SGV/Whittier Prep Sports Zone: BASEBALL PREVIEW: Arcadia, La Habra
Apaches and Highlanders return quality players to a solid roster.
(AUSD)
ARCADIA HIGH SCHOOL
Coach: Nick Lemas
2022 Record: 20-7
BY THE NUMBERS
Number of Returning Players 7
Number of All-League Players Returning 1
Number of Returning Infielders 3
Number of Returning Outfielders 4
Number of Returning Starting Pitchers 2
Number of Returning Relief Pitchers 2.00
Key Outfielders Returning
Devon Eskridge 12 CF Cal St San Marcos Commit
Brayden Herrera 12 RF
Evan Huang 12 LF
Jerry Carlos 11 RF/LF
Key Starting Pitchers Returning
Ian Hoffstetter 12 P 1st Team D1 All CIF, All Pacific Leage Pitcher of the Year
Gabe Lopez 11 P
Coach Nick Lemas’ Comments: This will be a whole new look this season. We lost our entire infield to graduation last year. We have a REALLY good group of freshmen that came in, coupled with some key transfers and JV players that have moved up. Our strength will definitely be pitching, led by Ian Hoffstetter. Big expectations for junior, Gabe Lopez on the mound. And with the addition of Nando Palencia, who will be one of the top SS and RHP in the area, we will be solid on the mound. Christian Garcia will help bring a bat to our offense, but we will have quite of bit of inexperience in our lineup that I'm sure will go through some growing pains. Our defense will be solid in the OF, led by Devon Eskridge, and now with the addition of Palencia, who is a good a SS that there will be in the area, I'm hoping the younger guys can rally around them.
CRYSTAL BALL: This could be a very interesting year for Arcadia and coach Nick Lemas. They return one of the top pitchers in the area in Ian Hoffstetter. “The Big Hoff” was sensational last year with a 10-1 record and a 0.82 ERA. Throw in Gabe Lopez, who got valuable time on the bump last season, and you can understand why Lemas likes his pitching rotation. Devon Eskridge brings solid defense presence to the field, but we would love to see him improve on his .231 batting average last year. You can be sure that has been a point of emphasis this year for Lemas. The addition of Christian Garcia from Cathedral, and will not have to sit out the 30-day period, in huge. However, there is youth all over the place and it will be interesting to see who emerges as a top contributor. As always, the Apaches are one of the serious contenders in the Pacific League and you can be sure that toughness will not be an issue with a Nick Lemas coached team.
Andrew Gandara, La Habra (La Habra baseball)
LA HABRA HIGH SCHOOL
Coach: Jack Brooks
2022 Record: 14-14
BY THE NUMBERS
Number of Returning Players 17
Number of All-League Players Returning 0
Number of Returning Infielders 3
Number of Returning Outfielders 3
Number of Returning Starting Pitchers 1
Number of Returning Relief Pitchers 3.00
Key Infielders Returning
Izaiah Posada 10 5' 8" 175 C Started every game as a freshman was leading hitter.
Rudy Andrade 12 6' 1" 180 3B/1B BA .265
Key Outfielders Returning
Maddox Moreno 10 6 180 OF Started every game as a FROSH… BA 298
Matt Viveros 12 5' 9" 165 OF .303 BA
Key Starting Pitchers Returning
Jared Day 11 6' 2" 185 P Big Starts as a Sophomore
Maddox Moreno 10 6 180 P/OF Key innings as Freshman
Justin Martinez 11 6 180 P Big Starts as a Sophomore
Issac Aguirre 10 6' 1" 190 P Big Innings as Freshman
Key Closer Pitchers Returning
Matt Viveros 10 5' 9" 170 P/OF Left Hander closer
Key Catchers/Designated Hitters Returning
Izaiah Posada 10 5' 8" 175 C BA. 308/ Started every game as a FROSH
Top Newcoming/Transfers
Bobby Brooks 9 5' 8" 160 SS Will make an impact early.
Nico DeCorte 9 5' 7" 150 OF Will make an impact early.
Coach Jack Brooks’ Comments: We have almost everybody returning from a team that was extremely young last year. Our roster was filled with 1st year varsity players last year which included 6 freshman and 2 sophmores. We return a roster that has a ton of experience and is still extremely young. Our strength will be our team defense, the depth of our pitching staff and our athleticism. We have had a promising fall/winter season and we feel like we can compete with anybody. The freeway league will be a dogfight with Fullerton being the favorite to start the season.
CRYSTAL BALL: 2022 was more of a rebuilding year for the Highlanders coming off an historic season in 2021 season that saw them win a sectional and state regional title. But coach Jack Brooks does have one of the top sophomores in the area in Izaiah Posada. He had the second-best batting average on the team last season (.309) and is on the shortlist of top catchers in the area. Maddox Moreno has a nice combinattion of a top arm (3-1, 1.56) and a nice bat (.276). The pitching staff looks solid, and it appears as if the defense will keep the pitchers in games throughout the year. La Habra catches a break of Sunny Hills being a program in transition. We’ll check back during the nonleague schedule to see who the favorite is to win the league. It’ll be fun - that’s for sure.