Latest news with #SethHernandez
Los Angeles Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Prep Rally: Pitcher Seth Hernandez of Corona is The Times' baseball player of the year... again
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. It's awards time for high school baseball and softball. Pitcher Seth Hernandez of Corona is The Times' baseball player of the year for the second consecutive season. He improved on his performance and put together a two-year run in which he went 18-1. Here's a profile on the impact he made. The Times' All-Star baseball team includes Quentin Young of Oaks Christian. He moved to shortstop and hit 14 home runs. Here's a look at the All-Star team. The coach of the year is St. John Bosco's Andy Rojo, who guided the Braves to their first Southern Section Division 1 championship along with the Southern California Division 1 regional championship and their first Trinity League title since 2017. Here's the report. Here's the final top 25 rankings by The Times with St. John Bosco at No. 1. Oklahoma-bound Kai Minor of Orange Lutheran is The Times' softball player of the year. Here's the report on the impact she made for the Lancers. Here's The Times' All-Star softball team. The Times' coach of the year is Rick Robinson of Norco. He put together a team of young and old and guided the Cougars to the Southern Section Division 1 championship. Here's the report. Dorsey football coach Stafon Johnson used to be a star running back for the Dons and USC. He knows all about running the ball, so there was a little comedy seeing the Dons playing in a seven on seven passing tournament at Western High. Except Johnson has embraced the passing game with the arrival of quarterback Elijah McDaniel, a sophomore transfer from Warren. And Johnson's son, Deuce, is a standout junior receiver. So the Dons will be active this summer in passing tournaments. Not that Johnson wouldn't prefer to run the football. He'll never lose his love for seeing running backs gain yards. City Section coaches had their annual meeting at the Rams' locker room at SoFi Stadium to discuss changes and updates for the fall season. It was announced that View Park Prep won't have a football team this season, leaving Metro League teams scrambling to fill games. Former L.A. Jordan quarterback James Boyd, who was the City Section player of the year, is the new head coach for the Bulldogs. He's 33 years old. Here's a look at more City Section football news. . . . La Serna won the Los Altos passing tournament. Orange Lutheran won the Chargers tournament using three quarterbacks. Schurr won the SGV tournament. Offensive lineman Sam Utu of Orange Lutheran has committed to Alabama. . . . Defensive back Derrick Johnson of Murrieta Valley has committed to Oklahoma. . . . Safety Logan Hirou of Santa Margarita has committed to UCLA. . . . Offensive lineman Cooper Javorsky of San Juan Hills has committed to UCLA. . . . Tight end Beckham Hofland of Los Alamitos has committed to Boise State. . . . Former Gardena Serra defensive lineman Robert James has changed his commitment from Fresno State to UCLA and will play for the Bruins this fall. . . . Former Orange Lutheran linebacker Talanoa Ili, now at Kahuku, has committed to USC. . . . Defensive lineman Kingston Schirmer of Corona Centennial has commited to Cal. . . . Tyler Lee of El Camino Real was chosen the City Section player of the year in boys volleyball. Here are the complete All-City teams. . . . Shalen Sheppard of Brentwood won a gold medal representing the USA U16 national basketball team. He'll be a sophomore. . . . Luke Howe of El Camino Real is the City Section player of the year in baseball. Here's the complete All-City team. Addison Moorman of Granada Hills is the City Section player of the year in softball. Here's the complete All-City team. DeAndre Cole is the new boys basketball coach at Compton Centennial. . . . Jake Tatch of JSerra has been selected the Gatorade state player of the year in boys soccer. He's headed to Michigan. . . . Oaks Christian water polo coach Jack Kocur is the head coach for the USA Junior National team at the World Aquatics U20 Water Polo championships this summer. . . . Deon Green is the new girls basketball coach at Chino. . . . Chaminade has decided to add a flag football team. . . . St. John Bosco closer Jack Champlin has committed to Washington. . . . Former Servite star Max Thomas of USC finished second in the 100 meters at the NCAA track and field championships and helped the Trojans, coached by former Taft great Quincy Watts, win the NCAA title. . . . The Fairfax basketball tournament originally scheduled to be held this week at Fairfax High has been changed to Pan Pacific Park. Thousand Oaks grad Max Muncy, the 'other' Max Muncy, is getting hot in his return to playing for the Athletics. He got recalled from the minor leagues and started showing power. He's playing third base while his former Thousand Oaks teammate, Jacob Wilson, is the shortstop. Muncy graduated in 2021 and Wilson in 2020. Here's a story about Muncy and Wilson being together at Thousand Oaks. Here's a story from 2021 on how Muncy kept improving to become a pro prospect. From the Washington Post, a story on an adaptive tennis program making a difference. From a story on how to start archery as a P.E. program. From the Los Angeles Times, a look back at the life of former Verbum Dei star David Greenwood. Prep Rally will take the next two weeks off and return on July 7. Have a question, comment or something you'd like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer. Did you get this newsletter forwarded to you? To sign up and get it in your inbox, click here.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Times' baseball player of the year: Seth Hernandez of Corona
Years from now, when Seth Hernandez is pitching in the major leagues and pro baseball commentators are debating just how good he might become, those who saw him throw during his two years of high school baseball at Corona High will gladly offer their fondest memories. The statistics are impressive enough: In 53 1/3 innings this season, he struck out 105, gave up 19 hits and three earned runs for an ERA of 0.39. The most impressive statistic was walking only seven batters while using a 99-mph fastball. It showed his pinpoint control and how much he had improved over his junior season, when he walked 15 in 56 innings. 'That was his goal,' coach Andy Wise said. 'What are we going to do to get better?" Advertisement His pitching mechanics became more consistent, generating the kind of power and accuracy to cause people to repeatedly use the word 'special' in describing him on the mound. There also was the time he hit two three-run homers in the Panthers' Southern Section Division 1 playoff victory over Los Osos. He wasn't perfect, though, losing 2-0 to St. John Bosco in the Division 1 semifinals, finishing his high school career with an 18-1 pitching record for two seasons. He didn't mope. He didn't make excuses afterward. He knew there would be more challenges ahead. "I'm still a kid," he said. For a season of excellence, Hernandez has been named The Times' baseball player of the year for the second consecutive season. He's expected to be a high pick in next month's amateur draft. He also was named the Gatorade national player of the year. Advertisement One of his strengths for years has been his ability to perform while being watched by scouts, fans and opponents. He's comfortable in his environment, used to the attention and is particularly ready to begin his pro career and keep on a path toward pitching in the big leagues. Read more: The Times' 2025 All-Star baseball and softball coverage With Southern California having produced first-round draft picks such as Paul Skenes (El Toro), Gerrit Cole (Orange Lutheran), Trevor Bauer (Hart), Max Fried (Harvard-Westlake) and Jack Flaherty (Harvard-Westlake) in recent years, it's pretty clear that Hernandez's resume fits in well and offers confidence in his abilities. He's also glad he decided to play high school baseball after being home-schooled. Advertisement 'At the end of the day, I have brothers for life and I'll never forget the memories I spent with them,' he said of his high school days. 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.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Times' 2025 All-Star baseball team
A look at the Los Angeles Times' 2025 All-Star baseball team: Pitcher, Seth Hernandez, Corona, Sr.: He struck out 105 in 53 1/3 innings while walking seven and giving up 19 hits. He had an 0.39 ERA and went 9-1 this season and 18-1 in two years. Advertisement Pitcher, Hunter Manning, West Ranch, Sr.: The UC Irvine commit went 10-0 with an 0.74 ERA and was the Foothill League player of the year; threw a no-hitter in the Division 2 playoffs on the way to the title. Utility, Jack Champlin, St. John Bosco, Jr.: Had five saves and two victories while giving up no runs in 11 2/3 playoff innings in helping the Braves win the Southern Section Division 1 and Southern California Division 1 regional titles. Catcher, Landon Hodge, Crespi, Sr.: The Louisiana State commit and Mission League player of the year batted .386 with 32 hits while supplying outstanding defense for the Mission League champions. Infielder, Billy Carlson, Corona, Sr.: The Tennessee commit and top pro prospect batted .365 with 34 RBIs and six home runs while known for his outstanding fielding. Advertisement Infielder, James Clark, St. John Bosco, Jr.: The Trinity League MVP batted .411 with 46 hits while filling key roles at shortstop and leadoff hitter for the Division 1 section and region champions. Infielder, Matthew Witkow, Calabasas, Sr.: The Harvard commit had 45 hits, a .489 batting average and struck out just four times in 92 at-bats and had 30 RBIs. Infielder, Quentin Young, Oaks Christian, Sr.: A top pro prospect, he set a school record with 14 home runs while batting .390 with 34 RBIs as the Marmonte League MVP. Outfielder, Trevor Goldenetz, Huntington Beach, Sr.: The Long Beach State commit led the Sunset League champions with a .409 average, including 36 hits. Advertisement Outfielder, James Tronstein, Harvard-Westlake, Jr.: The Stanford commit had 41 hits and batted .414 with four home runs and 20 RBIs while playing center field. Outfielder, Anthony Murphy, Corona, Jr.: He led Corona in hitting with a .415 average, including 49 hits and 11 home runs, and 35 RBIs. 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.
Los Angeles Times
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
The Times' 2025 All-Star baseball team
A look at the Los Angeles Times' 2025 All-Star baseball team: Pitcher, Seth Hernandez, Corona, Sr.: He struck out 105 in 53 1/3 innings while walking seven and giving up 19 hits. He had an 0.39 ERA and went 9-1 this season and 18-1 in two years. Pitcher, Hunter Manning, West Ranch, Sr.: The UC Irvine commit went 10-0 with an 0.74 ERA and was the Foothill League player of the year; threw a no-hitter in the Division 2 playoffs on the way to the title. Utility, Jack Champlin, St. John Bosco, Jr.: Had five saves and two victories while giving up no runs in 11 2/3 playoff innings in helping the Braves win the Southern Section Division 1 and Southern California Division 1 regional titles. Catcher, Landon Hodge, Crespi, Sr.: The Louisiana State commit and Mission League player of the year batted .386 with 32 hits while supplying outstanding defense for the Mission League champions. Infielder, Billy Carlson, Corona, Sr.: The Tennessee commit and top pro prospect batted .365 with 34 RBIs and six home runs while known for his outstanding fielding. Infielder, James Clark, St. John Bosco, Jr.: The Trinity League MVP batted .411 with 46 hits while filling key roles at shortstop and leadoff hitter for the Division 1 section and region champions. Infielder, Matthew Witkow, Calabasas, Sr.: The Harvard commit had 45 hits, a .489 batting average and struck out just four times in 92 at-bats and had 30 RBIs. Infielder, Quentin Young, Oaks Christian, Sr.: A top pro prospect, he set a school record with 14 home runs while batting .390 with 34 RBIs as the Marmonte League MVP. Outfielder, Trevor Goldenetz, Huntington Beach, Sr.: The Long Beach State commit led the Sunset League champions with a .409 average, including 36 hits. Outfielder, James Tronstein, Harvard-Westlake, Jr.: The Stanford commit had 41 hits and batted .414 with four home runs and 20 RBIs while playing center field. Outfielder, Anthony Murphy, Corona, Jr.: He led Corona in hitting with a .415 average, including 49 hits and 11 home runs, and 35 RBIs.
USA Today
10-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
MLB mock draft 2025: Will College World Series shake things up on top?
MLB mock draft 2025: Will College World Series shake things up on top? Show Caption Hide Caption Seattle Mariners' newest player shares promotion with family Cole Young announces his move to the big leagues playing for Seattle Mariners during an emotional phone call with his family. With Major League Baseball's draft looming in a little more than a month, it's evident that selection Sunday will be volatile right up to the point commissioner Rob Manfred officially marries player with team from the dais of Atlanta's Roxy Theater. While the lack of a consensus No. 1 – let alone a top 5, 10, 20 – will rob the proceedings of a Paul Skenes-like anointment, the Choose Your Own Adventure element of this selection meeting should be evident throughout the first round. With only the College World Series remaining among amateur competition and MLB's Draft League revving up, USA TODAY Sports takes aim its second mock draft: 1. Washington Nationals: Ethan Holliday, INF, Stillwater (Okla.) HS He's not No. 1 with a bullet. Yet it's difficult to justify moving Holliday off here even as there's plenty of smoke around 1/1 alternatives. The crop of majors-ready arms did little to harm their stock in the postseason. Seth Hernandez may possess the dudeliest arm out there. Eli Willits visited Nationals Park last week. But we're not yet prepared to envision a world where someone other than Holliday kicks off this chain reaction. Stay tuned. 2. Los Angeles Angels: Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State In the name of consistency, we're keeping Arnold at 2, even as fellow college lefties Liam Doyle and Kade Anderson lurk. While both may possess greater upside and miss more bats, Arnold has shown an ability to get deep in games against elite competition, and better fits the 'now' ethos of the Angels' recent draft history. 3. Seattle Mariners: Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State At the risk of getting too static, it's nonetheless tough to move this 6-foot-5, 220-pound shortstop specimen out of the three hole, particularly with plenty of elite college arms the Mariners develop so well available. But it's also tough to pass on a potential 10-year cog in a lineup that needs one. 4. Colorado Rockies: Eli Willits, SS, Fort Cobb-Broxton (Okla.) HS Kinda wild that two legacy players who squared off throughout high school will affect the other's fate so much. It's not that the Rockies face a Holliday/Willits binary when they're on the clock, but in this simulation, taking a potential cornerstone who doesn't turn 18 until December will be too tough for the need-everything Rockies to bypass. 5. St. Louis Cardinals: Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU The Cardinals are almost guaranteed to get one of the elite college lefties and in this universe, it's Anderson, who has sparred with Doyle for the NCAA strikeout lead all year and will take his 163 punchouts in 103 innings into at least one more start, in Omaha. 6. Pittsburgh Pirates: Seth Hernandez, RHP, Corona (Calif.) HS Volatility, thy name is Seth. Who wouldn't want a 6-foot-4 high schooler whose fastball sits in the high 90s with advanced secondary offerings and has dominated against elite prep competition? Yet the trepidation of 'high school right-hander draft history' may be a headwind all the way up to Manfred's stroll to the podium. Still, this figures to be the floor, or close to it, for a fireballer on the periphery of the 1/1 conversation. 7. Miami Marlins: Billy Carlson, SS, Corona (Calif.) HS It's the 909's time to shine, with a pair of Panthers popped in succession. The Marlins stumble upon a nice building block here, as Carlson's elite arm and bat speed will get him to Miami's infield quicker than most prep draftees. 8. Toronto Blue Jays: Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee While there are a few spoilers out there, this looks like the top eight, in one order or another. In this scenario, Doyle tumbles a bit; like Hernandez, his wait could be much shorter on July 13. 9. Cincinnati Reds: Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma Rhett Lowder, Chase Burns… Witherspoon? Sounds like the makings of a nice rotation thanks to draft capital spent on advanced college arms. The math checks out that an arm of that ilk will be available. Witherspoon cut his walk rate nearly in half – from 14.2% to 7.2% - making his high-upside and unpredictive repertoire even more effective. 10. Chicago White Sox: Jace LaViolette, OF, Texas A&M From 1/1 favorite to who knows, LaViolette's slide stops with the White Sox, whose revamped hitting program could be the panacea for a slugger whose platform junior year fizzled. LaViolette regressed from .305, 29 homers, 1.175 OPS to .257, 18 and 1.003, and his K rate nudged upward, to 25.2. 11. Athletics: Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest The glut of prep shortstops are all still on this board, but the Athletics opt for a guy who can impact their lineup before they depart Yolo County for Las Vegas. A nice infield complement to shoo-in Rookie of the Year Jacob Wilson. 12. Texas Rangers: Kayson Cunningham, SS, Johnson (Texas) HS The Rangers amble down I-35 for their choice, a mature high school bat with solid Team USA bona fides and a commitment to Texas. Let the run on prep shortstops begin. 13. San Francisco Giants: JoJo Parker, SS, Purvis (Miss.) HS Parker could easily be gone by now, but his power from a premier position at a young age is too much for the Giants to bypass here in the first draft overseen by the Buster Posey regime. 14. Tampa Bay Rays: Steele Hall, SS, Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.) HS He doesn't turn 18 until a week after the draft and has significant power potential and all-around athletic ability that guarantees he'll play somewhere up the middle, a versatile skill set the Rays value. 15. Boston Red Sox: Gavin Kilen, INF, Tennessee A 13th-round Red Sox draftee out of high school, Kilen leveled up at Louisville and then with the Vols, with whom he slugged 15 homers with a 1.112 OPS this season. Struck out just 27 times in 245 plate appearances, a solid K rate given the elite level of pitching in the SEC. 16. Minnesota Twins: Tyler Bremner, LHP, UC Santa Barbara Bremner probably shouldn't be slept on to this extent; a consensus top five pick a few months ago, he started slowly but posted double-digit strikeout games in six of his final seven starts, and is a nice value here. 17. Chicago Cubs: Wehiwa Aloy, SS, Arkansas Sure, Arquette owns the title of 'Best Hawaiian Shortstop In the College World Series,' but Aloy looks up to few of his peers. The SEC player of the year slugged 20 home runs and is sound enough defensively to stick at shortstop. 18. Arizona Diamondbacks: Daniel Pierce, SS, Mill Creek (Ga.) HS The Georgia commit is advanced in both age – he turns 19 in August – and acumen, though there remains some power upside. 19. Baltimore Orioles: Ethan Conrad, OF, Wake Forest Until proven otherwise, the Orioles stick with their advanced college bat template in the first round, with Conrad flying under the radar thanks to season-ending shoulder injury after an outfield dive. Before he got hurt, Conrad was raking (.372/.495/.744 in 97 plate appearances) for the Demon Deacons. 20. Milwaukee Brewers: Ike Irish, C/OF, Auburn Another club that tends to lean college bat, the Brewers get a nice piece in Irish, whose .364, 19-homer platform season looks even better if he sticks at catcher professionally. But Irish caught just 12 games for the Tigers this year, spending 45 games in the outfield. 21. Houston Astros: Andrew Fischer, INF, Tennessee This is perhaps too much helium for Fischer, whose physical profile may not support the sort of power to slug as a first baseman might be expected at the big league level. But there's still onramp for Fischer to establish himself at another infield position and the Astros can figure that out as he builds off his exuberant 25-homer, 1.205 OPS platform year on Rocky Top. 22. Atlanta Braves: Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP, Sunset (Ore.) HS A lefty with Schoolcraft's big arm should slot much higher, but the current industry lean toward collegiate talent in the top of the first round drops him in Atlanta's lap. At 6-8 and with a 97-mph fastball, Schoolcraft has a significant floor that the Braves can work with. 23. Kansas City Royals: Gavin Fien, INF, Great Oak (Calif.) HS A Texas commit whose future position is subject to change, Fien's bat stands up against the prep shortstops projected to go ahead of him. 24. Detroit Tigers: Xavier Neyens, INF, Mt. Vernon (Wash.) HS We'll keep Neyens right here, even as his tantalizing upside and 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame could inspire clubs to jump sooner. There are worse players to dream on than a potential left-handed swinging Austin Riley. 25. San Diego Padres: Sean Gamble, INF/OF, IMG (Fla.) Academy Should add plenty of power and could end up playing anywhere on the diamond – in a good way. Gamble took his talents from Iowa to Bradenton and developed a strong baseball IQ at IMG, and possesses several traits the Padres value. 26. Philadelphia Phillies: Luke Stevenson, C, North Carolina Does not possess the current offensive profile that Irish offers, but Stevenson is a pure catcher, with an athletic 6-foot-1, 210-pound frame that hit 19 homers for the Tar Heels this season. 27. Cleveland Guardians: Brendan Summerhill, OF, Arizona A nice value this deep in the first round, Summerhill offers the ability to play all three outfield positions and takes a .358/.477/.585 line into the CWS. 28. Kansas City Royals*: Anthony Eyanson, RHP, LSU You came to Baton Rouge for Kade Anderson, but stick around for Eyanson, who transferred from UC San Diego and struck out 135 in 93 ⅔ innings with a 2.50 ERA in his only season in the SEC. Not an overwhelming repertoire but would benefit in the Royals' burgeoning pitching program. 29. Arizona Diamondbacks**: Alex Lodise, SS, Florida State More glue guy than toolbox, Lodise nonetheless produced a .394/.462/.705 line in his second year in Tallahassee, earning ACC player of the year honors. Hit 17 homers and has potential to add more power, but has value with his ability to play virtually anywhere. 30. Baltimore Orioles**: Cam Cannarella, OF, Clemson We'll keep slotting ACC outfielders to Camden Yards until they tell us differently. Yet with his superior defensive ability, speed and extra-base pop, Cannarella fits the Orioles ethos, and a .453 career OBP doesn't hurt. 31. Baltimore Orioles**: Dean Curley, INF, Tennessee Lots of power potential packed into a versatile infielder, Curley produced nearly as many walks (45) as strikeouts (47) this season. Concerns about defense. 32. Milwaukee Brewers: Mason Neville, OF, Oregon Should be a first-day selection and perhaps hits the outskirts of the first round if things break his way. Neville offers 30-homer power in a 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame that for now has stuck in center field. *- Prospect promotion incentive pick **-Free agent compensation pick. Note: The Dodgers, Mets and Yankees each received a 10-pick penalty on their first picks for exceeding the second threshold of the competitive balance tax.
