A look at the schedule for Servite’s baseball verifies the high regard Friars coach Shawn Gilbert has for this season’s team.
Servite will play in the Southern California portion of the Boras Classic, the most prestigious tournament in California, and in the National High School Invitational, an event that annually draws some of the nation’s finest to North Carolina.
“We have a chance to be really good,” Gilbert said.
So far, so good. Servite is 5-0 after winning the Loara Tournament. The Friars defeated Lakewood 18-5 in the championship game Saturday. They scored 51 runs over five tournament wins.
Senior outfielder Jarrod Hocking, who signed with UCLA, had five hits against Lakewood and was the championship bracket MVP.
The Friars don’t play again until their Trinity League opener March 15 against Orange Lutheran, the first of a three-game league series between the Lancers and Friars.
Servite has a strong lineup that includes senior pitcher Xavier Cadenas, who signed with San Diego State, senior pitcher Chris Grothues, who signed with UCLA, and junior shortstop Roman Martin, who committed to UCLA.
“I like the way we’re playing,” Gilbert said. “It’s a fun group to coach.”
SEAHAWKS SOARING
The Ocean View baseball team is 6-1. The Seahawks won the consolation half of the Loara Tournament.
Junior outfielder Landon Runyan was named consolation bracket MVP after batting .602 in the tournament with six hits, three doubles, fourr RBIs and five runs scored.
QUITE THE OPENING SERIES
The first week of Trinity League next week includes a three-game series between JSerra and Orange Lutheran. Orange Lutheran is at JSerra on Tuesday, March 8 (6 p.m), JSerra plays Orange Lutheran at Hart Park on March 9 (7 p.m.), and Orange Lutheran is at JSerra on March 11 (6 p.m.).
A JSerra-Orange Lutheran three-game series concluded the regular season last season. Orange Lutheran won the first game 8-2. JSerra won the second game 2-0, leaving the teams tied for first at 13-1. JSerra won the third game 3-1 to take the league championship.
NOTES
Huntington Beach junior pitcher Ben Jacobs threw six no-hit innings with 14 strikeouts and two walks Tuesday in the Oilers’ 4-1 win over JSerra. They scored their runs in the top of the seventh inning. …
Edison senior pitcher Tucker Fountain struck out 11 over six innings in the Chargers’ 8-1 win over Long Beach Wilson on Tuesday. Fountain struck out the side twice. …
Foothill is better than its 4-3 record would indicate. The Knights’ three losses are to teams ranked in the state top 25 — by one run to JSerra and Harvard-Westlake, and by three to Yucaipa. The Knights have wins over Capistrano Valley and Chaminade. …
The Anaheim Lions Tournament begins March 18. It’s a large tournament, again, with 67 teams. Crean Lutheran won the tournament championship last year and is in the event again. …
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Prep Baseball Report’s California top 25 has Orange Lutheran at No. 1. Other county teams in its top 25 are: No. 5 JSerra, No. 11 Servite, No. 15 Cypress, No. 20 Villa Park and No. 25 Pacifica. …
The Boras Classic’s Southern California bracket, always a great collection of teams, looks great again upon glancing at the Prep Baseball Report rankings. The 16-team tournament, April 19-22 at JSerra and Mater Dei, includes Orange Lutheran, JSerra, Servite and Villa Park. Other state-ranked teams in the Boras Classic, which has a Northern California component with the Northern and Southern California champions meeting in a sate championship game, are No. 2 Yucaipa, No. 3 Harvard-Westlake, No. 4 Sierra Canyon, No. 9 Corona, No. 11 Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, No. 14 ML King of Riverside and No. 22 San Dimas.