Prep talk: Bell wants another historic season in baseball
Bell High's baseball team will be hard-pressed to top last season's historic achievement winning the school's first City Section Open Division championship at Dodger Stadium after not being in an upper division final since 1953.
The big question for 2025 is how much hunger the Eagles will have to repeat. They certainly start out the season with the most returning players, including reigning City Section player of the year Jayden Rojas, a junior pitcher and outfielder. He's one of seven returning starters, including Luis Melendez, who was an All-City outfielder as a freshman.
Who will challenge the Eagles?
Birmingham was runner-up last season. Allen Olmos will take over the ace role and first baseman Sebastian Valdez was All-City. Two impressive freshmen will be impact players — pitcher Carlos Acuna and catcher Jordan Lindsay. And don't forget about sophomore shortstop Julius Monroe-Truitt, who was a star of the Patriots' outstanding junior varsity team.
Granada Hills has won four consecutive West Valley League titles but stumbled in the playoffs. The Highlanders' standout pitcher-catcher, Alexander Schmidt, is back, but lots of young players will need to step up to help the Highlanders.
El Camino Real is loaded with quality pitchers, led by Devin Gonor and Christian Gastelum, plus top outfielder Luke Howe.
Defending Valley Mission League champion Sylmar returns All-City pitcher Alex Martinez, plus standout seniors Luis Mendoza, Mike Andrade and Alonso Pedron.
All-City pitcher Anthony Solis returns for San Pedro. Cleveland has the brother duo of Kaeden and Quinton Riepl, plus infielder Miles Garcia. Chatsworth is excited about the development of pitcher Masen Ruiz, who was All-City as a freshman, while Micah Klotz has been productive in winter ball.
The season begins on Monday with the Easton tournament.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
A Lucky Seven List Of All-Time Rangers Hustlers
If you are enjoying the Stanley Cup Final, by now it must be apparent that the Panthers and Oilers have HUSTLE written all over them. Special Kudos to aging vets Corey Perry of Edmonton and Brad Marchand of Florida. Advertisement Over the years, the Ranger roster was sprinkled with Marchand-types who never stopped skating. The Maven's All-Time Rangers hustlers appear here in Chronological time: The Best Rangers Hustlers On The Team Currently The Best Rangers Hustlers On The Team Currently Enough with the talk about the deadwood core. Here's a short list of The Maven's favorite TRY HARD GUYS. 1. PHIL WATSON: It wasn't that "Phiery Phil" set up the 1940 Stanley Cup-winning goal for New York in 1940, but that didn't hurt. Watson's big mouth churned away as fast as his skates. Phil never wore a sign that read: BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED! 2. DEAN PRENTICE: Shamefully, the Hockey Hall of Fame has ignored one of the most consistent left wingers in history. Hall Of Fame right wing Andy Bathgate would have been the first to claim that Dean's hard work led to AB's HOF nomination. Advertisement 3. ANDY HEBENTON: GM Muzz Patrick's greatest discovery, Hebby was toiling with Tacoma in the Western League when Muzz signed him as a winger for the 1955-56 season. Andy scored a huge OT goal for New York and became an NHL iron man. 4. RED SULLIVAN: Nobody in Sully's time had more go-go in his system than the center who would become captain. Red was a ferret on the spoor of a hot puck and one of his other favorite targets was the Habs goalie; whenever Jacques Plante wandered. 5. LARRY POPEIN: Before Bathgate became a superstar, Andy needed a crafty center to help launch his career. "Pope" was the perfect pivot; as well as a superior skater who "read" Bathgate's moves as well as any. 6. JOHNNY WILSON: Once the dynamo behind Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay on the Dynastic Detroit Red Wings, Wilson – yet another iron man – was a hero on the 1961-62 Ranger club that made the playoffs under player-coach Doug Harvey. 7. NICK MICKOSKI: Groomed with the Rangers Eastern Amateur Hockey League's New York Rovers, "Bashful Nick Ready Top Click" wore his number 11 proudly. The Winnipeger's hustle did not result in any All-Star nominations but the fans – Maven included – loved the guy!
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Man City signs left back Aït-Nouri from Wolves ahead of Club World Cup
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City signed Algeria left back Rayan Aït-Nouri from Wolverhampton for a reported fee of 37 million euros ($42 million) on Monday. City has been deploying center backs Nathan Ake and, more recently, Josko Gvardiol at left back in recent seasons but now has a specialist option in Aït-Nouri, who is a very attacking full back. Advertisement The 23-year-old Aït-Nouri joined Wolves from French team Angers in 2020. His contract at City runs to 2030 and he will be available for the new-look, 32-team Club World Cup, which starts on Saturday. City is in the same group as Juventus, Al Ain and Wydad Casablanca and its first match is on June 18. ___ AP soccer:
Associated Press
15 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Man City signs left back Aït-Nouri from Wolves ahead of Club World Cup
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City signed Algeria left back Rayan Aït-Nouri from Wolverhampton for a reported fee of 37 million euros ($42 million) on Monday. City has been deploying center backs Nathan Ake and, more recently, Josko Gvardiol at left back in recent seasons but now has a specialist option in Aït-Nouri, who is a very attacking full back. The 23-year-old Aït-Nouri joined Wolves from French team Angers in 2020. His contract at City runs to 2030 and he will be available for the new-look, 32-team Club World Cup, which starts on Saturday. City is in the same group as Juventus, Al Ain and Wydad Casablanca and its first match is on June 18. ___ AP soccer:
