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SAN DIEGO, CALIF. - Another exciting week of baseball as league play starts up in San Diego. I got to see a big game between two Power 25 teams in San Diego and on a trip up to the Bay Area at the tail end of the week I got to stop by a WCAL league matchup featuring No. 5 Valley Christian. Two matchups in San Diego and the Bay Area featuring current and previously ranked teams on our Power 25.

NOTES

‘25 RHP/OF Phoenix Brant (Uncommitted) - I had seen plenty of Brant on X, a big frame LHH/RHP up to 90 and with 5 HRs on the year. Because of this, it felt necessary to make it out for one of his starts. This ultimately delivered. Flashing his standout cutter, Brant used a slider and curveball as well. The cutter played on the edges of the zone and tunneled well with the slider. The curve came out against LHH. Brant has a strong landing leg, anchoring his stride and keeping him tall throughout his motion. The overall motion (and presence on the field) is relaxed and methodical. 

No. 7 St. Augustine vs. No. 15 Patrick Henry

St. Augustine completed the sweep in a two-game set on Wednesday and Friday to open up Western League play for both sides. Saints put up 13 runs combined while only allowing two. St. Augustine sits at 16-2 and received a bump up to No. 7 on our Power 25 rankings.

‘25 RHP Grayson Boles (Texas) - The chance to see two of our top teams in San Diego battle it out for their respective first league matchups was hard to miss. Add in my third look at Boles this spring and it was a great game to be at. Boles worked his signature curve at 77-80 mph with steep and late break. He paired it with a fastball living at the corners and up in the zone, tunneling off the CB. The fastball may have not been up to what I’ve seen but the performance was undeniable, going all seven innings, striking out nine while only allowing five baserunners. 

‘25 2B Raphael Dunne (UCSD) - Dunne, fresh off his transfer sit-out period, made an impact at the top of the lineup for Saints. In game, he delivered multiple good at-bats and had two line drive hits to left field. He demonstrated a short swing with coverage all over the zone to foul balls off and get barrels. Good feel for the barrel and goes to all fields.

‘24 OF Justin Heffler (St. Mary’s) - Heffler also had a two-hit day at the plate. He came up with a runner on second and down one early in the game. Heffler delivered on a fastball elevated in the zone, hitting a hard line drive to left field. He got another hit to the left side, this time taking an offspeed pitch down the line for a double. He showed good balance and timing waiting back on it and still getting a strong barrel on it.

No. 5 Valley Christian vs. St. Francis

On a prescheduled trip back to my homeland of Berkeley, California, I noticed that a WCAL matchup featuring all three NorCal representatives of the 2023 Future Games team was playing. Because of that, I elected to make the hour or so drive down to Valley Christian for a Saturday game. Valley Christian went 2-1 on the week, splitting their series with league opponents No. 10 Serra who entered the Power 25 rankings this week. St. Francis was originally ranked within the Power 25 to begin the year but has dropped out due to some inconsistent performances. Regardless of rankings, both of these teams have plenty of talent.

‘24 OF Tatum Marsh (Stanford) - Marsh hit an absolute missile to centerfield that rolled to the wall. He showed off the speed by hustling into third for a triple. It’s a relaxed open hitting setup that jumps into action with a toe-tap trigger and fast hands. He also barreled another ball that was hit right on a line to the shortstop. To add to the good day at the plate, Marsh had a great day out in centerfield, dealing with the high winds to make multiple good plays on balls hit toward the gaps.

‘25 1B/LHP Quinten Marsh (Stanford) - The younger Marsh followed his brother in the order and went back-to-back extra base hits with a double. He turned on an inside fastball and sent it midway off the fence in RCF. It’s a quick swing with plenty of power in the frame.

‘26 3B/C Gino Cappellazzo (Uncommitted) - Cappellazzo is one of the exciting catching prospects in the Bay Area but his prowess in the infield, overall athleticism, and potential on the mound are things that are encouraging with his large frame as a 2026 grad. He got St. Francis the lead with a double down the third base line, driving in two. He laid off two good curveballs to get to his fastball and hit it hard. In the field, Cappellazzo held down third base with conviction, making multiple tough grabs and making the throws from deep in the third base area. 

‘24 INF Brent Valentine (Uncommitted) - Valentine grabbed two hits to contribute to St. Francis’ efforts. He does a good job of staying on the pitch and getting the barrel through the zone. The swing looks to have some pop to the pull side when he elevates but all I got to see was two hard groundballs throw the six hole.

‘25 C Jordan Ortiz (LMU) - Ortiz has shown in the past his uber athleticism and strong skill set behind the dish with sub 2.00 pop times, 81 mph throwing velocity, and hard hit balls with a line drive swing. He demonstrated all of that on Saturday with a hard line drive to left field with RISP. He also threw out a runner on the basepaths.

Upcoming Events

Showcase	State	Date	Location
Rising Stars ID: VTA County	CA	04/21	Thousand Oaks High School
SoCal Rising Stars Game	CA	05/12	Mater Dei High School
FUTURE GAMES TRYOUT: Orange County	CA	06/01	Fullerton College
FUTURE GAMES TRYOUT: Ventura County	CA	06/09	Westmont College
California State Games 2024	CA	08/09	Fullerton College

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