their NHSI debut in 2026. Located outside Nashville, Nolensville is an up-and-coming power in Tennessee high school athletics that has rapidly raised its profile since the school opened in 2016. Though perhaps lacking the national recognition of their first-round opponent, the Knights boast more Power-Four commits than St. John Bosco and just as many seniors committed to play collegiately. Needless to say, Head Coach Zach Hudson has a lot of confidence in his group: “It’s the most talented class I've ever been around. We have a lot of expectations internally.”

Duke catching commit Evan McElvain swings a powerful bat for the Knights and serves as an extension of Hudson's coaching staff on the field. He will likely be catching the Nolensville’s ace Wyatt Claytur in game one. A right-hander committed to Virginia, Claytur has the potential to shut down any team in the country with his mid-90s heater and wipeout slider. Twin brothers Kael and Kyson Barney also play key roles for Nolensville. The 6-foot-5 infielders will be Oregon State Beavers next year, and they are sure to give pitchers trouble in Cary. “We expect to see good arms and quality teams [at NHSI] every single day,” Hudson says. “I think we can stack up with that.”

Casteel

Another program founded less than a decade ago, Casteel returns to the NHSI for a third time hungry for its first trophy. Head Coach Matt Denny has quickly built a powerhouse in Arizona, winning back-to-back state championships in 2023 and 2024 and finishing runner-up last season. Meanwhile, the Colts have also been knocking on the door at the NHSI. In 2024, it was a 3-2 loss to Harvard-Westlake in the quarterfinals that ended the Colts’ run, and last year it was an 8-7 setback in round one against the defending champs Corona. But after Casteel’s young roster outscored opponents 32-8 in the final three consolation games, it’s easy to see why opposing coaches might want to avoid the Colts this season.

The pieces are impressive for this year’s Casteel roster, which features 2025 NHSI All-Tournament Team members Ryne Barker (Texas Tech commit) and Ryan Harwood (Texas A&M). Barker combined with Harwood, who was a member of the 2022 15U National Team, together compiled 12 hits, 11 stolen bases, and eight RBIs across four games last March. They are joined at the top of the lineup by junior Baylor Denny, who is committed to Oklahoma. “This is the deepest team I've had,” says Head Coach Matt Denny. “All of our main contributors from last year's team are back.” On the bump, Casteel has a handful of senior JUCO commits that should keep hitters at bay. Denny is confident heading in: “The more you go to the NHSI, the more it's like, ‘Okay, we're here. We might as well win it,’” he says. “We have the depth now that we can make it work.”

Delbarton

After an electric performance in its lone NHSI appearance in 2019, Delbarton returns to Cary with more collegiate commits than any other school in the field (14). Led seven years ago by USA Baseball alums and future big leaguers Jack Leiter and Anthony Volpe, Delbarton outscored opponents 22-3 en route to a 3-1 record. Leiter and Volpe were both named to the NHSI All-Tournament Team before going on to win a state championship. Since then, Delbarton has continued to dominate New Jersey baseball. The Green Wave have won 78 games in the last three seasons, and Head Coach Bruce Shatel’s 2026 squad shows no signs of slowing down.

With over a dozen commits on the roster, Delbarton has no shortage of difference makers. Senior southpaw AJ Saccento (Delaware commit) appears to be the leader of the staff, while shortstop Sal Garcia (Virginia) will head up the defense. The junior class is especially impressive -- Steve Pannullo (Boston College), Ted Masino (Maryland), Finnian O'Loughlin (Alabama), Kyle McBride (Wake Forest), and Curt Friedrich (Penn State) give Shatel depth that he hopes to leverage. “We're going to make sure that we monitor everyone's bullpen and that they're sharp as a tack before we put them in a game, because there's no room for error. The runs at the NHSI are going to be at a premium,” he says. If 2019 is any indication, runs will be at a premium for Delbarton’s opponents. The first-round showdown with Casteel should be one of the tournament’s best.

Matchup Breakdowns

Casteel vs. Delbarton — March 28, 1:00 pm ET

Similar styles will meet in this one, as Casteel and Delbarton are both extremely aggressive on the basepaths. Both teams went 3-1 in their last appearance at NHSI, so expect the coaches to be extra careful when handling bullpen decisions that could make or break a title run. This matchup will feature more combined commitments than any other in the first-round slate (24), so strap in for a dogfight.

St. John Bosco vs. Nolensville — March 25, 4:00 pm ET

Both teams will be making their first appearance in the NHSI, but neither lacks the talent to make a run. This game pits one of the best lineups in the tournament in St. John Bosco against one of the best arms in the field in Knights ace Wyatt Claytur. The battle between Nolensville’s sluggers and a stellar Braves staff should deliver great matchups as well. With the sheer amount of talent on both rosters, this matchup could turn into one of the closest games of the opening round.