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The 2025 California high school baseball season is quickly approaching and, as usual, excitement is abound throughout the state. Players and coaches have been working in preparation for the upcoming season and, as is the case each year, there are some very talented players and teams across California.

Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in their respective CIF Section Championship Game, but there is plenty of work to be done before that becomes reality. We hope to familiarize our readers with many of the teams across the state as we preview these individual programs across California. We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews, eventually releasing our Preseason Power 25 rankings.

Please keep checking back throughout the season as we will be your one-stop shop for everything related to high school baseball across California. Each week we will be releasing our Power 25, Players of the Week, Diamond Notes, podcasts, and much more.

Our 2025 preseason coverage continues today with a preview of the Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) Knights.

2025 TEAM OUTLOOK

High School: Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) Knights
Head Coach: Tom Dill
CIF Section: Southern Section
Division: Division 1 (2024)
2024 Record (Playoff Finish):  19-10-1 / 10-6-1 Mission League 3rd place / CIF-SS D1 Playoffs
Key Players Lost:  Levi Sterling, Sammy Petrocelli, Eric Puodzlunas, Nate Kugler, Brett Binkley, Kai Gonzaga, John Trainor

+ No. Returning Positional Players: 9
+ No. Returning Pitchers: 4
+ Team Strengths: Deep pitching staff with high level starters and bullpen depth, strong defensive squad around the diamond, emerging offensive talent

+ Key Players: 

Seniors:

+ '25 RHP Logan Berenson Boston College Commit

+ '25 INF Dominic Cadiz UCLA Commit

+ '25 OF Jaedyn Rodenzo

+ '25 LHP AJ Carnet

Juniors:

+ '26 RHP Holden Newhouse Loyola Marymount Commit

+ '26 C/RHP Jacob Madrid Long Beach State Commit

+ '26 RHP JuJu Diaz-Jones

+ '26 RHP Osvaldo Nunez

+ '26 RHP/1B Peter Jackson UCSB Commit

+ '26 RHP Patrick Arranaga

+ '26 INF/RHP Malakye Matsumoto

+ '26 RHP Jaden Lee

+ Projected Starters: Logan Berenson and TBD

+ Projected Relievers: Still To Be Determined

IMPACT UNDERCLASSMEN 

+ '27 RHP J. Beckett Berg

+ '27 SS/2B Elijah Sim

+ '27 SS/2B Sebastien Grove

+ '27 OF Benett Pace

+ '28 OF/RHP Dru Wilson 

BOTTOM LINE

The Knights will be deep on the mound especially in what looks to be a loaded JR. class of arms, but they have several options for starting pitchers behind the Boston College committed Berenson. They have plenty of commits who can fill out those spots, but also several arms who are uncommitted with talent that are going to make putting up runs against the Knights will be no easy task for opponents. The key for the Knights coming this spring will be how well the produce on the offensive side of the game after a bit of a struggle in 2024 scoring runs, but having the UCLA commit Cadiz fronting the offense again in 2025 with rising pieces behind him that have shown growth they have the potential to be a really strong offensive team. On the defensive side they look to be very strong from behind the dish to the INF dirt and out into the OF.

PREP BASEBALL CA STAFF’S TAKE

With a long tradition of the Knights program producing high level pitching talent year in and year out that have gone on to pitch at the D1 level, additional collegiate baseball levels and into the Professional level this year looks to be no different for them. Losing a MLB draft pick in Sterling plus a trio of D1 arms behind him off the 2024 staff would generally have one thinking a step back was coming, but the 2025 Knights staff looks to be as talented as last years with intriguing front end arms and really good depth behind them. Berenson looks potentially like the ace, but both Berg and Newhouse are on the rise quickly and Diaz-Jones, Nunez, Arranaga, Jackson and others build up plenty of highly talented depth on the staff. Returning Dominic Cadiz and his powerful bat should front the lineup, but I'm high on what Madrid brings to their offense and they have plenty of pieces behind them who show good potential. Runs will look to be difficult to come by against the Knights, but the bigger key is going to be how many runs the Knights can put up offensively and if they reach that ability don't be surprised if we see them standing at the top of the Mission League standings come May and possibly deep into May. - Steven Hardesty Assistant Scouting Director

Learn more about California’s 2025 spring season below:

+ Follow Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) on X: @NDKNIGHTBASE
+ Find more team previews on the Prep Baseball California Season Previews homepage

FOLLOW US THROUGHOUT THE SPRING

+ Prep Baseball California on X
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MORE 2025 TEAM PREVIEWS

Upcoming Events

Showcase	State	Date	Location
Orange County Rising Stars ID	CA	03/02/25	Mater Dei High School
Inland Empire Rising Stars ID	CA	03/30/25	Corona High School
Los Angeles Rising Stars ID	CA	04/27/25	O'Malley Field

MORE PREP BASEBALL NEWS