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LOS ANGELES, CALIF. - For the third consecutive year, the 2024 CIF-Southern Section high school baseball season will again kick off with the premier spring high school baseball tournament in Southern California, the Prep Baseball California Spring Invitational.  The 16 team field will compete in a bracketed, winner-take-all format that will once again feature many of California's top prep baseball teams. This tournament holds massive implications for our Power 25 State Rankings and annually gives pro scouts an early glimpse into how some of the area's top draft prospects perform out the gate.  

We start/continue with the La Mirada Matadores, a CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION Division I level out of La Mirada competing in the Gateway League. Led by 21st year head coach Jimmy Zurn, the Matadores are coming off a 22-8 (overall) and 11-1 (league) spring last year and reached the CIF-SS D1 Quarterfinals.

La Mirada enters the 2024 season with a talented returning group of impact players featuring 5 D1 commits; ‘24 RHP Walker Calvo (Army), ‘25 SS Aiden Aguayo (UCLA), ‘25 Maverek Russell (UCLA), ‘25 Travis Friend (UCLA), and ‘25 Kevin Jeon (Boston College) who each will play a prominent role in the success of the Matadores season.

Zurn said, "As always at La Mirada the expectations for the ‘24 season are extremely high and we will rely on the experience we have returning from last year's squad to continue to live up to those expectations.”

With experienced returners from the ‘23 squad anticipated to be the key members of the ‘24 squad look for newcomers like ‘25 C Jacob Celiz, ‘26 RHP Kaden Corns, ‘26 RHP Adrian Meraz and ‘27 INF Bear Calvo will be competing to make an impact on the upcoming season.

While they may be underclassmen and their time could be a year away there are a few names to know for the Matadores; ‘26 RHP/1b Jacob Oropeza, ‘26 OF Noah Rodriguez, and ‘26 C JT Torres look to make their mark in the La Mirada program.

“We will feature a team that plays good defense and our speed will be impactful both on defense and offense. Look for several of our new arms to step in and pick up the innings we graduated from the ‘23 squad,” the veteran skipper Zurn said.

We will get to see a full range of players and the first test of the La Mirada Matadores depth at the Prep Baseball California Spring Invitational as the Matadores look to get off to a hot start to the 2024 high school baseball season. 

College Commitments:

‘24 RHP Walker Calvo (Army) - 6'1 185 lbs.

‘25 SS Aiden Aguayo (UCLA) - 5'11 170 lbs. 

‘25 1B Maverek Russell (UCLA) - 6' 185 lbs.

‘25 OF Travis Friend (UCLA) - 5'11 155 lbs. 

‘25 3B/OF Kevin Jeon (Boston College) - 6' 185 lbs. 

Top Uncommitted ‘25s:

‘25 C Jacob Celiz - 5'9 165 lbs.

Top Uncommitted ‘26s:

‘25 RHP Kaden Corns - 6'1 175 lbs. 

‘26 RHP Adrian Meraz - 5'11 165 lbs. 

‘26 RHP/1B Jacob Oropeza - 6' 200 lbs. 

‘26 OF Noah Rodriguez - 5'8 155 lbs.

‘26 C JT Torres - 6'1 150 lbs. 

Top Uncommitted ‘27s:

’27 INF Bear Calvo - 6' 175 lbs.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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