To know what followers, gamers and scouts are experiencing whereas watching the No. 1-ranked Corona Excessive baseball staff, all it’s essential do is take heed to what individuals are saying.
“Best team I’ve ever seen.”
“No. 1 team in America.”
“They have no weaknesses.”
If the Dodgers are baseball’s high skilled staff, the Panthers proceed to be their equal at the highschool stage. They’re 11-0 and received the Boras Traditional South championship on Friday evening with an 8-3 victory over La Mirada. The staff’s pitching workers has thrown shutouts in 9 of 11 video games, with La Mirada (10-2) the one opponent to attain in opposition to them twice in losses.
“It is amazing,” coach Andy Sensible stated. “It’s a great run.”
Sensible jokes that he has been calling the pitches for the primary time in 5 years, so it should have been the fault of catcher Josh Springer, now in professional ball, for the Panthers not reaching such earlier heights.
Jason Gerfers of Corona Excessive gave up three hits with three strikeouts and no walks in six innings in opposition to La Mirada on Friday evening.
(Nick Koza)
In fact, the Panthers have been slightly dissatisfied on Friday evening as their bid to tie a state report with a seventh consecutive shutout ended within the sixth inning when Aiden Aguayo delivered an RBI single for La Mirada.
“You messed up our streak,” first baseman Seth Hernandez informed Aguayo whereas they talked at first base.
“I had to bro,” Aguayo replied.
The depth of the pitching workers mixed with having maybe the very best fielding shortstop in beginner baseball in Billy Carlson has created an atmosphere that can make it troublesome to beat the Panthers. The problem is benefiting from the uncommon alternatives that current themselves.
Billy Carlson was smiling earlier than the sport like a child able to go play in a sandbox. Then he hits three-run dwelling run in first inning on first pitch. Corona 3, La Mirada 0. pic.twitter.com/1Nba6la371
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) March 29, 2025
In opposition to Santa Margarita on Wednesday, Hernandez, the Panthers’ star pitcher, was lastly wanting human within the third inning of a 1-0 sport. The Eagles had runners on second and third bases with one out and the depend 3-and-1 when Sensible went to the mound to have a chat with Hernandez. When the sport resumed, Hernandez recorded consecutive strikeouts to finish the menace. Corona received 5-0 and Hernandez completed with 13 strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. He has not given up a run in 19 1/3 innings with 40 strikeouts and two walks.
Hernandez, anticipated to be taken among the many high three gamers in baseball’s beginner draft this summer season, is 13-0 in his highschool profession that started solely final season. He beforehand was dwelling schooled. Final yr he and Ethan Schiefelbein, the 72nd participant taken within the draft final summer season by the Detroit Tigers, have been a dynamic one-two punch as starters with Carlson because the nearer.
Hernandez is much more polished this season. Sure, scouts like to see their radar gun hitting 98 mph, however Hernandez is finest when his nasty slider at 86 mph is working.
“He’s really good,” Santa Margarita shortstop Gavin Spiridonoff stated. “There’s a reason he’s going to make a lot of money.”
This season, Hernandez and transfers Ethin Bingaman and Jason Gerfers kind a dominant pitching trio. Gerfers gave up three hits in six innings with no walks on Friday. There’s additionally growing sophomore Mason Sims and senior Jayden Daya, every of whom have performed main roles in yielding simply 4 runs in 11 video games.
“It’s almost like their pitchers challenge each other,” JSerra coach Brett Kay stated.
Carlson, additionally a attainable high 5 draft decide, hit a three-run dwelling run within the first inning on Friday. After rounding the bases with an enormous smile, he celebrated by leaping right into a circle of teammates subsequent to the dugout who have been able to catch him.
If you happen to haven’t seen the Panthers this season to be oohed and aahed, don’t fear. It’s solely nearing midseason with loads of video games left.
“Probably one of the best teams I’ve seen in four years,” Aguayo, a UCLA commit, stated of the Panthers.
And what’s going to it take to lastly beat them?
“We have to play perfect baseball,” he stated.
