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• Jesuit (Portland) vs. Calvary Christian
• Huntington Beach vs. Basha

Bracket Three of the 2023 National High School Invitational features two returning programs in 2016 champion Huntington Beach High School (Huntington Beach, Calif.) and Calvary Christian High School (Clearwater, Fla.), as well as first-time participants Basha High School (Chandler, Ariz.) and Jesuit High School (Portland, Ore.).

With a returning champion in Huntington Beach, combined with one returning program and two teams making their NHSI debuts, the first-round matchups in this bracket will be one to watch for fans at the National Training Complex. Will experience lead the way or will a newcomer make a name for themselves in Cary?

HUNTINGTON BEACH

Huntington Beach looks to capture its second NHSI title in what will be its sixth appearance in the last seven editions of the event. When it makes the trip to Cary, the Oilers will tie the record with Orange Lutheran High School (Orange, Calif.) for most appearances at the NHSI. Huntington Beach has had a lot of success in Cary, as it has one of the top win percentages among all participants in the event with a .700 mark. Not only did they take it all in 2016, but they also reached the tournament semifinals in 2015 and 2022.

One of Huntington Beach’s top players and potential top draft prospects is catcher and first baseman Ralphy Velazquez. A two-time USA Baseball alum, Velazquez helped Team USA earn a silver medal at the 2016 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-12 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier and win its third consecutive gold at the 2017 WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup. Additionally, he participated in the 2019 14U National Team Development Program. Ranked No. 59 in the MLB Draft Class by Baseball America, Velazquez is an advanced hitter who makes it difficult for pitchers to get him out at the plate.

The Oilers return 14 players who are all Division I commits from last year’s squad that advanced to the NHSI semifinals, went 25-9, and defeated JSerra Catholic in the finals to clinch the CIF Southern California Division I Championship. JSerra Catholic is also in this year’s NHSI field. If both win their brackets, the NHSI could see a rematch of last year’s CIF championship in the championship game on Saturday, April 1.

CALVARY CHRISTIAN

Calvary Christian returns to Cary for the first time since 2018, when it reached the semifinals. A perennial powerhouse in the state of Florida, the Warriors finished 18th in Baseball America’s final high school rankings last year and are ranked No. 3 in this year’s MaxPreps’ Preseason Top 25. Calvary returns 13 players who are headed to play at the college level from last year’s team that advanced to a regional semifinal in the Florida 3A State Championship.

Within that core group of returners are top 2023 MLB Draft prospects Liam Peterson (No. 69), Hunter Dietz (No. 115), and Landon Maroudis (No. 129). The three of them combined for 20 of the team’s 26 wins on the mound last season and all three participated in last year’s Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League at the National Training Complex in Cary. With their size and control, this trio of seniors is bound to help the Warriors make a deep run by giving other teams’ hitters a tough time at the plate.

BASHA

Basha will be making its first-ever trip to the National Training Complex this year and will look to make some noise in this tournament. The Bears, historically one of the best baseball programs in the state of Arizona, are coming off a 17-13 season in 2022 where they reached the second round of the 6A Arizona State Championship.

One key player for fans to keep their eye on is junior outfielder Max Madrid, a Washington commit. Last year he led the team in batting average (.418), on-base percentage (.515), and slugging percentage (.636).

JESUIT

Like Basha, Jesuit (Portland) is ready to showcase its talent in its NHSI debut. The Crusaders compiled a 20-4 record, including an 11-2 ledger in league play, and made it to the second round of the Oregon 6A State Championship in 2022.

Facing senior right-handed pitcher Noble Meyer will be a daunting task for Jesuit’s opponents to get past. Standing a 6’5” and 200 pounds, he has been rated the No. 15 prospect in this year’s MLB Draft and a top prep pitcher by Baseball America. With a fastball that sits in the mid-90’s and a deceiving slider, Meyer was named a unanimous Baseball First Team All-American last year and participated in the PDP League last summer in Cary.

With Meyer’s elite arm on the mound and Calvary’s top tier pitching trio of Dietz, Maroudis, and Peterson, Jesuit’s matchup with the Calvary Christian Warriors will be a marquee game in the first round of the NHSI.

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.

Bracket One Preview
Bracket Three Preview
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• Houston County vs. JSerra Catholic
• Hagerty vs. Brother Rice

Bracket Two of the 2023 National High School Invitational features three returning schools in Brother Rice High School (Chicago, Ill.), Hagerty High School (Oviedo, Fla.), and JSerra Catholic High School (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) along with Houston County High School (Roswell, Ga.) who will be making its NHSI debut next month.

This bracket shows a lot of depth, with three of the four schools making runs in their respective high school state tournaments last year, highlighted by Brother Rice’s Super Sectional Championship title and JSerra’s California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) SoCal Division I Championship runner-up finish.

BROTHER RICE

Brother Rice will return to Cary for the first time since 2017, when the Crusaders made their debut in the NHSI. As aforementioned, they are fresh off a Super Section Championship title and reached the Illinois 4A State Championship semifinals after compiling an impressive 36-6 record, including a 16-2 ledger in conference play, in the 2022 season.

The Crusaders finished in the top 40 of Baseball America’s final high school rankings last year and were tabbed the No. 39 team in the nation in MaxPreps’ 2023 preseason rankings as it returns a lot of its pitching depth, speed, and defense from last year’s squad.

Among its returners are all-state caliber players Cole Van Assen (RHP), Amir Gray (INF), and Bryce Nevils (OF/C). Van Assen, who is currently uncommitted, is one of the top pitchers in Illinois, while Gray is slated to play at Purdue next year and Nevils is a Western Kentucky commit. These three seniors will play a key role in Brother Rice’s potential to have a strong showing at this year’s event.

HAGERTY

The 2023 edition of the NHSI will be Hagerty’s second appearance in the event, with its first time coming in 2019. The Huskies are a perennial power in Florida and have produced several impressive draft prospects as they will look to bring those strengths back to Cary.

Last year, Hagerty finished with a 17-12 record on the diamond and reached the semifinals of the Florida 7A State Championship.

For two key players on its squad, seniors Garrett Baumann and Talan Bell, the National Training Complex will be a familiar place for them. Baumann, a right-handed pitcher who has committed to UCF, participated in last year’s Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League in Cary. He is slated to be one of the more physical players at the event, standing at 6’8” and weighing 240 pounds. With a unique fastball, changeup combination, and the potential to touch 96 mph, Baumann has the chance to dominate on the mound and give hitters a tough time at the plate.

Bell is a two-way player who will attend Florida State next fall and has been tabbed the No. 64 player by Baseball America in the 2024 high school class. Bell was invited to the 16U/17U National Team Development Program last summer in Cary and helped Team USA win gold at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier in the fall. Bell has a lot of projectability on the mound; at the plate he is someone with a patient approach who can hit for gap power.

HOUSTON COUNTY

Houston County will look to make some noise in its NHSI debut next month after a strong 2022 high school campaign where the Bears went 28-6, highlighted by a 9-0 record in region play, and reached the third round of the Georgia 6A State Championship. Houston is set to bring a wealth of experience and pitching depth to Cary with 17 returners, including 11 with starting experience from last year’s squad.

Standout infielder/outfielder Drew Burress, a Georgia Tech commit, is no stranger to USA Baseball as he was a part of the 2019 15U National Team that won gold at the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier and was invited to last year’s PDP League at the National Training Complex. Burress led all players in Georgia with 17 home runs and is listed as the No. 86 prospect in Baseball America’s 2023 draft class. With his impressive bat speed, plus running skills, and ability to play defense all over the field, Burress will be someone for fans and other teams to watch in this event.

JSERRA CATHOLIC

JSerra Catholic, a West Coast powerhouse, is set to make its second overall appearance next month at the NHSI after a strong debut in 2015. After a tough 1-0 loss in its opener, the Lions managed to win out in consolation play and outscore their opponents 13-5.

JSerra is coming off a 25-11 season and finished runner-up to Huntington Beach in the CIF SoCal Division I Championship. The Lions finished 28th in Baseball America’s final 2022 high school rankings and were tabbed the No. 2 team in MaxPreps’ 2023 Preseason Top 25 Poll.

With Huntington Beach being on the other side of the bracket, there is potential for a highly anticipated CIF SoCal Division I Championship rematch between the Oilers and Lions.

JSerra returns 20 players from last year’s squad, including 16 pitchers, which makes the Lions’ pitching staff capable of making some noise at the NHSI. USA Baseball alum and LSU commit Matthew Champion, along with UC Santa Barbara commit J.J. Hollis, will look to anchor the pitching staff as the two right-handers threw a combined 106 innings and collected nine wins last year. Champion will return to Cary for the second time in less than a year as he participated in the 16U/17U NTDP last summer and was on the 18U National Team with Houston County’s Bell, winning gold at the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier.

On the offensive side of the ball, senior infielder Trent Caraway, an Oregon State commit, is ranked the No. 70 overall prospect in Baseball America’s 2023 draft class. He is an offensive-oriented infielder with plus power who has the ability to be a top-three-round draft pick this summer.

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.

Bracket Two Preview
Bracket Three Preview
Bracket Four Preview

• Doral Academy vs. St. Xavier High School
• Santa Margarita Catholic vs. T.C. Roberson

Bracket One of the 2023 National High School Invitational (NHSI) features three teams that will make their first-ever appearance in the event, with two of them fresh off a state championship title. For Doral Academy (Doral, Fla.), St. Xavier High School (Louisville, Ky.), and Santa Margarita Catholic High School (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.), the 2023 edition will be their first trip to Cary, North Carolina. Doral and St. Xavier, who is the first Kentucky school to be invited to the NHSI, won a championship title in their respective states in the 2022 season. Meanwhile, T.C. Roberson High School rounds out the pod and is the only school with prior experience at the event.

T.C. ROBERSON HIGH SCHOOL

This year will be T.C. Roberson’s third appearance at the NHSI with its previous two coming in 2013 and 2014. They may own just a 2-6 all-time record in the event but don’t let those numbers fool you, as the Rams are historically one of the most famous high school teams in the state of North Carolina with four 4A State Championship titles to their name.

The Rams return seven starters from last year’s squad that went 22-8 and reached the semifinals of the state championship, including its top six hitters along with its top two starting pitchers and closer. Among those returners is senior shortstop Nick Parham, as he will be a name for fans to keep their eye on in the event. With a smooth left-handed swing and solid defensive range in the middle infield, the Asheville, N.C., native is one of the top players in the state and has committed to attend East Carolina University in the fall.

DORAL ACADEMY

Doral Academy is one of the top teams in this year’s field as it finished 12th in last year’s Baseball America high school team rankings and is ranked No. 15 in MaxPrep’s Preseason Top 25 high school rankings. The Firebirds compiled an impressive 25-4-1 record last year and capped off its 2022 campaign by winning the Florida 6A State Championship.

Doral returns all but three wins from last year’s pitching staff along with eight of nine position players from their 2022 roster. Of that group of returners, senior left-handed pitcher Frank Menendez, senior shortstop Adrian Santana, and junior outfielder/left-handed pitcher Michael Torres are three of the top high school players in the country.

Menendez and Torres have committed to play for Miami while Santana will attend Florida in the fall.

Torres is no stranger to USA Baseball as he is a three-time alum and two-time gold medalist, having been on the 2018 12U National Team that won gold at the COPABE U-12 Pan-American Championships, the 2021 15U National Team, and most recently the 2022 18U National Team that won gold at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) World Cup Americas Qualifier in November. Additionally, Santana will be making his second trip to the National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, in less than a year as he participated in the Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League last summer.

Santana, a switch hitter with plus speed on the base paths, is listed as the No. 106 overall prospect by Baseball America in the 2023 Major League Baseball draft, while Torres, a two-way player, is ranked No. 83 on Baseball America’s Top 100 High School List for the 2024 class. Both will be key pieces for Doral as the Firebirds look to make a deep run in its first-ever appearance at the NHSI.

XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL

Like Doral, St. Xavier is also fresh off a state championship title in 2022, having won its ninth title in program history and first since 2018 after going 34-10 on the year. The Tigers return their entire infield from last year along with starting pitcher Jake Gregor.

Gregor, a junior right-hander who has committed to Louisville, is listed at No. 84 on Baseball America’s Top 100 High School List for the 2024 class. Standing at 6’4”, he has a good fastball in the low 90’s but could potentially touch the mid-90’s in the event. In a single-elimination tournament, someone like Gregor can be a difference maker for a team going deep in a tournament.

SANTA MARGARITA CATHOLIC

Despite this year being Santa Margarita Catholic’s first trip to Cary, the Eagles have a bit of a reputation to uphold being a school from California, as seven of the past nine NHSI winners have come from The Golden State.

Santa Margarita Catholic returns nine position players along with its top four arms from last year’s team that reached the second round of the California Interscholastic Federation (CFI) Southern Section Division I State Championship last year. This year’s squad has a lot of experience and talent as 18 of the 25 players are seniors and 11 of them, nine from the 2023 class and two from the 2024 class, have committed to play Division I baseball after graduation.

For senior Blake Balsz, the National Training Complex is a familiar place for him as he was invited to the PDP League last summer and participated in the 16U/17U National Team Development Program in 2021. He, along with Luke Lavin, who was tabbed a Second Team All-American and All-CIF Southern Section Division 1 mention in 2022, return as two of the team’s top hitters from last season with .325 and .433 batting averages, respectively. Those two along with Blake Humphrey are considered the team’s best position players and all have roots as catchers.

On the mound, southpaw Sammy Cova will look to anchor the pitching staff along with Collin Clarke, Zach Fjelstad, and Hayden George, as they were all apart of last year’s championship squad. Additionally, Blake Wilson continues his role as the Eagles’ closer while contributing at the plate as he tallied three home runs and 16 runs batted in while compiling a 2-0 record and four saves with a 1.00 earned-run average.

The tenth 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 for 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.

CARY, N.C. - USA Baseball today released the bracket for the tenth annual National High School Invitational (NHSI), presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA) and the Town of Cary, which will run March 29 through April 1 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C.

First-round matchups are as follows:

• Bishop Verot vs. Aquinas 
• Blessed Trinity vs. Bishop Gorman 
• Santa Margarita Catholic vs. TC Roberson 
• Hagerty vs. Brother Rice 
• Doral Academy vs. St. Xavier 
• Jesuit (Portland) vs. Calvary Christian 
• Houston County vs. JSerra Catholic 
• Huntington Beach vs. Basha 

The NHSI is a single-elimination championship tournament, with each participating team guaranteed to play four games. The 2023 championship game will be played on April 1 on Coleman Field, with the first pitch to be determined.

All games for 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.

CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today unveiled the 16-team field for the 10th annual National High School Invitational (NHSI) presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance and the Town of Cary. The event will be held from March 29 to April 1 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.

The field features nine teams that have participated in previous years, including 2016 champion Huntington Beach High School (Huntington Beach, Calif.), which has competed in the event five times since its inception in 2012.

“USA Baseball is excited to kick off its 2023 slate of events in March with the tenth edition of the National High School Invitational,” said USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO Paul Seiler. “Year in and year out, this event puts the national spotlight on high school baseball, playing host to the nation’s top players and programs. We look forward to offering an incredible experience for sixteen elite teams that will be participating in Cary, along with their families and fans.”

The 2023 event marks Huntington Beach’s third consecutive appearance at the National High School Invitational, and its sixth overall. The Oilers own one of the best overall win percentages (.700) in the 10-year history of the NHSI with an all-time record of 14-6.

Along with Huntington Beach, Bishop Verot High School (Fort Myers, Fla.) and host T.C. Roberson High School (Asheville, N.C.) have participated multiple times in the event. Bishop Verot returns for a third time after appearances in 2014 and 2022, while T.C. Roberson returns to the event for the first time since competing in 2013 and 2014.

The 2023 edition of the NHSI will be the second-ever appearance for five teams in the field. Blessed Trinity Catholic High School (Roswell, Ga.) and Hagerty High School (Oviedo, Fla.) will return to Cary for the first time since 2019, while Calvary Christian High School (Clearwater, Fla.) and Brother Rice High School (Chicago, Ill.) will be participating for the first time since 2018 and 2017, respectively. Additionally, this will be JSerra Catholic High School’s (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) first appearance since 2015 and Bishop Gorman High School’s (Las Vegas, Nev.) first since 2012.

Aquinas High School (San Bernardino, Calif.), Basha High School (Chandler, Ariz.), Doral Academy (Doral, Fla.), Houston County High School (Warner Robins, Ga.), Jesuit High School (Portland, Ore.), Santa Margarita Catholic High School (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.), and St. Xavier High School (Louisville, Ky.) will all compete in the event for the first time.

The 2023 field boasts tremendous depth, as Doral and St. Xavier won state titles during the 2022 season, while Bishop Gorman finished runner-up in its respective state championship. Five other schools made state playoff appearances last year, including Aquinas, Hagerty, and TC Roberson who all reached the semifinals.

Additionally, Brother Rice is fresh off winning a Super Sectional Championship, and Huntington Beach clinched the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division I Championship last year.

In total, nine states will be represented in this year’s tournament, led by Florida and California with four teams apiece. In addition, two schools will represent Georgia, while Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Nevada, North Carolina, and Oregon will each have one school competing in the event.

“The GRSA is proud to be a host partner of the NHSI again this year,” said Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance Director Tori Collins. “We have always valued our relationship with USA Baseball. We appreciate its tireless efforts to bring first-class events like this to the National Training Complex in Cary each year. Not only does the NHSI have a tremendous economic impact on our community, but it also further strengthens Cary’s brand as one of America’s top destinations for amateur sports and an outstanding host of our nation’s top athletes.”

The USA Baseball National Training Complex (NTC), in partnership with the Town of Cary, has been the official home of USA Baseball since 2007. The NTC has been the stage for the NHSI since its inception in 2012 and includes four baseball fields maintained at Major League Baseball (MLB) standards. Many of MLB’s most-accomplished players have played at the NTC in their careers, including four-time American League (AL) MVP Mike Trout and two-time National League (NL) MVP Bryce Harper. The Town of Cary received the National Gold Medal Grand Plaque Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management in 2016, which honors U.S. communities that demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation through long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development, and agency recognition.

The 2023 edition of the NHSI marks the 10th anniversary of the prestigious event that brings the nation’s top high school teams and players to Cary, North Carolina. Many of the players that have competed in the event have gone on to illustrious careers in professional baseball, including 2016 NL MVP Cody Bellinger and 2021 World Series champion Max Fried, as well as All-Stars Joey Gallo and Lucas Giolito. Additionally, nine first-round picks from the last three MLB Drafts (2020-2022) participated in the event, including Slade Cecconi, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ed Howard, Dylan Lesko, Jack Leiter, Austin Martin, Garrett Mitchell, Andy Painter, and Mikey Romero.

The NHSI is a single-elimination championship tournament, with each participating team guaranteed to play four games. The 2023 championship game will be played on April 1 on Coleman Field, with the first pitch to be determined. The bracket and complete schedule will be announced at a later date.

The complete list of 2023 NHSI participants is as follows:

High School (City, State)

• Aquinas High School (San Bernardino, Calif.)
• Basha High School (Chandler, Ariz.)
• Bishop Gorman High School (Las Vegas, Nev.)
• Bishop Verot High School (Fort Myers, Fla.)
• Blessed Trinity Catholic High School (Roswell, Ga.)
• Brother Rice High School (Chicago, Ill.)
• Calvary Christian High School (Clearwater, Fla.)
• Doral Academy (Doral, Fla.)
• Hagerty High School (Oviedo, Fla.)
• Houston County High School (Warner Robins, Ga.)
• Huntington Beach High School (Huntington Beach, Calif.)
• JSerra Catholic High School (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
• Jesuit High School (Portland, Ore.)
• Santa Margarita Catholic High School (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)
• St. Xavier High School (Louisville, Ky.)
• T.C. Roberson High School (Asheville, N.C.)

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

CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today announced that 10 USA Baseball national team alumni and 20 total development program participants were awarded 2022 Gatorade Player of the Year awards for baseball in their respective states. The award is given to the nation’s most outstanding high school talents for their athletic development, academic excellence, and exemplary character.

“We are extremely proud of our twenty alumni and development program participants for earning Gatorade State Baseball Player of the Year honors to cap off their high school baseball careers,” said Paul Seiler, USA Baseball’s Executive Director and CEO. “Our goal as the national governing body for baseball is to identify premier athletes and contribute to their growth through our events, programs, and national teams. Witnessing these young athletes being honored with an award like this reinforces that we are succeeding in our goals and positively influencing their ongoing development.”

Highlighting the national team alumni on the list is gold medalist Logan Saloman. Saloman was named Arizona’s Gatorade State Baseball Player of the Year three years after winning the World Baseball Softball (WBSC) U-15 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier in 2019. En route to gold, he struck out 16 batters in his 12 innings of work and finished with a 1-0 record after making three appearances on the mound for the stars and stripes.

Of the 10 alumni, nine were members of the 2021 18U National Team that went 5-1-1 in an international friendship series against Canada: Joe Allen (New Hampshire), Gavin Guidry (Louisiana), Jackson Holliday (Oklahoma), Walker Jenkins (North Carolina), Druw Jones (Georgia), Mike Kennedy (New York), Paxton Kling (Pennsylvania), Blake Mitchell (Texas), and Owen Murphy (Illinois). The U.S. outscored Canada 60-11 last summer, tallying 23 extra-base hits and holding a minuscule 1.53 team ERA in the seven-game series in Florida.

In addition to their national team experiences, all 10 national team alums have also participated in a USA Baseball development program event. Jenkins, Mitchell, and Saloman were members of a National Team Development Program (NTDP) roster in their careers and are joined by fellow NTDP participants Maxwell Clark (Indiana) and Malcolm Moore (California) on the list of Gatorade State Baseball Players of the Year. The USA Baseball NTDP offers athletes an opportunity to connect with USA Baseball staff to better prepare for a future national team experience. The program includes skill development sessions, off-field education seminars, and intrasquad Stars vs. Stripes games to assist in the development of the athletes as both a player and a person.

Allen, Guidry, Holliday, Jones, Kennedy, Kling, Moore, and Murphy all participated in the 2021 PDP League last year as part of the broader Major League Baseball and USA Baseball Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP). The event is an invitation-based development and assessment opportunity for high school players eligible for the following year’s MLB Draft. It provides athletes with an unprecedented amateur experience, including competitive gameplay, player development sessions, educational seminars, and additional programming to prepare players for a professional baseball career. Their fellow teammates Caden Dana (New Jersey), Cooper Dossett (Arkansas), Karson Milbrandt (Missouri), Drew Nelson (Alabama), Brock Porter (Michigan), JR Ritchie (Washington), Matt Scott (Connecticut), and Tristan Smith (South Carolina) also earned Gatorade State Baseball Player of the Year honors after participating the in 2021 PDP League.

Additionally, 26 of the Gatorade State Baseball Players of the Year have competed in a USA Baseball identification event or the National High School Invitational (NHSI). The 2022 NHSI featured five eventual winners, including champion Roman Anthony (Marjory Stoneman Douglas; Florida), Dana (Don Bosco Prep; New Jersey), Seth Keller (Hanover; Virginia), Dallas Macias (Regis Jesuit; Colorado), and Saloman (Hamilton; Arizona).

Twenty of the award recipients have played in a USA Baseball National Team Championship (seven in Arizona and 15 in North Carolina) while nine were selected to their region team and played in the USA Baseball National Team Identification Series Champions Cup.

Seventeen of the award recipients have played in the USA Baseball National Team Championships in North Carolina.

For more information on the Gatorade Player of the Year award, visit the official website at Gatorade.com/POY.

The complete list of USA Baseball national team alumni, development program, and event participants who were named 2022 Gatorade State Baseball Players of the Year is as follows:

GATORADE STATE BASEBALL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR x NATIONAL TEAM ALUMNI AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS

(State: Name; USA Baseball national team/development program)

• Alabama: Drew Nelson; 2021 PDP League
• Arizona: Logan Saloman*; 2018 14U NTDP, 2019 15U National Team
• Arkansas: Cooper Dossett; 2021 PDP League
• California: Malcolm Moore; 2019 16U NTDP, 2021 PDP League
• Connecticut: Matt Scott; 2021 PDP League
• Georgia: Druw Jones*; 2021 PDP League, 2021 18U National Team
• Illinois: Owen Murphy*; 2021 PDP League, 2021 18U National Team
• Indiana: Maxwell Clark; 2021 16U/17U NTDP
• Louisiana: Gavin Guidry*; 2021 PDP League, 2021 18U National Team
• Michigan: Brock Porter; 2021 PDP League
• Missouri: Karson Milbrandt; 2021 PDP League
• New Hampshire: Joe Allen*; 2021 PDP League, 2021 18U National Team
• New Jersey: Caden Dana; 2021 PDP League
• New York: Mike Kennedy*; 2021 PDP League, 2021 18U National Team
• North Carolina: Walker Jenkins*; 2021 16U/17U NTDP, 2021 18U National Team
• Oklahoma: Jackson Holliday*; 2021 PDP League, 2021 18U National Team
• Pennsylvania: Paxton Kling*; 2021 PDP League, 2021 18U National Team
• South Carolina: Tristan Smith; 2021 PDP League
• Texas: Blake Mitchell*; 2021 16U/17U NTDP, 2021 18U National Team
• Washington: JR Ritchie; 2021 PDP League

*denotes USA Baseball National Team alumni

GATORADE STATE BASEBALL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR x USA BASEBALL EVENTS PARTICIPANTS

(State: Name; USA Baseball event)

• Alabama; Drew Nelson; Champs North Carolina
• Arizona; Logan Saloman; Champs Arizona, NHSI, NTIS
• Arkansas; Cooper Dossett; Champs Arizona, NTIS
• California; Malcolm Moore; Champs Arizona
• Colorado; Dallas Macias; Champs North Carolina, NHSI, NTIS
• Florida; Roman Anthony; Champs North Carolina, NHSI
• Hawaii; Nu'u Contrades; Champs Arizona
• Illinois; Owen Murphy; Champs North Carolina
• Maryland; Chris Hacopian; Champs North Carolina
• Michigan; Brock Porter; Champs North Carolina
• Mississippi; Dakota Jordan; Champs North Carolina
• Nevada; Robby Snelling; Champs Arizona, Champs North Carolina
• New York; Mike Kennedy; Champs North Carolina
• Pennsylvania; Paxton Kling; Champs North Carolina
• South Carolina; Tristan Smith; Champs North Carolina
• Tennessee; Dylan Loy; Champs North Carolina
• Texas; Blake Mitchell; Champs North Carolina, NTIS
• Utah; Luke Anderson; Champs Arizona
• Washington; JR Ritchie; Champs Arizona, Champs North Carolina
• Wisconsin; Mitch Voit; Champs North Carolina

CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today announced the All-Tournament Team for the 2022 National High School Invitational presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance. The event concluded on Saturday evening at the National Training Complex with Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Fla.) lifting the trophy after a 5-3 victory over St. Johns Country Day (Orange Park, Fla.).

It was the first NHSI title for the Eagles and the second-ever title for a team from the state of Florida (The First Academy; Orlando, Fla.; 2014). 2022 marked the first time both finalists hailed from the Sunshine State, breaking California’s streak of nine consecutive years of placing a team in the title game.

Stoneman Douglas’ Chris Arroyo was named tournament MVP. Arroyo was stellar on both sides of the ball, finishing the tournament with a .667 batting average, eight RBIs, and six runs scored, while also making two appearances on the mound. He pitched 5.0 innings of scoreless baseball, surrendering just two hits and striking out five. Arroyo picked up the save in the Eagles’ 5-3 championship-clinching victory.

Ten schools are represented on the All-Tournament Team, led by three Stoneman Douglas’ players and two from St. Johns Country Day. The complete list of all-tournament team selection are as follows: 

• Roman Anthony (Stoneman Douglas)
• Chris Arroyo (Stoneman Douglas) – MVP
• Ben Barrett (The First Academy)
• Jarrod Hocking (Servite)
• Brad Hodges (St. Johns Country Day)
• Seth Keller (Hanover)
• Dallas Macias (Regis Jesuit)
• Matthew Matthijs (D.H. Conley)
• Mason Neville (Basic Academy)
• Christian Rodriguez (Stoneman Douglas)
• Louis Rodriguez (Orange Lutheran)
• Luke Scherrer (Yucaipa)
• Jordan Taylor (St. Johns Country Day)

Roman Anthony helped power Stoneman Douglas to the 2022 NHSI title and earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team with a .467 batting average and a tournament-high seven hits – including two in the championship game. He also tied for the tournament lead in stolen bases, going a perfect 4-for-4 on the base paths. While appearing in all four of the Eagles’ games during the event, Anthony also picked up two RBIs, scored two runs, and drew three walks to power a .556 on-base percentage for the week.

Chris Arroyo dominated at the plate and on the mound for 2022 NHSI champion Stoneman Douglas to not only garner a spot on the All-Tournament Team but also to earn MVP honors at the event. Arroyo got the start in the Eagles’ first game of the event and threw 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out four. At the plate, he helped power his team’s 15-0 defeat of DH Conley with an RBI single and a sacrifice fly while drawing a walk and scoring two runs. Arroyo also led the Stoneman Douglas offense in its come-from-behind victory over Yucaipa in the quarterfinals with two hits, three RBIs, and two runs scored before going 2-for-3 with another RBI in his squad’s 11-0 takedown of three-time NHSI champion Orange Lutheran. In the championship game, the lefty once again showed out on both sides of the ball. He finished 1-for-2 with a two-RBI single in the first inning to open the scoring before taking the mound to close out the 5-3 victory and earn the save. He tossed 1.1 innings of scoreless relief in which he allowed just one hit and one walk to secure Stoneman Douglas’ first NHSI championship. Arroyo was named MVP after leading the 2022 NHSI field in RBIs with eight and recording the event’s second-highest batting average (.667) and third highest on-base percentage (.667).

Ben Barrett netted his spot on the 2022 NHSI All-Tournament Team with strong performances at the plate and on the mound for The First Academy. On offense, he finished the event hitting .545 with six hits, two RBIs, three runs, and a stolen base while also tallying a .583 on-base percentage and a .545 slugging percentage. Barrett took the mound and tossed seven strong innings in The First Academy’s second game of the tournament, allowing just one run on five hits and one walk while recording nine punchouts against Hanover. His nine strikeouts were good for the third highest in the event. In The First Academy’s final game of the tournament, Barrett picked up two RBIs and three runs to power the team’s 13-8 victory over Huntington Beach.

With a tournament-high three doubles and the event’s fifth-best slugging percentage (.700), Jarrod Hocking earned his place on the 2022 NHSI All-Tournament Team. He finished the event with a .400 average and four hits while stealing three bases and tallying three runs scored for Servite. In the Friars’ final game of the tournament, Hocking’s two hits both went for extra bases as he finished 2-for-3 with two doubles and a run scored.

St. Johns Country Day’s Brad Hodges was impressive both on the mound and at the plate for the NHSI runners-up, batting .500 (6-for-12) with a homer and posting a 3.15 ERA. The southpaw got his tournament started in a big way against Servite, throwing 6.2 innings and allowing just three earned runs while striking out nine. He also added a hit and two RBIs in the win. Hodges continued to hit in the following game, going 4-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs in a quarterfinal win over Don Bosco. The two-way star had a hit and scored a run in the Spartans’ championship game loss to Stoneman Douglas, giving him a tournament-best 10 total bases.

Breaking an NHSI record with 16 strikeouts on the mound and posting tournament highs in batting average (.750), slugging percentage (.875), and on-base percentage, (.769), Hanover’s Seth Keller made his mark at the 2022 NHSI. Keller opened his tournament with a 2-for-2 game against Orange Lutheran, driving in a run and reaching on a walk. The senior followed that with one of the best performances in tournament history, as he struck out 16 batters over seven innings pitched against The First Academy. Keller also reached base three times in the game, picking up a pair of hits and a walk while driving in a run. He finished his tournament with a 2-for-3 game in Hanover’s NHSI finale against Yucaipa.

Dallas Macias was a hit-machine for Regis Jesuit during the NHSI, batting .500 (5-for-10) with four runs scored and three stolen bases. Macias was in the middle of most of the offensive output for the Raiders, reaching base at least twice in all three of their games. After starting the tournament with a 2-for-4 showing against Yucaipa, Macias went 1-for-2 with an RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base against Bishop Verot. The senior wrapped up tournament play in a big way, going 2-for-4 with three runs scored and a pair of stolen bases in a win over Don Bosco Prep.

Batting .500 (6-for-12) and finishing top two in total bases (8) while posting a 2.62 ERA with five strikeouts earned DH Conley’s Matthew Matthijs a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Matthijs went 1-for-2 in the tournament opener against eventual champion Stoneman Douglas before notching two hits, a run scored, and an RBI in a win over McQuaid Jesuit in his second game. The two-way star got it done on the mound and at the plate in DH Conley’s final game against Servite, throwing 5.1 innings and allowing just two runs on the mound while going 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI at the plate.

Basic Academy’s Mason Neville was a key offensive figure for the Wolves, batting .444 (4-for-9) with two runs scored and two stolen bases. Neville had a strong tournament opener, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base to help the Wolves to an opening-round win over The First Academy. He followed that was another two-hit showing in the quarterfinals against Orange Lutheran, knocking two singles. In the tournament finale, Neville pitched a scoreless inning against Bishop Verot, notching a pair of strikeouts.

Christian Rodriguez finished the NHSI with a tournament-high seven runs scored and was in the top five in both batting average (.545) and on-base percentage (.643) to earn his spot on the All-Tournament Team. Rodriguez got a hit in all four games for Stoneman Douglas, highlighted by a 2-for-3, two-run, and two-RBI outing against three-time defending champion Orange Lutheran High School in the semifinals. He also posted multiple hits and RBIs in the opening round victory over DH Conley, finishing 2-for-2 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Rodriguez also finished the tournament a perfect 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts.

Louis Rodriguez was stellar on the mound in his lone outing during the 2022 NHSI, a 2-0 victory over Basic Academy in the quarterfinals. He pitched a complete-game shutout, striking out three and giving up no walks on 79 total pitches. The win vaulted the three-time defending champions into the NHSI semifinals and him onto the All-Tournament Team.

Finishing the NHSI with the third-highest slugging percentage (.778) and fourth-highest batting average (.556) earned Luke Scherrer a spot on the All-Tournament Team. He opened the tournament with a 2-for-4, three-RBI outing in a victory over Regis Jesuit, and followed it up by going 1-for-2 with a walk against eventual champion Stoneman Douglas. In Yucaipa’s finale against Hanover, Scherrer went 2-for-3 with a run scored, one RBI, and a double to end the tournament with a 13-4 victory.

St. Johns Country Day’s Jordan Taylor was named to the NHSI All-Tournament Team after finishing the event with a .385 batting average, five runs scored, and a tournament-leading (T-1) four stolen bases (4-for-4). He began the tournament with a 3-for-4 day against Servite, scoring two runs. Taylor scored another two runs, stole two bases, and tallied an RBI in the quarterfinal victory over Don Bosco Prep and went 1-for-3 with a run scored, a walk, and stolen base in the championship game.

BASIC ACADEMY 6, BISHOP VEROT 5

BOX SCORE

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• After being hit by a pitch to kick off the bottom of the first, Ty Southisene came around to score on a groundout to open scoring in the contest and give Basic Academy a 1-0 lead.
• Both offenses were quiet through the second and third frames before Bishop Verot broke onto the scoreboard in the third, grabbing a 2-1 lead with an RBI single from Gavin Howe who then came around to score on an error.
• Basic Academy reclaimed the advantage quickly though with a Chris Acosta two-RBI double and a Jesus Peraza RBI single that made it 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth.
• Gavin Howe drew a walk to lead off the top of the sixth and stole second to get in scoring position for Preston Hall who dropped an RBI single into center before Josiah Velazquez and Maddix Simpson contributed their own RBI singles to give Bishop Verot its second lead of the game, 5-4.
• Down to their final three outs, Basic Academy got a rally started right away with a leadoff walk to Jesus Peraza who came around to score on a Ty Southisene RBI single to tie the contest at 5-5.
• The Wolves got the winning run 90 feet away and then took advantage of a Bishop Verot balk that allowed Ty Southisene to score and give Basic Academy the 6-5 walkoff victory.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Tate Southisene paced the Basic Academy offense, finishing 3-for-3 with a run scored, while Chris Acosta (1-for-3) recorded two RBIs and a run scored in the win.
• Maddix Simpson (2-for-4) collected Bishop Verot’s lone multi-hit game while also tallying an RBI.
• Chase Ditmar (1-0) earned the win with his hitless, scoreless inning of relief in which he struck out two.
• Kolton Curtis (0-1) was tagged with the loss after allowing two runs, including the game-winner, on two hits and two walks.
• Basic Academy finishes the 2022 NHSI with a 2-1 record after the win.
• The loss dropped Bishop Verot to 0-3 in this year’s tournament.

HUNTINGTON BEACH VS. THE FIRST ACADEMY

BOX SCORE

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Huntington Beach opened the scoring in the top of the second inning when Jackson Brummett singled home Nathaniel Cox with two outs in the frame to give the Oilers an early 1-0 edge.
• With the bases loaded in the top of the third, Ethan Porter hit a two-run single to left-center field which extended to Oilers lead to 3-0.
• The First Academy responded in the bottom half of the third, putting together a five-run inning. The Royals scored all five runs without notching a hit in the inning, as they drew six walks and used good baserunning to take a two-run lead.
• Huntington Beach answered with two runs of its own in the top of the fourth to tie the game at five. Bradley Navarro singled through the left side to score Nicholas Dumesnil, and Ralphy Velazquez hit a sacrifice fly to make it even.
• The Royals’ offense exploded in the fifth to bust the game open and put it out of reach. The first run came on an RBI groundout by Dewon Brazelton, which plated Ben Barrett. Nathan Seeber followed with an RBI single to score Will Dizney, and then Seeber and Jaden Bastian both touched home to extend The First Academy’s lead to 9-5.
• Trent Kelly, Tyler Rondon, and Barrett all scored on wild pitches later in the fifth inning, handing the Royals an eight-run lead.
• Huntington Beach did not stop battling in its half of the sixth inning. Brian Trujillo got the Oilers back on the board with an RBI single and Bradley Navarro scored on a wild pitch to trim the Royals’ advantage to six.
• The Oilers continued to hit in the top of the seventh, starting with Colby Turner’s leadoff double. Turner later scored on a sacrifice fly to make it 13-8, which would end up being the final score.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• The game was a matchup between two former NHSI champions, as The First Academy won in 2014 and Huntington Beach earned the title in 2015.
• Brummett was the only player from either side to have multiple hits in the game. The catcher was 2-for-2 at the plate.
• Brazelton got the win for The First Academy, pitching 5.1 innings for the Royals. He scattered eight hits and allowed five earned runs, but was able to limit the damage several times throughout the game.
• With the result, The First Academy finishes the NHSI with a 1-2 record and is now 6-5 all-time in the event.
• Huntington Beach went 2-2 in the 2022, and is now 14-4 all-time at the NHSI.

HAMILTON 10, BUFORD 7

BOX SCORE

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Buford broke onto the scoreboard first in the contest when two walks and an error to start the bottom of the second loaded the bases for Nathan Taylor who singled to bring in Stan Zagrodnik and give the Wolves a 1-0 lead.
• A two-out RBI groundout off the bat of Andrew McMurray and an Eli Parks two-RBI single in the next at bat padded Buford’s lead to make it a 4-0 game.
• In the bottom of the third, a leadoff walk to Stan Zagrodnik came around to score on a Hamilton error and give Buford a 5-0 advantage.
• Hamilton grabbed its first runs of the game to cut to 5-3 in the top of the fifth courtesy of an RBI double from Gavin Turley that scored Logan Saloman, a Buford error that plated Brady Figueroa, and a bases-loaded walk.
• The Huskies tied the game at 5-5 in the top of the fifth when Prince Deboksie smoked a bases-loaded single through the left side that brought home Ryan Kucherak and Josh Tiedemann.
• Hamilton took the lead one inning later as Gavin Turley scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-5 after reaching on a hit-by-pitch, stealing second, and advancing to third on a Roch Cholowsky single.
• Back-to-back singles from Buford’s Cole Taylor and Andrew McMurray to leadoff the bottom of the sixth followed by a Brant Baughcum RBI knock two batters later once again tied the game, knotting it at 6-6.
• In the bottom of the seventh, Buford retook the lead when a fielder’s choice allowed Tyler Dushane to score and make it a 7-6 game.
• Hamilton came roaring back into the lead in the top of the eighth and never looked back, plating four runs on a Buford error, a Zach Wadas RBI single, and a steal of home by Wadas for what would be the final score of 10-7.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Cooper Brass (2-for-5), Roch Cholowsky (2-for-4), and Josh Tiedemann (2-for-4) all recorded multi-hit games for Hamilton in the win.
• Prince Deboskie (1-for-5) and Zach Wadas (1-for-4) contributed four of Hamilton’s five RBIs with two apiece in the contest.
• Brant Baughcum collected Buford’s only multi-hit game, finishing 3-for-5 with an RBI on the day while Eli Parks had two RBIs of his own.
• After the back-and-forth contest, Will Shelo (1-0) earned the win with his 2.0 scoreless innings of work in which he allowed just one hit and struck out one.
• Parker Fulginiti (0-1) suffered the loss after he allowed the go-ahead run and gave up two runs in total on one hit and one walk in 1.2 innings of relief.
• Hamilton finished the 2022 NHSI with a 2-1 record after securing the win.
• With the loss, Buford falls to 0-3 for the event.

YUCAIPA VS. HANOVER

BOX SCORE

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Yucaipa wasted no time in its final game of the 2022 NHSI, jumping out to an early lead and never looking back. Wesley Hickey recorded a leadoff single to get the offense rolling and scored on a Jacob Reimer single before Carter Elliott’s two-out single plated two more to give the Thunderbirds a 3-0 advantage.
• The Thunderbirds added another run in the second courtesy of a Chase Antillon sacrifice fly.
• Yucaipa piled on four in the third to break the game wide open for an 8-0 lead with an RBI single from Daniel Arambula, a bases-loaded walk, a Gavin Egan sacrifice fly, and a Wesley Hickey RBI single.
• Hanover got on the board in the bottom of the third with a two-out rally that started with a Cannon Peebles single before the Hawks scratched across their first run on a Yucaipa throwing error to make it an 8-1 game.
• Two more runs scored for the Hawks in the bottom of the fifth to make it 8-3 with a bases-loaded walk and a groundout that allowed Nolan Williamson and Wade Shepherd to score, respectively.
• Hanover continued to chip away at Yucaipa’s lead in the bottom of the seventh, cutting the lead in half to make it 8-4 when Chase Hustead knocked an RBI single to right that brought home Seth Keller.
• After its offense went quiet through the middle innings, Yucaipa came roaring to life in the top of the eighth, plating five runs on four hits to secure the 13-4 victory. Jacob Reimer, Carter Elliott, Gavin Egan contributed RBI hits in the inning while Wesley Hickey’s bases-loaded hit-by-pitch allowed Elliott to score the final run of the frame.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Daniel Aramabula (2-for-4), Gavin Egan (2-for-4), Carter Elliott (3-for-5), Wesley Hickey (3-for-5), Jacob Reimer (2-for-6), and Luke Scherrer (2-for-3) all recorded multi-hit games for Yucaipa while Chase Antillon, Egan, and Hickey contributed two RBIs.
• Carter Elliott led both teams in the contest with three RBIs while also recording two runs scored.
• Chase Hustead (3-for-4) led the Hanover offense with Seth Keller (2-for-3) and Nolan Williamson (2-for-5) close behind.
• Yucaipa’s Carter Herrera (1-0) earned the victory with four innings of work on the mound in which he allowed just two earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts.
• Chase Hustead (0-1) was tagged with the loss after surrendering five runs on five hits in two innings of work.
• With the win, Yucaipa improves to 2-1 in the 2022 NHSI.Hanover finished the 2022 NHSI with a 1-2 record following the loss.

DH CONLEY VS. SERVITE

BOX SCORE

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Jarrod Hocking got the Friars off to a quick start in the bottom of the first, doubling to lead off the inning. He stole third and then scored on an RBI single by Agustin Gutierrez as Servite grabbed an immediate 1-0 lead.
• DH Conley responded quickly in the bottom of the second, taking advantage of a defensive miscue to tie the game. Spencer Bradley came around to score on a throwing error, making it a 1-1 game.
• The Vikings continued to hit in the inning, getting another run on an RBI single by Dixon Williams. Then, with Riley Williams at the plate, a passed ball added another run before Williams doubled to center field to add two more and make it 5-1 in favor of the Vikings.
• Matthew Matthjis followed Williams’ double with one of his own to extend the lead to 6-1 in the bottom of the second for the Vikings.
• Austin Rabago and Hocking had hits to lead off Servite’s third inning, and Rabago later scored on an RBI groundout by Roman Martin to get the Friars within four at 6-2.
• The Vikings capitalized on another defensive miscue in the top of the fifth, plating their seventh run on a fielding error to open up a five-run lead.
• DH Conley broke the game open with a three-run top of the sixth inning. The first run of the frame came on a sacrifice fly by Bryce Jackson, followed by RBI singles by Luke Lambert and Mason Tyre as the Vikings’ lead grew to 10-2.
• Servite put together solid at-bats in the bottom of the seventh, scoring on an RBI groundout by Martin and an RBI single by Trevor Schmidt, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit and the Vikings earned the 10-4 victory.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Matthew Matthijs led DH Conley on both sides of the ball, going 3-for-5 at the plate while tossing 5.1 innings and allowing just two runs. The right-hander was the only player in the game to have three hits and was one of seven Vikings with at least one RBI.
• Riley Williams drove in two runs for the Vikings, the lone player with a multi-RBI game between the two teams.
• A trio of Servite batters notched three hits in the defeat: Hocking, Mikiah Negrete, and Schmidt.
• With the result, DH Conley finishes the 2022 NHSI with a 2-1 record. Servite’s loss dropped them to 1-2 in the tournament.
• Both teams have now completed their first-ever appearances at the NHSI. They were two of nine programs to make their NHSI debuts in 2022.

ORANGE LUTHERAN VS. MCQUAID JESUIT

BOX SCORE

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Daniel Curiel led off the game with a bunt single and Karson Bowen walked before both scored on an RBI double by Casey Borba to give Orange Lutheran a 2-0 lead.
• Borba advanced to third on a wild pitch and later scored on a passed ball to put the Lancers in front by three runs.
• After a pair of walks put two runners on with one out in the bottom of the fourth, Luca Ciaramitaro singled up the middle to plate McQuaid’s first run and trim the deficit to 3-1.
• Aidan Stewart started the bottom of the sixth with an infield single for McQuaid. The infielder then stole second base and advanced on a pair of wild pitches to score, narrowing Orange Lutheran’s lead to one.
• The Knights continued to rally with two outs in the sixth, eventually knotting up the game when CJ Phelps went the other way for an RBI single to tie the score at three.
• The game entered extra innings after an uneventful seventh. The Lancers took control when Bowen was hit by a pitch with one out in the top of the eighth, followed by Mikey Romero singling to put two men on. The go-ahead run would score on a fielding error, as Orange Lutheran took the lead back at 4-3.
• One batter after the Lancers took the lead, Sawyer Voortman laced a bases-clearing double to give the Lancers a four-run lead that they would go on to win by.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Cummings, Curiel, and JJ Robles all had multi-hit games for the Lancers, who combined to tally 13 hits as a team.
• Eighteen players had at least one at-bat in the game for the Lancers.
• Orange Lutheran used six pitchers, with Cole Peterson earning the win. Peterson threw 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing just a pair of hits.
• Ciaramitaro was the key on offense for McQuaid. The first baseman notched three hits and drove in a run, pacing the Knights’ offense that had nine team hits. Phelps went 2-for-4, adding to the output.
• Will Russotti turned in five strong innings of relief for McQuaid, entering in the third and pitching five innings with zero earned runs.
• Orange Lutheran finishes the 2022 NHSI at 3-1 and improves its all-time tournament record to 18-5 with the win.
• McQuaid Jesuit finished its first-ever NHSI with an 0-3 record.

REGIS JESUIT 8, DON BOSCO PREP 3

BOX SCORE

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• The Regis Jesuit offense wasted no time getting going in the contest, using a walk to Dallas Macias and an RBI single from Isaac Wachsmann to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
• Don Bosco equalized quickly with a run in the bottom of the second that came courtesy of an RBI groundout from Andy Granatell that plated Kevin Jaxel who had reached two batters earlier on a Regis Jesuit miscue.
• The tie didn’t last long as Regis Jesuit took advantage of a Finn O’Connor leadoff double and a Isaac Wacshmann RBI single to plate one before Wacshmann came around to score on a groundout and a wild pitch to make it 3-1.
• The Ironmen got one run back in the bottom of the third when a hit-by-pitch and two walks loaded the bases for Kevin Jaxel who was also hit by a pitch to force a run in and make it 3-2.
• In the top of the fifth, the Raiders added two insurance runs for a 5-2 advantage when Dallas Macias crossed the plate on an error before Charlie Rogan double to bring in Nate McHugh.
• A pinch-hit RBI single from Freddy Flugger scored Eric Becker in the bottom of the fifth to keep the Ironmen within one, 5-3.
• Dallas Macias singled to leadoff the top of the seventh for Regis Jesuit and advanced to second on a groundout and third on a dropped third strike before scoring on a Don Bosco miscue to make it 6-3 in his team’s favor.
• Regis Jesuit added two more runs in the top of the ninth with a bases loaded walk and a fielder’s choice to secure the 8-3 victory.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Dallas Macias (2-for-4) and Isaac Wachsmann (3-for-5) led Regis Jesuit’s offense with multi-hit games while Macias also scored three runs and Wachsmann added two runs of his own and two RBIs.
• Jack Cannizzaro (1-for-3) and Freddy Flugger (1-for-2) were responsible for Don Bosco Prep’s two hits in the contest.
• Joe Riley (1-0) got the win with his one inning of relief in which he allowed one run on one hit and two walks.
• Dylan Henshaw (1-0) suffered the loss in the game after giving up two runs on two hits in two innings on the mound for Don Bosco Prep.
• With the win, Regis Jesuit improves to 2-1 for the 2022 NHSI.
• The loss dropped Don Bosco Prep to 1-2 at the 2022 NHSI.

CARY, N.C. – Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Fla.) eased through the first three games of the 2022 USA Baseball National High School Invitational (NHSI) presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance but capped off its title run with a hard-fought 5-3 victory over St. Johns Country Day (Orange Park, Fla.) on Saturday night at the National Training Complex. It is the Eagles’ first NHSI title in program history.

The game was a battle from the very beginning as both teams traded blows all night with timely hits, costly errors, and stellar defensive plays. Ultimately, tournament MVP Chris Arroyo and the Eagles were too much for the Spartans.

Both teams loaded the bases in the first inning, but Stoneman Douglas (4-0) was the one that broke through first. Cameron Harris brought in Jake Clemente for the first run of the game when he was hit by a pitch. Arroyo followed by pushing an 0-2 pitch through the right side to bring home Christian Rodriguez and Niko Benestad, and the Eagles threw the first punch to the tune of an early 3-0 lead.

St. Johns Country Day (3-1) punched back. The Spartans put pressure on the Stoneman Douglas defense to great success, forcing three defensive miscues in the top of the third inning. Brad Hodges and Jordan Taylor led off the inning with back-to-back walks. A double steal caused the inning's first miscue as Santiago Ordonez attempted to throw out Taylor at second, but no defenders stepped up to take the throw, allowing Hodges to score and Taylor to move on to third.

With two outs and a man on third, Shawn Andrade hit a slow roller just left of the first baseman and out-legged him to the bag, diving headfirst for the RBI single. Andrade advanced to second on a passed ball before Kody Daneault hit an infield single to the second baseman when chaos ensued. The second baseman booted the ball, allowing Andrade to sprint home, scoring the third run of the inning, and allowing Daneault to advance to second on the overthrow home before the inning ended with the score tied at three apiece.

Stoneman Douglas retook the lead, 4-3, in the bottom half of the third when Rylan Lujo hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield after the Eagles loaded the bases with one out. Two innings later, the Eagles took advantage of a defensive miscue by St. Johns Country Day. Arroyo started a two-out rally by reaching base on an error by the shortstop and advanced to third on a single to left from Lujo. Grant McDonald followed with a single to centerfield to score Arroyo and double their lead, 5-3, heading into the sixth inning.

Vic Patel pinch-hit with one out and one on base in the top of the sixth inning for the Spartans. He laced a ball through the outstretched glove of the first baseman to put runners on first and second. The Eagles followed by going to Arroyo out of the bullpen, where he immediately walked Hodges to load the bases. Down 1-0 in the count, Arroyo hurled a wild pitch, but a fortuitous bounce off the backstop allowed Stoneman Douglas catcher Ordonez to grab the ball and throw out Boylston on a bang-bang play the plate to preserve the two-run lead.

St. Johns Country Day attempted to rally down to its last three outs. Taylor fought off an 0-2 count to lead off the seventh with a single, but Arroyo proved too much, retiring the next three batters on nine pitches to clinch the title.

Roman Anthony went 2-for-3 and two stolen bases, and Arroyo finished the night 1-for-2 with a run scored and two RBIs to lead the Eagles' offense. Jacob Gomberg gave up three runs (one earned), four hits, and three walks in his 3.0 innings of work in the no-decision. Brandon White came on in relief in the fourth inning and was stellar for Stoneman Douglas, striking out two in 2.2 innings of work to earn the win. Arroyo earned the four-out save, striking out one and surrendering just one hit.

Seven different batters registered hits for St. Johns Country Day in what was a total team effort, while Andrade registered the only RBI for the Spartans. It was a pitcher by committee kind of night, with seven different pitchers appearing in the game. Jude Howell started the game but only registered one out before being lifted. Trevor Bradley came on in relief and suffered the loss, giving up a run on two hits in his two innings.

The Eagles became the first team from Florida to win the NHSI since 2014 when The First Academy (Orlando, Fla.) defeated Clovis High School (Clovis, Calif.). It was a night of firsts as it was also the first time both finalists were from Florida, ending California’s run of nine consecutive years with a team in the title game.

Stoneman Douglas was dominant in the 2022 NHSI, outscoring its opponents 43-4 in its four games. It finished the event leading in batting average (.453) and team ERA (0.61). The Eagles also placed three players on the All-Tournament Team: Roman Anthony, Chris Arroyo (MVP), and Christian Rodriguez.

Ten schools are represented on the All-Tournament Team, led by three Stoneman Douglas’ players and two from St. Johns Country Day. The complete list of all-tournament team selection are as follows:

• Roman Anthony (Stoneman Douglas)
• Chris Arroyo (Stoneman Douglas) – MVP
• Ben Barrett (The First Academy)
• Jarrod Hocking (Servite)
• Brad Hodges (St. Johns Country Day)
• Seth Keller (Hanover)
• Dallas Macias (Regis Jesuit)
• Matthew Matthijs (D.H. Conley)
• Mason Neville (Basic Academy)
• Christian Rodriguez (Stoneman Douglas)
• Louis Rodriguez (Orange Lutheran)
• Luke Scherrer (Yucaipa)
• Jordan Taylor (St. Johns Country Day)

CARY, N.C. – Marjory Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Fla.) used a 10-run third inning to knock off the three-time defending champion Orange Lutheran High School (Orange, Calif.), 11-0, in the semifinal round of the 2022 National High School Invitational (NHSI) presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

With the win, the Eagles set up an all-Florida matchup in the championship game on Saturday night against St. Johns Country Day (Orange Park, Fla.).

Stoneman Douglas scored 10 runs on six hits in the third inning to blow the game open, and have now scored eight or more runs in an inning in all three of its tournament games. The 10-run frame got started with a trio of singles by Santiago Ordonez, Christian Rodriguez, and Cameron Harris, which gave the Eagles a three-run advantage. Four walks, three singles, a hit-by-pitch, and an error later, Stoneman Douglas completed its offensive onslaught and had an 11-0 lead.

Harris (3-for-3) led the offensive output for Stoneman Douglas, recording a pair of RBIs to go along with his perfect day at the plate. Rylan Lujo and Rodriguez also added two-RBI games for the Eagles, who have now had at least 10 hits in all three games of the tournament.

Jake Clemente turned in a complete-game shutout, allowing only two hits and a walk while striking out five. The right-hander worked around baserunners in the early goings of the game but was able to keep the three-time defending champs at bay offensively.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Roman Anthony led off the bottom of the first with a single and advanced to scoring position on a groundout. Ordonez then followed with a single back up the middle, but Derek Curiel made a perfect throw home to nab Anthony at the plate and keep the Eagles off the board.
• Harris and Arroyo tallied back-to-back singles to lead off the bottom of the second for the Eagles. After a groundout and fielder’s choice put runners on the corners with two outs, Lujo singled up the middle to plate Arroyo and give Stoneman Douglas a 1-0 lead.
• Orange Lutheran put a runner in scoring position with one out in the top of the third but Clemente escaped the jam, inducing a strikeout and groundout to keep Stoneman Douglas in front by a run.
• Stoneman Douglas’ 10-run inning began when Clemente walked to lead off the third before the Eagles rattled off three straight hits to take a three-run lead. Ordonez, Rodriguez, and Harris all singled as Stoneman Douglas’ lead grew to 3-0.
• Stoneman Douglas kept adding on in the third, scoring a run on an error and then adding three more on a trio of walks as the lead became seven.
• Rodriguez and Arroyo then hit run-scoring singles and Benestad drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Eagles an 11-0 lead that they would go on to win by.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• The NHSI title game will be the first in tournament history that features two Florida schools.
• The Eagles handed Orange Lutheran its first NHSI loss in 2,934 days, dating back to the 2014 tournament. It was the first time Orange Lutheran has been shut out at the NHSI since a 1-0 loss to Coral Springs High School (Coral Springs, Fla.) on March 26, 2014.
• The Eagles lead the NHSI in team batting average, hitting at a .500 (42-for-84) clip with five doubles and 35 RBIs.
• Harris’ three-hit day raised his NHSI batting average to a tournament-best .750 (6-for-8). The infielder also leads the tournament in hits (6) and on-base percentage (.818).
• Stoneman Douglas stole three more bases in the win, giving them a tournament-best 11 swiped bags. They are yet to be thrown out trying to steal in the tournament.

ON DECK

• Stoneman Douglas advances to the championship game of the 2022 NHSI on Saturday. The Eagles will face St. Johns Country Day, who beat Huntington Beach High School (Huntington Beach, Calif.) in the other semifinal round on Friday. The title game will be streamed live on USABaseball.com, @USABaseball on Facebook, and @USABaseballTV on YouTube.
• Orange Lutheran falls into the consolation bracket with the loss. The Lancers will wrap up the NHSI against McQuaid Jesuit (Rochester, N.Y.) on Saturday.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay tuned with all of the action at the 2022 National High School Invitational by following @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI22 in their posts.

The consolation games at the 2022 National High School Invitational (NHSI) presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance provided a record-setting performance, two extra inning games, and plenty more action. Here's what happened at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, on Thursday at the NHSI:

SERVITE 8, BUFORD 1

BOX SCORE

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Agustin Gutierrez tripled to the right field wall and Roman Martin plated him with an RBI double in the very next at bat to give Servite an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
• Roman Martin added another run for the Friars in the first frame when he stole third and came around to score on a wild pitch to make it 2-0 in Servite’s favor.
• A Buford miscue in the top of the second allowed Joey Rossetti to score Servite’s third run of the game after he reached on a hit-by-pitch and stole second to get into scoring position.
• Mikiah Negrete helped his own cause in the top of the third with an RBI double of his own that scored Trevor Schmidt for a 4-0 Servite advantage.
• Servite’s third RBI double of the game, this one off the bat of Camden Clewett, gave the Friars a commanding 5-0 lead in the third.
• After Jarrod Hocking scored on an errant throw by Buford in the top of the fourth for Servite’s seventh run, Trevor Schmidt launched a no-doubt, two-run homer over the right field wall to make it an 8-0 game.
• Buford finally broke through for its first run of the contest in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI groundout from Jackson Gaspard to cut the deficit to seven but that’s all the Wolves would be able to get as Servite closed out the 8-1 victory.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Trevor Schmidt went 1-for-3 with two RBIs, two runs scored, one walk, and a two-run homer for Servite.
• Camden Clewett had Servite’s only multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-4 with one RBI.
• Brant Baughcum (2-for3) paced the Buford offense with the team’s sole multi-hit performance.
• Mikiah Negrete picked up the win with his complete game effort on the mound for Servite, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out six in his seven innings of work.
• Buford’s Riley Stanford suffered the loss after surrendering four earned runs on three hits and two walks in 2.2 innings on the mound.

ON DECK

• Servite and Buford will both continue their runs in the consolation bracket on Friday. Their next opponents will be announced this evening.

REGIS JESUIT 3, BISHOP VEROT 2

BOX SCORE

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Back-to-back base knocks got the scoring started for Bishop Verot in the bottom of the first as Maddix Simpson singled and stole second to get into scoring position for Andrew Hanlon who followed with an RBI single that gave the Vikings a 1-0 lead.
• After a quiet start to the game on offense, Regis Jesuit broke through and took the lead with two runs in the fourth courtesy of back-to-back RBI doubles from Nate McHugh and Andrew Bell.
• Bishop Verot had an immediate answer in the bottom half of the fourth to tie things up at 2-2 when Andrew Hanlon singled and courtesy runner Joey De La Nuez came around to score on a Dylan Peck single up the middle one batter later.
• Finn O’Connor’s leadoff double got the Raiders rolling again in the top of the sixth before Dallas Macias dropped an RBI single into left field that brought in the go-ahead run and secured Regis Jesuit’s 3-2 victory.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Dallas Macias and Nate McHugh both finished 1-for-2 with one run scored and one RBI for Regis Jesuit, while Finn O’Connor went 1-for-3 and scored the game-winning run.
• Andrew Hanlon (2-for-3) and Dylan Peck (2-for-3) pace the Bishop Verot offense with multi-hit games and one RBI apiece.
• Brian Fischer earned the win with his complete game effort on the mound for Regis Jesuit, allowing just two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out three.
• Bishop Verot’s Josiah Velazquez gave up three runs on four hits and was tagged with the loss.

ON DECK

• Regis Jesuit and Bishop Verot will both continue their runs in the consolation bracket on Friday. Their next opponents will be announced this evening.

DH CONLEY 7, MCQUAID JESUIT 6 (9 INNINGS)

BOX SCORE

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• McQuaid Jesuit took advantage of a DH Conley throwing error and a wild pitch to plate a pair of runs in top of the first and take an early 2-0 lead.
• DH Conley cut the deficit in half and made it a 2-1 game in the bottom of the first with a sacrifice bunt from Bryce Jackson that brought home Dixon Williams, who had led off the inning with a single.
• Three consecutive two-out walks loaded the bases for McQuaid Jesuit in the top of the third for CJ Phelps who came up clutch with a two-RBI single through the left side that put the Knights up 4-1.
• Riley Williams smoked a leadoff triple down the right field line before scoring on a Matthew Matthjis RBI groundout to make it 4-2 and once again put DH Conley within two.
• Bryce Jackson and Spencer Bradley followed with a double to right and a walk, respectively, and Luke Lambert made it a one-run game, 4-3, with an RBI single.
• McQuaid Jesuit loaded the bases for the third time in the contest with back-to-back singles and a walk in the top of the fourth before Edward Hall drew the second walk of the frame to extend the Knights’ lead to 5-3.
• The Knights took a 6-3 lead in the top of the seventh when Edward Hall drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on a DH Conley error before stealing home.
• DH Conley got a rally going in the bottom of the seventh with RBI singles from Bryce Jackson and Spencer Bradley that brought the Vikings within one before a Luke Lambert RBI groundout plated the tying run and sent the game to extras knotted up at 6-6.
• After a quiet eighth inning, DH Conley’s Riley Williams led off the ninth inning with a walk and Matthew Matthijs followed with a single before two McQuaid errors loaded the bases and allowed the winning run to score, giving the Vikings a walkoff 7-6 victory.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Bryce Jackson (2-for-4), Matthew Matthijs (2-for-5), and Riley Williams (2-for-3) all collected multi-hit games for DH Conley with Jackson adding two RBIs and two runs scored, while Williams crossed the plate three time and Matthijs recorded one RBI and one run.
• Will Taylor (2-for-4) paced the McQuaid Jesuit offense with two hits, two runs scored, a stolen base, and a walk.
• Luke Lambert got the win after tossing one hitless, scoreless inning in which he allowed just one walk.
• McQuaid Jesuit’s Matthew Wilmarth (0-1) suffered the loss in the contest after allowing four runs on our hits in 2.1 innings of relief.
• Ryan Smith came on in relief for DH Conley and put together five strong innings on the mound, allowing just one earned run on three hits while collecting 10 strikeouts.

ON DECK

• DH Conley and McQuaid will continue their runs in the consolation bracket on Friday. Their next opponents will be announced this evening.

HANOVER 9, THE FIRST ACADEMY 2 (10 INNINGS)

BOX SCORE

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• After a quiet first two innings for both teams, Hanover got the scoring going in the top of the third as Owen DeShazo hit a one-out single and stole second before crossing the plate on a Nolan Williamson RBI single to left that gave the Hawks a 1-0 lead that they would hold until the sixth inning.
• The First Academy offense got off to a slow start in the contest but the Royals finally cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth when Greg Pettay drew a two-out walk, stole second, and was brought home with a Trent Kelly RBI single that tie the game, 1-1.
• With neither team able to score in the seventh, the contest went to extras where Hanover once again struck first. Back-to-back leadoff singles and a walk quickly loaded the bases for the Hawks and Seth Keller capitalized with a sacrifice fly to right that made it a 2-1 game.
• The Royals responded in the bottom half of the eighth with a run of their own to tie it back up when Greg Pettay and Trent Kelly once again combined to get their team on the board. Pettay hit a two-out single and advanced to second on a wild pitch before Kelly came through with another RBI single to make it 2-2.
• Hanover sealed the victory with a seven-run top of the tenth that gave the Hawks a 9-2 victory.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Cannon Peebles led Hanover at the plate, finishing 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored.
• Owen DeShazo and Nolan Williamson both finished 2-for-6 with DeShazo scoring two runs and Williamson adding a run of his own and two RBIs.
• Seth Keller (2-for-3) also collected a multi-hit game for the Hawks while also recording an RBI and a run scored in the win.
• Trent Kelly finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs to lead The First Academy’s offense.
• Hanover’s Seth Keller also dominated on the mound, surrendering just one run, three hits, and one walk while striking out 16.
• Seth Keller’s 16 punchouts broke Jack Flaherty’s record for strikeouts in a single game at the NHSI.
• Marcus Van Alstine (1-0) earned the win after tossing three innings of relief in which he allowed just one run on two hits and struck out four.
• Harrison Miller (0-1) suffered the loss after giving up eight runs on six hits with five walks in three innings of relief for The First Academy.

ON DECK

• Hanover and The First Academy will both continue their runs in the consolation bracket on Friday. Their next opponents will be announced this evening.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Stay tuned with all of the action at the 2022 National High School Invitational by following @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI22 in their posts.

CARY, N.C. – Louis Rodriguez tossed a complete-game shutout and Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) battled past Basic Academy (Henderson, Nev.) 2-0 in a defensive battle at the USA Baseball National High School Invitational (NHSI) presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

Both teams combined for four double plays in the quarterfinal matchup and the game featured stellar play from infielders and outfielders alike. Ultimately, the Lancers came up with the clutch hits in the first and fifth innings from Casey Borba and Karson Bowen, respectively, to move on to the semifinals on Friday.

The starting pitchers fought back and forth all night. Orange Lutheran starter Rodriguez picked up the complete-game victory after striking out three and surrendering no walks in his seven-inning outing. Ben Smith was strong on the mound for Basic Academy as well, also striking out three on the night; but he gave up two walks and two runs for the loss.

Only two batters tallied multiple hits in the game: Orange Lutheran’s Ben Reiland (2-for-3) and Basic Academy’s Mason Neville (2-for-3).

Orange Lutheran advances to face Marjory Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Fla.) in the second semifinal on Friday evening. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Coleman Field at the USA Baseball National Training Complex. The game will be streamed live on USABaseball.com, USA Baseball’s Facebook page, and its YouTube channel, @USABaseballTV.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Casey Borba opened the scoring for Orange Lutheran in the top of the first inning, pushing a ball deep into the left-center gap for an RBI-double that scored Karson Bowen from second base.
• Orange Lutheran kickstarted a two-out rally thanks to a Richard Tejeda single to right field. Sawyer Voortman came on to run for Tejeda and immediately advanced to second on a bunt single by Derek Curiel before Karson Bowen’s RBI-single to left field helped him cross the plate to put the Lancers up 2-0.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Louis Rodriguez earned the victory on the mound for Orange Lutheran after striking out three in a six-hit, complete-game shutout.
• Basic Academy’s Ben Smith suffered the loss, giving up two runs on seven hits in six innings. Smith also struck out three batters on the night.
• Mason Neville led the Basic Academy offense with a 2-for-3 evening.
• Ben Reiland was the only Lancer hitter with multiple hits on the night, going 2-for-3.
• Casey Borba tallied the only extra-base hit in the game with an RBI-double in the first inning.

ON DECK

• Orange Lutheran advances to the semifinals of the 2022 National High School Invitational on Friday. The Lancers will face Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The semifinal will be streamed live on USABaseball.com, the USA Baseball Facebook page and its YouTube page, @USABaseballTV.
• Basic Academy falls into the consolation bracket with the loss. Their next opponent will be announced this evening.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Stay tuned with all the action at the 2022 National High School Invitational by follow @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI22 in their posts.

CARY, N.C. – Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Fla.) scored eight runs in the fifth inning en route to a 12-1 quarterfinal round victory over Yucaipa High School (Yucaipa, Calif.) at the 2022 USA Baseball National High School Invitational (NHSI) presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance on Thursday, April 7, in Cary, North Carolina.

Every Eagles batter recorded at least one hit in the win. After tying the game on an RBI single by Grant McDonald in the top of the fourth, Stoneman Douglas exploded for eight runs in the fifth to break the game open. The scoring onslaught started when Roman Anthony scored on a wild pitch, followed by five consecutive singles by the Eagles to plate five runs. Chris Arroyo’s RBI single was the first of the five straight hits, as Niko Benestad, McDonald, Rylan Lujo, and Anthony added base hits of their own to continue the rally and pull away from Yucaipa. 

Cameron Harris (3-for-3) and McDonald (3-for-4) were the offensive leaders for the Eagles. McDonald, whose single in the fourth tied the game, had a game-high four RBIs. Chris Arroyo (2-for-3) added three RBIs for Stoneman Douglas, who scored all 12 of its runs in the final three innings. Yucaipa’s offense was paced by Owen Egan (2-for-3), who had the only multi-hit game of the day, and Jacob Reimer (1-for-3) who drove in the Thunderbirds’ only run in the first inning.

Christian Rodriguez got the start for Stoneman Douglas and turned in a complete game, allowing five hits and striking out eight. After surrendering a run in the first, Rodriguez settled in and let up just three hits in the final five innings. 

With the win, Stoneman Douglas moves on to the NHSI semifinal round on Friday.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Yucaipa rattled off back-to-back hits in the bottom of the first to open the scoring. After Owen Egan singled, Jacob Reimer sent a double down the left field line to give the Thunderbirds a 1-0 lead.
• Egan and Rodriguez exchanged zeroes for the next two innings until McDonald’s two-out, RBI single in the top of the fourth tied the game at one.
• The Eagles took their first lead of the game in the top of the fifth, when Anthony led off with a walk and scored on a wild pitch.
• Chris Arroyo’s RBI single to plate Jake Clemente was the first of five consecutive run-scoring singles by the Eagles. Benestad, McDonald, Lujo, and Anthony’s base knocks gave Stoneman Douglas an 8-1 lead, and Clemente’s sacrifice fly capped off the inning to give the Eagles an eight-run advantage.
• Dillon Moquin led off the top of the sixth with a single, the first of three straight hits for Stoneman Douglas to open the frame. Arroyo added his second RBI single of the game in the inning, and McDonald delivered a two-run double to give Stoneman Douglas a 12-1 lead that it would hold onto to win.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Stoneman Douglas has now scored 27 runs and allowed just one through its first two NHSI games. The Eagles beat DH Conley High School (Greeneville, North Carolina), 15-0, in the opening round.
• The Eagles had at least one hit in every inning of the win, including a six-hit output in the big fifth inning. They are now batting .483 (27-for-60) through two NHSI games.
• With three more stolen bases in tonight’s win, Stoneman Douglas is a now a perfect 8-for-8 on stolen bases in the tournament.
• Egan now owns a .600 (3-for-5) tournament batting average after picking up a pair of hits in the defeat.

ON DECK

• Stoneman Douglas advances to the semifinals of the 2022 NHSI on Friday. The Eagles will face three-time defending champion Orange Lutheran High School (Orange, Calif.), who beat Basic Academy (Henderson, Nev.) in the quarterfinal round. The semifinal game will be streamed live on USABaseball.com, @USABaseball on Facebook, and @USABaseballTV on YouTube.
• Yucaipa falls into the consolation bracket with the loss. Their next opponent will be announced this evening.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay tuned with all of the action at the 2022 National High School Invitational by following @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI22 in their posts.

CARY, N.C. – Brad Hodges went 4-for-4 and was a triple away from the cycle, and the St. Johns Country Day Spartans tallied five extra-base hits in a 12-2 run-rule quarterfinal victory over Don Bosco Prep at the USA Baseball National High School Invitational (NHSI) presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

St. Johns Country Day (Orange Park, Fla.) advances to the semifinals on Friday and will face Huntington Beach High School (Huntington Beach, Calif.), who advanced to the semis with an eighth-inning walk-off win over Hamilton High School (Chandler, Ariz.). With the loss, Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) falls into the consolation bracket.

Power was the name of the game for the Spartans, led by Hodges who hit a 335-foot home run over the right-field fence in the top of the third inning. On the day, four St. John Country Day batters hit doubles, including Hodges, Jordan Taylor, Kyle Boylston, and starting pitcher Finn Howell.

Boylston also had a stellar outing for the Spartans, finishing 3-for-3 and with a team- and game-high three RBIs. Eight different Spartan batters tallied hits on the day. Pablo Santos and Anthony Zollo led Don Bosco Prep at the dish, going 2-for-3 with a RBI-double and 2-for-2 with two runs scored, respectively.

St. Johns Country Day starter Howell was stout on the mound, striking out three batters and giving up two unearned runs for the victory. Clayton Poiley got the nod for Don Bosco Prep and suffered the loss after giving up four runs on eight hits in 4.0 innings of work. Zach Stichweh relieved Poiley in the fifth inning and surrendered eight runs (seven earned) on five hits.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• St. John Country Day’s Finn Howell led off the top of the second inning with a double down the left field line, moved to third on an infield single by Kody Daneault, and scored on a Don Bosco Prep wild pitch to score the first run of the game.
• Kyle Boylston launched a 1-1 pitch to left centerfield for an RBI-double, scoring Kody Daneault from second base and extending St. John Country Day’s lead to 2-0 after the top half of the second.
• Brad Hodges launched an 0-2 fastball 335 feet over the right field fence in the top of the third inning to extend the Spartans lead to 3-0.
• Anthony Zollo kickstarted the Don Bosco Prep’s offense in the bottom of the third inning with a one-out single to left field and Pablo Santos followed with a single through the left side to put a runner into scoring position. Eric Becker’s grounder then forced an errant throw by the first baseman and Zollo scored the first Ironmen run to make it 3-1 after three.  
• Brad Hodges slammed a double down the right field line to lead off the top of the fifth inning and then extended St. Johns Country Day’s lead to 4-1 on an RBI-double through the left side by Jordan Taylor.
• Jordan Taylor stole third base and came around to score on a sacrifice fly to center by Finn Howell to extend the Spartans lead to 5-1.
• Anthony Zollo picked up another single and moved to second on a throwing error for Don Bosco Prep in the bottom of the fifth inning. He came around to score on a laser of a double down the left-field line by Pablo Santos to get the Ironmen within three again, 5-2.
• Shawn Andrade was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a groundout, and stole third before Kyle Boylston tallied his second RBI of the day with a line-drive single, extending St. Johns Country Day’s lead to 6-2 in the top of the sixth.
• Brad Hodges laced an RBI-single to right field, Isaiah Mamea scored on a balk, and Tyce Moore’s single to right padded St. John Country Day’s lead in the top of the sixth inning, putting the Spartans up 9-2 over the Ironmen.
• An error by the Don Bosco Prep left fielder and two bases loaded walks scored the fifth, sixth, and seventh runs of the sixth inning for St. John Country Day, extending its lead to 12-2.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Finn Howell was stellar on the mound for St. Johns Country Day, striking out three batters and giving up two unearned runs for the complete-game six-inning victory.
• Don Bosco Prep starter Clayton Poiley gave up four runs on eight hits in four innings of work for the loss. Zach Stichweh gave up eight runs (seven earned) on five hits in 1.1 innings of relief for the Ironmen.
• Brad Hodges went 4-for-4 and was a triple short of the cycle in the victory for St. Johns Country Day. He scored three runs and tallied two RBIs for the Spartans.
• Kyle Boylston went 3-for-3 with a double and three RBIs for the Spartans, who hit five extra-base hits in Thursday’s quarterfinal matchup.
• Pablo Santos (2-for-3, RBI) and Anthony Zollo (2-for-2, 2 runs) contributed multi-hit games for the Ironmen, tallying two-thirds of the offense for Don Bosco Prep on the day.

ON DECK

• St. Johns Country Day advances to the semifinals of the 2022 National High School Invitational on Friday. The Spartans will face Huntington Beach High School (Huntington Beach, Fla.), who defeated Hamilton High School (Chandler, Ariz.) with an eighth-inning walk-off win on Thursday. The semifinal will be streamed live on USABaseball.com, the USA Baseball Facebook page and its YouTube page, @USABaseballTV.
• Don Bosco Prep falls into the consolation bracket with the loss. Their next opponent will be announced this evening.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Stay tuned with all the action at the 2022 National High School Invitational by follow @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI22 in their posts.

CARY, N.C. – Trent Grindlinger delivered an extra-inning, walk-off single to lift Huntington Beach High School (Huntington Beach, Calif.) to a 2-1 win over Hamilton High School (Chandler, Ariz.) at the 2022 National High School Invitational presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance on Thursday, April 7, in Cary, North Carolina.

After Nicholas Dumesnil and Ralphy Velazquez hit back-to-back singles and Brian Trujillo was walked to lead off the bottom of the eighth, Grindlinger roped a single back up the middle to score Dumesnil and punch the Oilers’ ticket in the tournament semifinal. Huntington Beach will play in the semifinal round for the first time since 2016, when it went on to win the title.

The Oilers got six strong innings on the mound from Ben Jacobs, who allowed just one hit with five strikeouts. Jacobs was relieved by Adyn Lucero, who pitched the final two frames to earn the win. He escaped a jam in the top of the seventh, coaxing an inning-ending double play to keep the game tied.

Dumesnil (2-for-4) and Velazquez (2-for-3) led the Oilers on offense, both tallying multi-hit games while Aidan Espinoza (1-for-3) and Grindlinger both drove in runs in the win. For Hamilton, Prince Deboskie (2-for-3) paced the offense with a pair of hits, including a game-tying single in the seventh.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Both pitchers retired the side in order in the opening frame, with Kole Klecker tossing just six pitches in a perfect bottom of the first.
• After Klecker tossed another 1-2-3 inning in the second, Marco Martinez got the Oilers into the hit column with a leadoff single in the third. Martinez would eventually score on a sac fly by Espinoza to give Huntington Beach a 1-0 lead.
• The Oilers threatened to extend their lead in the fourth against Klecker, but with runners on the corners and two outs, Gavin Turley made a diving grab in right-center field to save two runs and keep Hamilton’s deficit at one.
• After being held scoreless for the first six frames, Hamilton finally cracked the scoreboard in the seventh, when Josh Tiedemann and Ryan Kucherak both walked before Deboskie roped a game-tying base hit to right field.
• Cooper Brass singled to put runners on first and second in the top of the seventh, but Lucero got Liam Wilson to ground into an inning-ending double play to preserve the tie score.
• Lucero held Hamilton scoreless in the top of the eighth before the Oilers rally in the bottom of the inning, which was capped by Grindlinger’s walk-off single up the middle.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Klecker pitched the entire game for the Huskies, throwing seven innings in just 74 pitches. The right-hander pitched to contact, scattering nine hits but allowing just two runs.
• Jacobs and Lucero held the Hamilton lineup to just three hits in the win.
• With another hit in today’s game, Brass is now batting .500 (3-for-6) through two games at the NHSI.
• Hamilton has gotten 14.0 innings out of its starting pitchers through the first two games of the tournament, with Klecker and Logan Saloman combining to allow just three runs.
• Huntington Beach is in the NHSI semifinals for the third time in program history.

ON DECK

• Huntington Beach advances to the semifinals of the 2022 NHSI on Friday. The Oilers will face St. Johns Country Day, who beat Don Bosco Prep in the quarterfinal round. The semifinal game will be streamed live on USABaseball.com, @USABaseball on Facebook, and @USABaseballTV on YouTube.
• Hamilton falls into the consolation bracket with the loss. Their next opponent will be announced this evening.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay tuned with all of the action at the 2022 National High School Invitational by following @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI22 in their posts.

CARY, N.C. – Don Bosco Prep nine-hole hitter Anthony Zollo crushed the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the seventh inning for a walk-off RBI-double to deep left-center as the Ironmen defeated Buford High School 4-3 in the first round of the USA Baseball National High School Invitational (NHSI) presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

Buford (0-1) starter Dylan Lesko’s strong game was not enough to capture the win for the Wolves, who will fall into the consolation bracket. Lesko was formidable on the mound, striking out seven of the 14 batters he faced in the no decision. He gave up one run on two hits in four innings of work. Lesko was also responsible for all three Buford runs offensively, finishing the day 2-for-3 with two RBIs and scoring on a wild pitch in the second inning.

Buford (Buford, Ga.) relievers couldn’t keep Don Bosco Prep (1-0) at bay, however, as Nathan Taylor surrendered three runs on five hits in 2.1 innings to get tagged with the loss.

Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) starter Caden Dana gave up three runs on five hits in his five innings of work and struck out six of the 18 batters he faced. Jonathan Rodriguez was stellar in relief of Dana, pitching three innings of shutout baseball, giving up just two hits and striking out four to earn the win.

Andy Granatell (2 runs) and Zollo (1 run) both finished the day 2-for-3 for the Ironmen, and Allen Hernandez, Kevin Jaxel, Jack Cannizzaro, and Zollo tallied RBIs for Don Bosco Prep. Lesko was the only Buford hitter with multiple hits and an RBI in the game.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Dylan Lesko got the Wolves on the board in the top of the third inning with a two-RBI single to left field, scoring Carson King and Jackson Gaspard to put Buford ahead 2-0.
• Dylan Lesko took advantage of a wild pitch from Don Bosco Prep’s starting pitcher, Caden Dana, and scored the third run of the game for Buford to go up 3-0 in the second inning.
• Allen Granatell picked up the first hit of the game for Don Bosco Prep in the bottom of the third inning with a single left field and Jack Cannizzaro wasted no time brining him in, lacing a double down the right field line to score Granatell from first base.
• With a runner on second base and no outs in the bottom of the third inning, Buford’s defense stymied the Don Bosco Prep offensive threat with a 5-3, 3-5 double-play between the Wolves’ Andrew McMurray and Riley Stanford, preserving their 3-1 lead.
• With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the sixth inning, Don Bosco Prep’s Allen Hernandez sent a fly ball to deep left field for the sacrifice fly to pull within one run of Buford, 3-2. Kevin Jaxel then tied the game with an RBI-single to right field, pushing the game to the final inning knotted at three.
• Andy Granatell led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a single to left-center and moved into scoring position on a Jack Cannizzaro sac bunt, forcing Buford to go to its pen. Then, Anthony Zollo crushed the first pitch he saw to deep left-center to walk-off Buford, 4-3.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Don Bosco Prep’s Caden Dana gave up three runs on five hits in five innings. Dana struck out six of the 18 Wolves batters he faced in the no-decision.
• Dylan Lesko was solid on the mound in his NHSI debut, striking out seven of the 14 batters faced. He gave up just two hits and one run in 4.0 innings of work. Offensively, Lesko went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and was responsible for all three Buford runs scored.
• Nathan Taylor suffered the loss for Buford, giving up three runs on five hits in 2.1 innings.
• Jonathan Rodriguez picked up the victory for Don Bosco Prep, striking out four batters in his three innings of scoreless relief.
• Andy Granatell (2-for-3, 2 runs) and Anthony Zollo (2-for-3, 1 run) each tallied two hits for Don Bosco Prep to lead the offense on the day.

ON DECK

• Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) advances to the quarterfinals of the 2022 National High School Invitational on Friday. The Ironmen will face St. Johns Country Day School (Orange Park, Fla.).
• Buford falls into the consolation bracket with the loss. Their next opponent will be announced this evening.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Stay tuned with all the action at the 2022 National High School Invitational by follow @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI22 in their posts.

CARY, N.C. – Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Fla.) rode hot bats and strong pitching to an opening round win over DH Conley (Greenville, N.C) at the 2022 National High School Invitational presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance on Wednesday, April 6, in Cary, North Carolina.

With the win, Stoneman Douglas (1-0) advances to the quarterfinal round on Thursday. DH Conley (0-1) drops into the consolation bracket.

Christian Rodriguez (2-for-2) and Niko Benestad (2-for-2) both paced the Stoneman Douglas offense, each picking up two hits and two RBIs. Jake Clemente delivered a three-run double to break the game open in the fourth and had a game-high three RBIs, while Christian Arroyo and Rylan Lugo chipped in two RBIs apiece.

Eduardo Fuentes entered the game in relief and earned the win for the Eagles. Fuentes tossed the final 1.1 innings of the game, allowing just one hit and coaxing a game-ending double play to secure the win.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Stoneman Douglas started its offensive display with a two-run single by Rodriguez in the top of the first. Rodriguez eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Arroyo to give the Eagles an immediate 3-0 advantage.
• After DH Conley starter Ethan Oakes held the Eagles’ bats quiet in the second, Stoneman Douglas got back to work in the third with a pair of runs to go up 5-0. The runs came on an RBI double by Benestad and a wild pitch.
• The Eagles put up eight runs in the fourth to break the game open. Arroyo started the scoring with an RBI single before Benestad and Rylan Lujo added singles of their own to give Stoneman Douglas a 9-0 lead.
• The lead grew two batters later when Clemente hit a bases-clearing triple off the wall in left field to plate a trio of runs. Clemente eventually scored on a single by Alex Rodriguez to grow the lead to 13.
• Stoneman Douglas wrapped up its scoring output with a pair of RBI singles from Maddox Raley and Roman Anthony to secure the 15-0 win.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Christian Arroyo got the start for Stoneman Douglas, tossing 3.2 innings of one-hit ball. The right-hander struck out four batters.
• Stoneman Douglas swiped five bases in the win. The Eagles were not caught stealing once all game, going a perfect 5-for-5.
• The Eagles drew seven walks in the game, compared to DH Conley’s one.
• Matthew Matthijs (1-for-2) and Riley Treadaway (1-for-2) led the offense for the Vikings, picking up the team’s two hits.

ON DECK

• With the win, Stoneman Douglas advances to the quarterfinals of the 2022 National High School Invitational on Thursday. The Eagles will take on Yucaipa High School (Yucaipa, Calif.), who beat Regis Jesuit High School (Aurora, Colo) on Wednesday.
• DH Conley falls into the consolation bracket with the loss. Their next opponent will be announced this evening.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay tuned with all of the action at the 2022 National High School Invitational by following @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI22 in their posts.

CARY, N.C. – Eight Basic Academy (Henderson, Nev.) batters tallied hits and Ty Southisene’s effort in relief led the Wolves to a 6-3 victory over The First Academy (Orlando, Fla.) in the opening round of the USA Baseball National High School Invitational (NHSI) presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

Mason Neville (2-for-3) and Jesus Peraza (2-for-3) led the Basic Academy offense on the day, both finishing with multiple hits on the day. Peraza and Cooper Sheff also contributed two RBIs apiece for the Wolves, who move on to face the three-time defending champions, Orange Lutheran High School (Orange, Calif.), on Friday. Ben Barrett went 4-for-4 on the day for The First Academy and Riley Parker finished 2-for-4 with an RBI in a losing effort for the Royals.

Both starting pitchers took their knocks on the day filled with hits from 13 different hitters. Basic Academy starter Aaron Rubio tallied the victory with a 5.2 inning outing, striking out one batter and giving up three runs on six hits. Ty Southisene came on in the sixth inning and gave up three hits and struck out one batter in 1.1 innings of scoreless relief.

Isaac Sewell suffered the loss for The First Academy, giving up 10 hits and six earned runs in six innings of work.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Riley Parker kicked-off the scoring for The First Academy with an RBI-single up the middle, scoring Trent Kelly from second base, to take the early 1-0 lead over Basic Academy in the top of the first inning.
• Ty and Tate Southisene led off the Basic Academy half of the first inning with singles before Chase Ditmar laced a ball down the left-field line to tie the game a 1-1.
• Tate Southisene came around to score on a fielder's choice to second base, putting Basic Academy ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the first.
• Cooper Sheff laced a double into the left-centerfield gap to score Tate Southisene and Mason Neville in the bottom of the third inning for Basic Academy, and Jesus Peraza followed with an RBI-single to right field to extend its lead to 5-1.
• Jesus Peraza came up clutch again for Basic Academy, tagging The First Academy starter Isaac Sewell with another RBI-single for a 6-1 lead through five.
• The First Academy’s Nathan Seeber picked up a one-out walk and advanced to third base on a wild pitch before Dewon Brazelton’s sacrifice fly to centerfield brought the Royals within four runs, 6-2, in the top of the sixth inning.
• Matthew Perez was hit by a pitch and Jaden Huygens came through with a single up the middle to force Basic Academy to its bullpen in the top of the sixth inning. With Ty Southisene on the dish, Greg Pettay laced the first pitch he saw to center to score Perez from third to bring The First Academy within three, 6-3.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Basic Academy starter Aaron Rubio (1-0) earned the victory on the mound. He pitched 5.2 innings, gave up six hits and three runs, and struck out one Royals batter.
• Ty Southisene came on in relief for Basic Acadmy and struck out one batter in a scoreless 1.1 innings.
• Isaac Sewell suffered the loss for The First Academy after giving up six runs on 10 hits. He struck out one batter on the day.
• Thirteen different batters registered hits between the two teams on the day: eight for Basic Academy and five for The First Academy.
• Ben Barrett went 4-for-4 to lead The First Academy offense on the day and Riley Parker went 2-for-4 with an RBI. They were the only two Royals batters with multiple hits in the game.
• Mason Neville and Jesus Peraza both went 2-for-3 at the dish for Basic Academy in the win. Peraza tallied two RBIs along with Cooper Sheff, who finished 1-for-3 with the only extra-base hit in the game.

ON DECK

• Basic Academy advances to the quarterfinals of the 2022 National High School Invitational on Friday. The Wolves will face the three-time defending champions, Orange Lutheran High School (Orange, Calif.).
• The First Academy falls into the consolation bracket with the loss. Their next opponent will be announced this evening.

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Stay tuned with all the action at the 2022 National High School Invitational by follow @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI22 in their posts.

CARY, N.C. – Yucaipa High School (Yucaipa, Calif.) was able to quell a late-inning comeback by Regis Jesuit (Aurora, Colo.) to pick up a 6-4 opening round win at the USA Baseball National High School Invitational (NHSI) presented by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance on Wednesday, April 6, in Cary, North Carolina.

With the win, Yucaipa (1-0) advances to the quarterfinals of the 2022 NHSI on Thursday. Regis Jesuit (0-1) falls into the consolation bracket.

Yucaipa cracked the scoreboard first in the second inning and never looked back, leading for the entirety of the game. The Thunderbirds were led offensively by Luke Scherrer (2-for-4), who drove in half of the team’s runs and was one of two Yucaipa players with a multi-hit game. Wyatt Hickey (2-for-4) also provided offense for the Thunderbirds. Dallas Macias (2-for-4) was the offensive leader for Regis Jesuit.

Payton Von Kaenel earned the win for Yucaipa after turning in 1.1 shutout innings with a strikeout. Carter Herrera earned the save, tossing a perfect seventh inning with a pair of strikeouts to secure the opening round win for Yucaipa.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• Yucaipa opened the scoring in the top of the second inning, when Trevor Busby’s RBI groundout plated Danny Arambula. Wyatt Doty followed with a sacrifice fly to right field, which scored Isaiah Walz to give Yucaipa a 2-0 advantage.
• The Thunderbirds extended their lead to three in the third when Luke Scherrer roped an RBI single back up the middle.
• Isaac Wachsmann got Regis Jesuit on the board in the third inning, scorching an RBI single to right field to cut the deficit to 3-1.
• Yucaipa scored twice more in the top of the fifth frame. After Scherrer drove in a run on a fielder’s choice to make it 4-1, Gavan Egan dropped a bases-loaded bunt to drive in a run and extend the lead to four runs.
• Regis Jesuit rallied in the fifth to get back into the game. The Raiders scored twice on a pair of wild pitches and then Nate McHugh singled up the middle cut into Yucaipa’s lead and make the score 5-4.
• The Thunderbirds responded with an insurance run and took a 6-4 lead in the top of the seventh inning when Scherrer cranked a two-run double into left-center field to score Jacob Reimer and secure the win.

NOTABLE INFORMATION

• Carter Elliott got the start on the mound for Yucaipa, pitching 4.1 innings and allowing four runs. Brooks Gerig suffered the loss for Regis Jesuit after throwing 5.0 innings and surrendering five runs.
• The two teams combined for six hits and five runs in the fifth inning, with four pitchers appearing in the inning between the two sides.
• Yucaipa’s pitching staff (Elliott, Ethan Osborn, Von Kaenel, and Herrera) did not allow an extra base hit in the victory.

ON DECK

• With the win, Yucaipa advances to the quarterfinals of the 2022 National High School Invitational on Thursday. The Thunderbirds will take on Marjory Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Fla.), who beat D.H. Conley in the opening round.
• Regis Jesuit falls into the consolation bracket with the loss. Their next opponent will be announced this evening.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay tuned with all of the action at the 2022 National High School Invitational by following @USABEvents on Twitter and @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Fans and media can use #NHSI22 in their posts.