logo
Prep sports roundup: Westlake baseball continues its late-inning heroics

Prep sports roundup: Westlake baseball continues its late-inning heroics

Yahoo15-04-2025
(Getty Images)
After six consecutive walk-off home victories, Westlake went on the road on Monday and still managed to produce drama in the seventh inning.
Noah Stead hit a two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning, and the Warriors hung on for a 7-6 victory over Oaks Christian in a battle for first place in the Marmonte League.
Advertisement
Ryan Sheffer homered for Oaks Christian. Mason Charles had three hits for Westlake, which is 15-4 and 9-1. Oaks Christian is 12-7 and 7-3.
Thousand Oaks 6, Newbury Park 3: Omar Heredia had a two-run home run for Thousand Oaks.
Read more: The Times' top 25 high school baseball rankings
Corona Centennial 6, Eastvale Roosevelt 2: Charles Rogers and Jaden Walk-Green each had two hits for Centennial.
Corona 4, Corona Santiago 3: Brady Ebel hit a two-run home run and Mason Sims struck out six in six innings for Corona.
Norco 9, King 0: Zion Martinez had two hits and three RBIs and Landon Hovermale threw five scoreless innings for Norco.
Advertisement
Mater Dei 2, JSerra 1: Giovanni Rudisill had an RBI single in the sixth inning for Mater Dei to break a 1-1 tie. Jackson Campbell threw a complete game, striking out five.
Chatsworth 3, Saugus 2: Four Chatsworth pitchers combined on a four-hitter.
Birmingham 7, Liberty 5: In Las Vegas, Isaac Monterrubio, Sebastian Valadez and Nicolas Penaranda each had two hits for Birmingham. Later, Birmingham lost to Palo Verde 9-3.
Calabasas 10, Canyon 3: The Coyotes won the nonleague game.
Damien 3, Upland 0: Rudy O'Dell threw six shutout innings.
Bishop Alemany 6, Paraclete 4: Jonathan Alvarez had two hits and Chase Stevenson had two RBIs for Alemany (9-10).
Advertisement
San Clemente 5, Beckman 0: Mike Erspamer struck out nine with no walks in a complete-game performance.
Viewpoint 3, Van Nuys 0: Izzy Parsky struck out 10 and allowed one hit.
El Camino Real 1, Fresno Hoover 0: Christian Gastelum struck out 12 and allowed one hit.
Vista Murrieta 12, Great Oak 4: RJ Holmes, Ryland Duson, Brady Luyben and Taytum Reeves each had two hits for Vista Murrieta.
Softball
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 8, Chaminade 5: Keira Luderer homered for the Knights. Finley Suppan had a two-run home run for Chaminade.
Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

How Detroit Tigers' Casey Mize overcame 'tough thoughts' for first MLB All-Star appearance
How Detroit Tigers' Casey Mize overcame 'tough thoughts' for first MLB All-Star appearance

Yahoo

time2 days ago

  • Yahoo

How Detroit Tigers' Casey Mize overcame 'tough thoughts' for first MLB All-Star appearance

Casey Mize is one of the calmest players on the Detroit Tigers. But it's easy to imagine the frantic tone in his voice when he called clubhouse manager Dan Ross. He had an urgent – and unusual – request. "Dan, I need nice clothes," Mize said. "I don't own any." And so Ross sent Mize to State and Liberty in Birmingham — 20 miles north of Comerica Park. There, he picked out a light gray suit and a black T-shirt off the rack. A few days later, the 28-year-old showcased his new outfit: Mize made a decked-out appearane for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game Red Carpet Show in Atlanta on July 15, just hours before the All-Star Game. ROTATION AND RELIEF: Tarik Skubal's gifts to Tigers rookie Troy Melton "Normally, that's not my thing," said Mize, a late All-Star replacement. "I don't own nice clothes or enjoy the camera or spotlight. But it was cool for my wife and me to be able to do that." After years of physical setbacks, mental hurdles and frustrating underperformance, Mize – the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2018 – has emerged from those dark days. His journey to his first All-Star Game in his five seasons has given him a newfound perspective about his life – both on and off the field – which he detailed in the American League clubhouse in July. "I'm proud to be where I am now," Mize said. "If you asked me when I was 21 how many of these I would be at, I would say a lot more than one at this stage in my career. If you asked me again when I was 25, I might say zero." Entering the All-Star break this season, Mize had a 3.15 ERA in 16 starts, up from a sub-3.00 ERA through his first 15. "I'm really proud that I was able to work through some things and perform at the level that I always knew I was capable of," said Mize, whose ERA hit 3.50 through 19 starts entering Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. "To put my belief on the field feels good, and to get rewarded for it by being here and experiencing this is pretty special." THE INJURY: Tigers' Casey Mize to undergo Tommy John surgery, might miss entire 2023 season In the Tigers' clubhouse at Comerica Park, Mize is locker buddies with left-hander Tarik Skubal. Both former top prospects pitched for the AL team in the All-Star Game. Skubal, twice sidelined by elbow surgery, has had a front-row seat to Mize's roller-coaster ride — from No. 1 overall pick to Tommy John surgery to All-Star. "I'm proud of him," Skubal said. "Everything he has gone through, ups and downs, a lot of downs, injuries, coming back from injury and not performing the way he's expected to perform, the way he expects of himself, and then going into an offseason and revamping his arsenal, and coming into spring training with not really a spot on the roster. Every start that he's had, he's earned it, and he's earned this moment. I couldn't be happier for him, not only as a teammate, but also as a friend." A sports psychologist Barely two years after he was drafted, Mize was on the fast track to becoming a frontline starter for the Tigers. Rising quickly through the Tigers' system, he made his MLB debut in 2020, then posted a 3.71 ERA across 30 starts in his first full season in 2021 — only to undergo Tommy John surgery in June 2022 to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. He didn't pitch again until 2024. "I fought some thoughts," Mize said. "I feel like did a pretty good job of flushing those, but to say that I never had any doubts or never any fear of, 'My career is not going to be what I thought it was going to be.' That came into my head at times." After elbow surgery, Mize found himself buying into negative thoughts. He felt miserable. His wife, Tali, helped him build a foundation for positivity by discovering their community at church. He also began meeting with a sports psychologist employed by the Tigers. "I wanted to deal with those tough thoughts I was having about my career," Mize said. "I wanted to be able to combat those thoughts. I'm also a guy that's going to leave no stone unturned. I was like, 'I'm doing everything I can physically right now, so that when I'm back, I'm the best play I can be.' I wanted to do the same thing mentally." He started the sessions in 2023. The conversations became more frequent before spring training in 2024, as he prepared for his return to competition. They still talk to this day. "I've learned, the longer you sit on those thoughts, and the longer you let it build up, the more negatively it's going to impact you," Mize said. "I've worked through a lot of those thoughts. Now, I don't think that way anymore. I just take my career as it comes at me." The Zack Wheeler model For Mize, Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler is a symbol of hope. Wheeler, now 35, was drafted No. 6 overall in 2009 and made his MLB debut in 2013. He had a 3.54 ERA across 32 starts in 2014, his first full season — only to undergo Tommy John surgery in March 2015. After the procedure, he didn't pitch again in the majors until 2017. There are parallels to Mize's journey. "In his first year back, he see-sawed a little bit," Mize said, "and then in his second year, he took off, and it's been domination ever since, and he's still going. That's always a guy I've kept an eye on, like this is still possible for me." THE COMEBACK: After 2 years, Tigers' Casey Mize — the No. 1 pick in 2018 draft — makes MLB return In 2017, Wheeler returned from Tommy John surgery with a 5.21 ERA in 17 starts. In 2024, Mize made his return from Tommy John surgery with a 4.49 ERA in 22 games. For Mize, the offseason between 2024 and 2025 became a chance to revamp the way he pitches. He was determined to make a big jump in his second year removed from elbow surgery, so he traveled to Driveline Baseball in Tampa, Florida, and Maven Baseball in Atlanta, to work on his pitch mix. He added breaking balls, boosted the velocity of his splitter and chased more whiffs. "How can we get to be the best player I can be?" Mize said. "That was the mentality switch a little bit this offseason. How can I get better? Because I was tired of not being a contributor.' The overhaul worked. Mize became an All-Star for the first time at age 28 in his fifth MLB season. Wheeler didn't make his first All-Star Game until 2021, his age-31 season and his seventh in MLB. From 2021-25 – over nearly nearly 900 innings and 144 starts (entering Sunday) – the Phillies ace owns a 2.90 ERA. He has established himself as one of MLB's best pitchers — if not the best — over a five-year span. In 2025, Wheeler is earning $42 million. Meanwhile, Mize is making $2.34 million in his second of three arbitration years. He is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2026 season. "Maybe I won't make $45 (million) a year or whatever he's doing and logging 200-some innings every year," Mize said. "But if I look at his career, I'm like, 'There are some similarities here.' That guy gives me some hope." 'My good luck charm' The combination of hope and diligence carried Mize all the way to the All-Star Game. Before taking the mound, he spent time on the red carpet. Tali joined him. Mize found his suit and shirt off the rack. But his wife faced a more complicated challenge. Pregnant with their first child, she spent an entire day at the mall searching for something to wear. Eventually, she gave up and ordered a dress that arrived just in time, thanks to overnight shipping. "She looked amazing," Mize said. Although Mize battled negative thoughts, the past few years have been full of positives: finding a church community, learning from a sports psychologist, returning from elbow surgery, developing as a pitcher, contributing to one of the best teams in baseball and earning his first All-Star appearance. His perspective on the game has shifted. "I was away from the game for so long, and I would've done anything to play and compete," Mize said. "I keep trying to remind myself that, 'You just gave up six runs to the Mariners. You would have loved to done that in 2023, just to literally be out there playing.' When I think of my career and the things I want to do, it's much more short-term than it used to be." Above all, Mize is preparing for something entirely differnet: Becoming a girl dad. "She's my good luck charm, I think — my little girl on the way," Mize said. "It's been a great year with great things happens and great things to look forward to. It's been wonderful." Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@ or follow him @EvanPetzold. Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at Order your copy of 'Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Tigers!' by the Free Press at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Casey Mize overcame 'tough thoughts' for 2025 MLB All-Star Game

Auburn earns bowl nod in ESPN's preseason projections
Auburn earns bowl nod in ESPN's preseason projections

Yahoo

time3 days ago

  • Yahoo

Auburn earns bowl nod in ESPN's preseason projections

After missing out on bowl season last year, the Auburn Tigers are poised to make another run at postseason play. What is a realistic expectation for the Tigers postseason fate? ESPN experts Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach expect Auburn to meet up with an ACC team at season's end, but in two different destinations. Bonagura and Schlabach project the Tigers to face Boston College in postseason play, however, Bonagura has the Tigers and Eagles facing off in the Gasparilla Bowl on Friday, Dec. 19 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, while Schlabach forecasts Auburn facing Boston College closer to home in the Birmingham Bowl on Monday, Dec. 29. If this forecasted matchup were to take place, it would be a game against teams that are projected to barely cross the threshold into bowl eligibility. According to ESPN's Football Power Index, Auburn is projected to win 6.9 games while Boston College sits at 5.9. However, the two teams are on opposite paths in terms of postseason forecasts. Auburn has an 83.6% chance to win six games while Boston College has a 58.7% chance. For playoff consideration, Auburn has a 12% chance while Boston College has a less than 1% chance. Auburn football has lost seven games in each of the last four seasons, but the program is even more starved for a bowl win. The last bowl win the Tigers earned was in the 2018 season when Auburn boat raced Purdue in the Music City Bowl, 63-14. Since then, Auburn has lost four-straight postseason games, including its most recent game against Maryland in the 2023 Music City Bowl. The SEC is projected to be well represented in postseason play. ESPN's FPI gives 13 of 16 SEC teams at least 60% odds to reach the six wins needed to earn bowl eligibility, nine teams have 30% or greater odds to make the College Football Playoff, and three teams have at least an 11% chance to win the College Football National Championship. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: ESPN pairs Auburn with Boston College in preseason bowl forecast

Six West Valley League football teams agree: Their league is best in City Section
Six West Valley League football teams agree: Their league is best in City Section

Yahoo

time3 days ago

  • Yahoo

Six West Valley League football teams agree: Their league is best in City Section

It was football media day for six West Valley League teams on Saturday at Granada Hills, and as a unit, the coaches and players are convinced they have a chance to be the best league in the City Section in terms of competition. While defending league champion Birmingham has an overall 49-game winning streak against City Section opponents, Cleveland, Granada Hills, Chatsworth, Taft and El Camino Real hope to be factors in the playoffs. Cleveland is making strides to challenge for second place with a group of talented juniors, including two Nigerian-born players, running back Moyosoreoluwa Odebunmi and linebacker Oluwafemi Okeola. Odebunmi, in his first varsity carry in a scrimmage against Van Nuys on Thursday, ran for a touchdown. "When I scored, I was like, 'Oh wow,'" he said. "But I know it's not going to be easy." Birmingham has an offensive line filled with 300 pounders, and when 6-foot-5, 260-pound quarterback Kevin Hawkins plays tight end, the Patriots are truly giants up front. Coach Jim Rose said of Hawkins running the ball: "It's like tackling a lineman. He's a huge guy out there." Birmingham held a pizza eating contest this past week, and the winner was lineman Pablo Granados, who ate 10 slices in seven minutes. Hawkins was runner-up with seven. Chatsworth offensive lineman Pablo Escobedo is known for riding his horse in his Chatsworth neighborhood. "It's pretty cool," he said. Chatsworth should have one of the league's best running backs in junior Devin Del Toro, who has been playing running back and linebacker since his freshman season. Coach Shawn Johnson said he has made "a huge jump." There are two players in the league who are outstanding two-sport athletes in football and baseball. That's Taft quarterback/catcher Nathan Swinson and El Camino Real defensive back/center fielder Shane Bogacz. Both try to find time to hit the batting cages to stay sharp during football season. Granada Hills will continue to run the double-wing attack, focusing on running the ball, but the midseason availability of transfer quarterback Taiyo Dorio from Crescenta Valley could cause coach Bucky Brooks to try a pass or two. Wingback Myles Cross drew laughter when he said, "I caught a pass." Brooks offered praise to all coaches and players in the City Section. "I applaud all those who opted to stay in the neighborhood and play for neighborhood schools," he said. "I want to salute everyone. I love the competitiveness." Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store