California Games of the Week: 5/5 - 5/10
May 5, 2025
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VENTURA, CALIF. - As the entirety of the of the California High School sections are underway with regular season games Prep Baseball California will be highlighting weekly games of the week with some of the best matchups from all over the Golden State.
This week our staff has picked these four matchups as their top games of the week from around the State of California:
Les Lukach: Villa Park Spartans vs. El Dorado Hawks
Steven Hardesty: Simi Valley Pioneers vs. No. 13 Royal Highlanders
Hank LoForte: Oak Ridge Trojans vs. River City Raiders
Matt Monk: Cathedral Catholic Dons vs. St. Augustine Saints
Les Lukach Game of the Week:
Villa Park Spartans vs. El Dorado Hawks
+ Date: 5/5 - 5/7 (Crestview League Series)
+ Time: 3:15 pm for both games
+ Location: El Dorado - Villa Park
+ Villa Park 2025 Record: 21 - 5
+ Head Coach: Burt Call
+ El Dorado 2025 Record: 19 - 7
+ Head Coach: Matt Lucas
+ Key Players (Villa Park):
+ '25 INF/RHP Jake Nobles
+ '25 C/1B Shawn Romero Pepperdine Commit
+ '25 OF Nate Lewis
+ '25 RHP Cade Cowle
+ '25 RHP Val Lopez
+ '26 RHP Jack McGuire
+ '26 SS Gunner Santillo
+ '26 OF Aidan Young
+ '26 OF/LHP Dominic Gutierrez
+ '26 RHP Owen Smith
+ '27 RHP Logan Hoppie
+ Key Players (El Dorado):
+ '25 SS/2B Diego Gonzalez University of San Diego Commit
+ '25 OF Aiden McNaughton
+ '25 OF Mason Kim
+ '26 RHP/OF Logan Steenburgen
+ '26 RHP Jacob Alvarez
+ '26 INF David Domingo
+ '27 OF/RHP Justin Savellano
Series Preview:
The Spartans enter the week in a tie at the top of the Crestview League with Cypress at 7-3 in league play while the Hawks are 5-5, but with two wins this week could put themselves in the mix for a tie at the top of the league or in second place headed into CIF-Southern Section playoff selections.
Villa Park has ridden the strength of an offense that has scored 144 runs over the 26 games they have played this spring averaging 5.5 runs per game played. Their pitching staff has been outstanding with just 66 runs allowed in their 26 games for an average of 2.5 runs per game. The Spartans have been powered at the plate by the performance of Aidan Young who is slashing .430/.540/.734 with a team leading four homers and three triples while being second on the team with six doubles and tops the Spartans with 21 RBIs and 24 runs scored. Santillo gives the Spartan a second regular hitting over .400 while Gutierrez, Nobles and Romero are hitting comfortably over .300 entering the last week of the spring season. On the mound it's been a blend of arms carrying the load with two arms over 30 IP, two over 20 IP, and three more having tossed 10+ innings over the spring. Nobles has K'd 32 in 32.2 IP with McGuire havinng 37 Ks in 38 IP while Hoppie has 30 Ks in 28.1 IP. Nobles, Smith, Hoppie, and McGuire have combined to win 17 of their 21 victories with McGuire topping the team at 5. Lopez is sporting an impressive .45 over 15+ IP with one win in four starts and 15 Ks.
El Dorado enters the matchup sitting at 19-7 on the year and just two games back of the top spot in the league with some control over their destiny this week. The Hawks have scored 120 runs in their 26 games for an average of 4.6 runs per game while the pitching staff has allowed 83 runs for an average of 3.2 runs per game. McNaughton tops the Golden Hawks offense with a .396 average and his eight doubles top the team. Abner, Favela, Kim, and Steenburgen are all over .300 enter the final week of the regular season playing consistent roles in the lineup with Vanderzee knocking on the door of .300 with one week to go. Gonzalez has blasted a team leading four homers on the spring while leading El Dorado with 18 RBIs. Steenburgen has been outstanding on the mound for El Dorado with a team leading 60 IP, 55 Ks, six wins, five complete games, three shutouts, two saves and an impressive 1.28 ERA on the spring. Alvarez has been strong in the secondary role for the staff with four wins and a 3.59 ERA in 41 IP. Rodriguez has tossed over 30 innings with an outstanding 1.52 ERA posting four wins with one save. Favela, Tierney, and Duran have all posted 10+ innings this year as key bullpen arms.
Steven Hardesty Game of the Week:
Simi Valley Pioneers vs. No. 13 Royal Highlanders
+ Date: 5/5 - 5/7 (Coastal Canyon League Series)
+ Time: 3:30 PM for both games
+ Location: Royal - Simi Valley
+ Simi Valley 2025 Record: 21 - 5
+ Head Coach: Scott Vermette
+ Royal 2025 Record: 22 - 4
+ Head Coach: Don Maye
+ Key Players (Simi Valley):
+ '25 INF/RHP Jaxson Herron
+ '25 RHP Greg Lopez
+ '26 LHP Kyle Casey
+ '26 OF Quentin McGahan
+ '26 INF Danny Pina
+ '26 LHP/OF Jackson Goshorn
+ '26 INF Ryan Whitson
+ '27 C/OF Evan Rodriguez
+ '27 OF/C Andrew Nicklaus
+ Key Players (Royal):
+ '25 RHP/OF Caden Sramek Oklahoma State Commit
+ '25 SS/RHP Brady Hewitt Oregon Commit
+ '25 INF Zach Nagy University of San Francisco Commit
+ '26 LHP/OF Dean Barkman UCSB Commit
+ '26 RHP Dustin Dunwoody University of Arizona Commit
+ '27 OF Tristen Hogan
Series Preview:
The No. 13 team in the Power 25 Royal has been outstanding all year with a 22-4 record, but the Pioneers have been equally as dominant all spring running their record to 21-5. Now the two Simi Valley based rivals will square off in a two game series for the Coastal Canyon League title ahead of the CIF-Southern Section playoff selections.
Simi Valley has utilized an offense which has scored 145 runs in their 26 games for an average of 5.6 runs per game with a pitching staff that has thrown the ball extremely well allowing just 60 runs for an average of 2.3 runs per game. At the plate Soph. Rodriguez fronts the team with a .459 average, team leading nine doubles and 29 RBIs with both his .551 OBP and .580 SLG topping the Pioneers offense. Herron, McGahan, Pina and Nicklaus are all entering the week over .300 with McGahan sitting at .390 having the potential to possibly top .400 with a strong week at the plate while Whitson has been strong in semi-regular playing time with a .429 average. Nicklaus tops the squad with two homers. JR. southpaw Casey has been utterly dominant all year in the ace role having posted 55 innings pitched with 56 Ks, seven wins, just 35 hits and nine walks allowed with an eye-popping .64 ERA in that span. As good as Casey has been Goshorn has been as good if not even a tick better including twirling two no-hitters this spring the JR. with 57 IP, 79 Ks, eight wins, 38 hits and 12 BBs with an impressive 1.47 ERA. Lopez gives the Pioneer a third strong arm who has tossed 38.1 innings winning four games with a 1.83 ERA. Whitson has been solid out of the pen throwing 10.2 innings with 10 Ks and an ERA below 3.00 presently.
The Highlanders have been a mainstay in the Power 25 all spring sitting in the middle of the top teams in the state while running their record to 22-4 with the offense having plated 200 runs this spring over 26 for an average of 7.7 runs per game over one run per inning each game with a pitching staff that has allowed only 56 runs in that span for an average of 2.2 runs per game. The Highlanders offense have been paced by the performance of Hewitt who tops the team with a .438 average, .529 OBP, .775 SLG, five homers, 34 RBIs and 10 doubles. Nagy has been the tablesetter with an impressive .404 average, 15 SBs, 33 runs scored and eight doubles. Barkman and Visage have both posted averages over .300 in significant playing time with Visage and Vasquez each adding eight doubles to the attack. On the mound Dunwoody has assumed the ace role for the Highlanders with 54 IP, 75 Ks, seven wins, one complete game, a no-hitter and an impressive 1.30 ERA. Barkman and Sramek have both been excellent on the mound with Barkman posting a .87 ERA with six wins, two complete games, one save and one no hitter in his 40.1 IP while punching out 63 hitters. Sramek has four wins in 43 IP with 52 Ks, two saves, and a 2.60 ERA on the year. Tillman has a team leading .70 ERA over 20 IP with 35 Ks and only six hits allowed with three wins while Hewitt hasn't allowed an earned run with five saves in 8.2 innings of relief work while striking out 13 hitters.
This is always an intense series between these two rivals, but with the league title on the line anticipate the level of intensity to run even higher.
Hank LoForte Game of the Week:
Oak Ridge Trojans vs. Rivery City Raiders
+ Date: 5/7 (CIF-SJS D1 Opening Round Playoff Matchup)
+ Time: 4:00 PM
+ Location: Oak Ridge
+ Oak Ridge 2025 Record: 12 - 14
+ Head Coach: Todd Melton
+ River City 2025 Record: 17 - 11
+ Head Coach: Robert Martinez
+ Key Players (Oak Ridge):
+ '25 C/1B Jackson Molloy
+ '25 Ethan Lamb
+ '25 Jason Alexander
+ '25 Ben Ransi
+ '25 Jack Spero
+ '26 C/3B Ryan Hubbard
+ '26 Dylan Busalacchi
+ '26 Jasen Womack
+ '26 Logan Youdan
+ '26 RHP/OF Brody Rodenspiel
+ '26 Noah Nowaski
+ Key Players (River City):
+ '25 INF Noah Carrington
+ '25 C/OF Jordan Torrente
+'25 INF/RHP Nick Rodriguez
+ '25 1B/P Aiden Brookins
+ '26 1B Hayden Onatanian
+ '26 INF/RHP Tyler Geers
+ '28 UTL Tanner Mayberry
+ '28 UTL Alex Rodriguez
Game Preview:
As the CIF-SJS playoffs open this week the Oak Ridge Trojans will play host to the Raiders of River City.
The Trojans enter as an at-large berth out of the Sierra Foothill League with an offense that has scored 115 runs in their 26 games for an average of 4.4 runs per game which has been powered by the bats off Ransi and Spero who both enter the playoffs over .300 with their averages. Hubbard blasted three of the Trojans four homers on the season with his 11 RBIs third on the team and his 12 runs scored second on the team. Spero is tied for the team lead in doubles with six while Molloy has driven in a team leading 14 runs. Molloy or Nowaski are most likely to take the bump for the Trojans with Molloy leading the team at 45 IP with 32 Ks while Nowaski has thrown 36.2 innings with 30 Ks and Molloy with an ERA of 3.11 and Nowaski at 2.86 combining for five of the teams total 12 wins on the mound. Rodenspiel has been the top reliever with two saves, and 14 Ks in 15.1 IP.
River City finished fourth in the Monticello Empire League at 6-6 earning an at-large berth to the CIF-SJS D1 playoffs. Their offense has paved the way to a 17-11 record by scoring 194 runs in those games averaging 6.9 runs per game with a pitching staff allowing 4.6 runs per game on the season. The Raiders lineup is powered by the bats of Rodriguez who leads the team at .420 over the spring with his 21 RBIs and 22 runs scored topping the team. Mayberry, Torrente, Carrington and Rodriguez have all posted averages over .300 in considerable playing time with Carrington leading the team with his eight doubles. Wilkes has posted five triples to help the Raiders offense. On the mound Rodriguez is the teams workhorse and likely to get the ball to open the playoffs with his 61.1 innings pitched, 2.40 ERA, 58 Ks, and seven wins all being amongst the top or leading the Raiders staff. Brookins and Geers have each thrown over 25 innings this spring with strong success including 24 Ks from Geers and a 1.64 ERA from Brookins.
The winner of this game will face the winner of Franklin against Folsom in the second round.
Matt Monk Game of the Week:
Cathedral Catholic Dons vs. St. Augustine Saints
+ Date: 5/5 - 5/6 - 5/8 (Western League series)
+ Time: 4:00 PM for all three games
+ Location: St. Augustine - Cathedral Catholic - St. Augustine
+ Cathedral Catholic 2025 Record: 13 - 8
+ Head Coach: Gary Remiker
+ St. Augustine 2025 Record: 15 - 8 - 1
+ Head Coach: Craig da Luz
+ Key Players (Cathedral Catholic):
+ '25 OF Trey Gudoy UCLA Commit
+ '25 LHP Owen Smyth Ohio State Commit
+ '26 SS Alex Harrington Stanford commit
+ '26 OF Hunter Harrington Stanford commit
+ '26 INF Trey Kotsay Princeton commit
+ Key Players (St. Augustine):
+ '25 RHP Grayson Boles (Texas Commit)
+ '25 SS/RHP Tyler Wick (Oregon Commit)
+ '25 INF/OF Raphael Dunne (UCSD Commit)
+ '25 C Shane Miranda (Notre Dame Commit)
+ '25 OF/INF Anthony Tompkins
+ '25 RHP Ryan Popkins
+ '25 RHP Jonah DePerro
+ '25 OF Drake Konja
+ '25 RHP Cristian Mares
+ '25 INF/RHP Kapono Nakanelua
+ '25 OF Liam Veeramallu
+ '25 RHP Wyatt Weldon
+ '25 RHP Christian Ledesma
+ '25 RHP Philip Knapton
+ '25 C Chris Black
+ '26 RHP Jonny Haskett (Cal Berkeley Commit)
+ '26 INF/RHP Mikey Ruiz
+ '26 INF/RHP Nate Balkenbush
+ '26 RHP Payton Del Toro
+ '27 INF/OF Guilermo MacFarland
+ '27 INF/RHP Mario Vitale
+ '27 OF/RHP Lorenzo Haros
+ '28 RHP/INF Matthew Prior
+ '28 SS/RHP Julian Chanfreau
+ '28 RHP/C Kayden Zimmerman
+ '28 INF/OF Mason Choi
Game Preview:
Cathedral Catholic enters this showdown of Western League powers in the first place position with an overall record of 4-2 in league, but the Saints of St. Augustine sit in a second place tie currently at 5-3-1 with Patrick Henry.
The Dons dropped two of three games last week to the Patriots of Patrick Henry after sweeping their opening week series over Scripps Ranch. The Dons will look to get their offense back on track after scoring just eight runs in those three games and hope to see their bats performing at the level they did against Scripps Ranch where they scored 28 runs in the three games. They will need the bats of Alex Harrington, LeTourneau, Priest, and Gudoy to perform to their higher levels of results to put themselves in better position to claim this series of Saints. On the mound the Dons were solid in the second game of their series with Patrick Henry allowing just two runs in the game, but struggled in the first and third games allowing 7+ runs in both games those struggles have been rare this spring for the Dons who have allowed only 71 runs in their 21 games for just under three runs per game.
The Saints on their side are coming off a strong 2-1 week over Point Loma responding to an early week loss by winning the final two games of that series by a total of 10-1 including a shutout 7-0 win in the final game of the series. With 129 runs scored over their 24 games this year the offense has been solid for the Saints, but has been inconsistent during the difficult Western League schedule twice scoring seven or more runs, but have scored two or less runs in three other games. Their staff has been strong on the mound over the course of the year with 82 runs allowed in 24 games for an average of three runs per game and four of their six Western League games have resulted in their arms allowing one run or less including three shutouts.
The winner of this series will put themselves in a more comfortable position to win the league title, but it will be largely dependant upon what the Patriots do this week in their series against Scripps Ranch next week.
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