Follow @PBRCalifornia Follow @LesLukach Follow@Clemmens_PBR Follow @PBRmonkFollow @hardy03bsbl

New Episode LIVE now! - At The Yard Podcast

Ventura, Calif. - On a cool January day with a brisk wind blowing in Lake Elsinore, California 40+ of the top '24/'25 players in the Southern California region took the field at Temescal Canyon High School in the PBR California SoCal Preseason All State Upperclass event. 

Players first participated in a showcase-style workout with athletic testing, on field batting practice, plus defensive workouts. During the workout portion of the event players had the opportunity to let their tools shine on video and build their database of metrics through PBR California's use of Swift Technologies, Blast Motion swing trackers, and Trackman technology for batted ball data. Following the workout portion of the day the players then competed in a 7+ inning controlled scrimmage which gave the our staff on site live looks at the in-game ability of the position players and pitchers in attendance.

For all the data and information on all of the players outside of the Quick Hits click here.

On a day filled with so many talented young players from Southern California selecting the top performers of this event was a difficult process. Beyond the players featured here there were many others who had strong showings to start off the '24 baseball season. 

With that in mind here is the first look at some of the standout performers from the PBR California SoCal Preseason All State Upperclass.

Reagan Ricken RHP / Great Oak, CA / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 22 / POS: 4 OverallRank: 98 / POS: 26 An LSU commit Ricken showed the tool set all day long that has him destined for Baton Rogue. Standing 6’5 with a wiry strength to his frame at 220 lbs. it’s a prototype pitchers body, but don’t label him a PO because there is plenty of ability for Ricken as a position player. He took defensive reps at both C and OF where his arm strength shined with ease at both spots. From RF he ripped off 86 MPH OF arm velocity with online carry to each of his throws and his actions are fluid out there. Behind the plate he posted an event high 81 MPH C arm velocity with consistent 2.07-2.16 pop times that were online with easy carry. His batting practice session was another impressive one where he showed the strength in his swing with good hands to consistently barrel the baseball. He stays on his backside with the swing getting into his lower ½ well with lift in the swing path. Even his mishit balls came off loud with an avg. exit velocity at 89.1 MPH with the max. exit velocity at 94 MPH. Ricken picked up a double down the LF line in his first at bat and added another single on a line drive down the LF line in his 2nd at bat. For as good as the offensive ability is, Ricken's calling card is still what he does when steps on the bump. An imposing frame with a whippy fast arm and life on his stuff he punched out 2 hitters in 1 inning of work. His FB worked from 89-93 MPH in the outing with swing and miss life through the zone. Added in a SLD at 78-82 with sharp action down and away from his release point. It’s a relatively low effort delivery with control of the strike zone and there is starter potential for him at the next level with a very high ceiling for his future.

Ethin Bingaman RHP / 2B / Arrowhead Christian, CA / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 63 / POS: 20 In what was a banner day for 2-way talents in Southern California the Auburn commit Bingaman was yet another who stood out both offensively and on the bump. While his future at the next level is likely on the mound don’t discount his ability as a RH hitter. During BP the loose explosive RH swing put together a good round. He has leverage to the middle of the field with a consistent feel for finding the barrel of the bat including a max exit velocity at 98.7 MPH. The swing plays well in game including a pair of hard hit balls from Bingaman although neither resulted in a hit, he lined out hard to CF in first plate and then smoked a one hop shot at the second basemen in his last plate appearance. Yet, when Bingaman took the rubber he showed why he is bound for the SEC in 2 years. With a fast arm from a deep position with strength he got his FB up to 92 MPH and lived at 90-91 MPH. But, for as good as the life is on the FB when he unleashes his power CB at 76-77 MPH with sharp late bite on the break it’s a devastating pitch for hitters. Mixed in a mid 80’s CHG, but features the FB/CB arsenal primarily. The delivery does have some effort to it, but there is starter potential because of his athleticism and if he winds up in the bullpen at the next level his power CB paired with the riding life on his FB will be a difficult at bat for hitters.

Benjamin Gudoy III OF / LHP / Cathedral Catholic , CA / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 34 / POS: 8 OverallRank: 218 / POS: 43 A UCLA ‘25 commit Gudoy stood for his easy smooth overall ability. Standing at 5’11 180 lbs. good athleticism and actions moving around in the OF he shows the potential to play all 3 spots with the instincts to play CF, the arm strength (83 MPH OF arm velocity) with accuracy (each throw was a one hop online with carry) to play RF and the offensive profile to be a LF prospect. For as good as Gudoy projects to be in the OF it is surpassed by the advanced ability in his LH bat. The swing itself is smooth, rhythmic, easy quick hand speed (21 MPH) with 74.7 MPH bat speed and balance in his lower half. As pretty as the swing is, what happens after contact is even more impressive. Gudoy shows a natural feel for his barrel with a line drive approach to the middle of the field he drove line drive after line drive to the big part of the field. He peaked at 93.2 MPH on exit velocity, but averaged 89.3 MPH showing the advanced bat to ball skills to be a high average hitter and his natural feel for hitting should allow him to add power/lift to his swing and approach. During his 2 at bats in the game Gudoy didn’t collect a hit, but he scorched 2 line drives to the pull side of the field for hard outs.

Angel Cervantes RHP / 3B / Warren, CA / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 6 / POS: 2 OverallRank: 15 / POS: 4 The PBR All-American game alumni Cervantes put together another stellar performance. Another '25 UCLA commit did not throw in the event, his 2-way profile as a hitter/1B was very impressive. During defensive work at 1B he showed a good glove receiving throws and handling balls in the dirt, while the footwork/hands both play above average fielding with 82 MPH INF arm velocity on his throws. Stepping into the box for batting practice Cervantes strung together barrel after barrel driving the ball through the gaps on a line consistently. His feel for the barrel is natural with a loose handsy RH swing which features 74.6 MPH bat speed and 25 MPH hand speed. The approach isn’t geared to lift the ball, but the ball comes off hard with 93.6 MPH max exit velocity and 84.1 MPH avg. exit velocity. Once the game started Cervantes collected a ringing double to RCF while flashing good athleticism reaching 2B in 8.95 seconds standing up. In his 2nd at bat he drilled a grounder right at the SS for 6-3 out. While his future will undoubtedly focus heavily on his ability on the mound, there is realistic potential for him as a position player at the next level in addition to his work on the mound.

Dylan Harrison RHP / OF / Summit , CA / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 74 / POS: 24 Sticking to our theme of the day the Hawaii commit is another ultra talented 2-way player who shows real ability on each side of the game. With a long lean 6’5 190 lbs. frame that has all the makings of a future big time pitcher at the next level, but like the others he has real potential as a position player too. The swing shows real line to line power potential with a natural feel for elevating the baseball and when he connects the ball jumps off the bat with carry. He launched a HR 381’ and peaked his exit velocity at 100 MPH while averaging 92.9 MPH exit velocity during his round of batting practice. Moves around decent in the OF with plenty of arm strength (86 MPH OF arm velocity) without letting it go full effort and his throws are accurate with carry to the bases. He looks the part of a potential power hitting Corner OF. Once he takes the mound though the present ability with future projection is tantalizing. During his inning of work he flashed a smooth, easy delivery without a lot of effort and the arm is whippy fast with extension on his pitches. His FB worked in the 87-89 MPH range with life through the zone. Added in a 72-74 MPH breaker with good action to it and swing/miss potential while showing feel for his 83-84 MPH CHG. The Warriors of the Aloha state have landed themselves quite a talent whether he winds up on the mound only or adding his power profile to their offense Harrison has a good future ahead of him.

Cody Kiemele LHP / Aquinas , CA / 2025 The smooth LHP out of Aquinas HS is committed to Arizona State and it was very easy to see from his dominant inning of work why the Sun Devils locked this young man up. The delivery features good use of his lower ½ while staying online through release and a fast arm with relatively little effort. His operation gives you the feel of a future collegiate starter and his feel for each of his pitches enhances that projection. Working the FB in the 86-88 MPH range with good life through the zone while spinning a power 77-79 MPH breaking ball that bites downward late. Mixes in a 78-80 MPH CHG which he throws with good arm speed and should be at least an average pitch going with above average potential because of his feel for executing it with FB arm speed. Worked a clean inning with good tempo and attacked hitters with intent on each pitch. Radiates confidence on the mound. The future for Kiemele looks as bright as the Arizona sun he is headed to pitch under in Tempe for ASU.

Nathan Chavez LHP / OF / Arlington, CA / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 254 / POS: 16 The compact framed athletic Chavez is a Cal Baptist commit with an all around interesting profile as an OF/LHP. Another player who had an excellent performance in multiple areas of the day which started out with 7.1 60 time on a tough day to run. From there his actions in the OF impressed with fluid footwork and a strong arm (84 MPH OF Arm velocity) although will need some cleaning up on accuracy, but the ball comes out of the hand with carry. The swing and approach in batting practice really caught my eye from the LH side. Chavez stays quiet in his load with good rhythm/timing into fast hands (25.6 MPH hand speed) and an accurate barrel. He hit the ball with authority to the middle/pull side of the field consistently 86.5 MPH avg. exit velocity on the day while peaking at 94.8 MPH max exit velocity during batting practice. Chavez looks the part of a future CF/RF player at the collegiate level, but don’t discount his ability on the bump too. It’s an easy operation with a quick arm in the delivery while flashing 85-87 MPH velocity on his FB with feel for a 77-78 MPH CHG and spinning a CB at 71 MPH. The 3 pitch mix, body control, feel for each pitch with good tempo helped Chavez collect 4 K’s over 5 hitters in his outing. Cal Baptist has a very talented 2-way player headed their way in the ‘25 class.

Aaron Jacobsen 1B / OF / Glendora High, CA / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 303 / POS: 15 Checking in with a 6’3 205 lbs. frame with plenty of physicality and overall solid athletic ability Jacobsen looks the part of corner impact bat profile. His batting practice was highlighted by loud consistent hard contact 97.7 MPH max exit velocity and 92.6 MPH average exit velocity with lift and carry to the pull side of the field. Once the game started Jacobsen put together two very good appearances at the plate. In his first trip he scorched a line drive right back up the middle which was bound for CF before being snared by the pitcher for a hard L-1. During his second trip to the plate Jacobsen again smoked a pitch right back up the middle, this one reaching CF for a single. He showed good pitch selection and a feel for his approach in game that combined with his strength, swing and athleticism should profile as a potential impact offensive player at the college level. Jacobsen moves well at 1B with good hands, solid footwork and flashed 78 MPH INF arm velocity on his throws. Currently uncommitted in the ‘25 class out of Glendora High School, if he has a good Junior campaign leading into a strong summer he will draw plenty of eyes from college coaches.

Seth Coria LHP / OF / Santiago, CA / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 133 / POS: 6 The feature of the day was talented 2-way players who show real potential on each side of the game. Coria is another OF/LHP who put together a good showing in each portion of the event. With a good 6’ 190 lbs. frame that has some present strength to it and good actions moving around the OF with plenty of arm strength to handle either Corner OF spot (86 MPH OF arm velocity) the ball comes out of the hand with online carry and accuracy to the bases. Using a leg lift in the box to get his rhythm going Coria gets into his lower ½ in the swing with 78.7 MPH bat speed the barrel explodes through the zone with whippy hand speed at 25 MPH. His bat path shows leverage with a good feel for catching the ball out front and laced the ball in batting practice including a max exit velocity at 103.3 MPH while averaging 95.7 MPH. As good as the batting practice was Coria took it to another level in game when he smoked a double to straight away RF narrowly missing a HR by about 3 feet as the ball rattled off the fence. He showed good running ability stretching it into double in 8.71 seconds to get to 2B. The offensive ability is readily apparent with Coria, but there is upside to his ability on the mound. Working off a FB/CB mix the arm speed/strength works the FB in the 85-87 MPH range while spinning the CB 76-78 with some power to the break. His feel for pitching is still raw, but with the arm action, strength and athleticism plus being LH there is interesting potential for him on the bump. Coria is uncommitted currently, but should have plenty of college eyes on him this spring into the summer and will be a good land for a college program.

Diesel Toth SS / RHP / Arrowhead Christian Academy, CA / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 72 / POS: 19 Near the end of 2023 Toth decided to reopen his recruiting after decommitting from Hawaii. The 2-way talent out of Arrowhead Christian put together yet another solid overall performance and showed why he will be a great fit for another college program. During the defensive portion of the workout he showed good hands with good actions moving around the INF at SS and his 84 MPH INF arm velocity could handle SS and will easily be able to move to 3B/2B at the next level. Played a clean INF all game long including a really nice play on a one hop rocket to record an out. Put together a good round of BP with a balanced RH swing and direct path geared to work the gaps with a line drive plane. The swing and approach played very well in the game where he collected a hard hit single to CF, drew a walk and drove a hard fly ball to RF.  Plus we can’t forget the ability he flashed on the mound. Moves well on the mound without a lot of effort and shows a quick arm. His feel for the strike zone and pitch mix all showed well. FB worked in the 85-87 MPH range while he added in a 70-73 MPH SLD which paired well off his FB. Mixes in a CHG/CB to complete his arsenal. It’s an interesting combination of solid tools amongst the defensive ability, offensive polish and feel for pitching.

Trevor Banning SS / RHP / Santa Margarita, CA / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 138 / POS: 31 Banning put together a very strong performance in each aspect of the event. On a cold morning he was able to put up his personal best 60 time at 7.3 seconds as he continues to trend up as a runner. During the defensive workout his arm strength from the OF stood out hitting 90 MPH on his throws with online carry including two right on home plate. He moves around well defensively both in the OF and up the middle on the INF. Smooth feet with good hands and the arm strength easily plays at SS/3B. The switch-hitter has loose fast hands up to 23.8 MPH Blast Hand Speed and the bat speed plays at 74.4 MPH on Blast. The feel for the barrel is there especially from the LH side where he peaked at 96.6 MPH on exit velocity with good rhythm to his approach. In the game the bat played well although he didn’t collect a hit he smoked a deep drive to RCF from the LH side. While playing a fluid SS with good instincts throughout the game play portion. Banning also toed the rubber for 1 inning where his FB/SLD/CHG pitch mix showed well. Working 83.2-85.8 MPH and topping at 86.6 MPH with his FB while mixing his 71.7-75.8 MPH SLD in he collected 4 K’s over the 5 batters he faced. Consistently missed barrels with his FB at the top of the zone. An uncommitted ‘25 with an interesting overall profile out who will be tested in the Trinity League this spring is one college programs should be paying close attention to both as an arm and a position player.

Carter Enoch C / 1B / Santa Margarita, CA / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 177 / POS: 20 Enoch had one of the highlights of the day when he launched a pull side HR down the LF line that cleared the fence in 4.9 seconds on a line through a wind that was blowing in from LF. The HR wasn’t the only part of the day where Enoch stood out. Standing 5’11 178 lbs. with good strength in his frame the backstop out of Santa Margarita Catholic showed one of the best arms behind the plate with 77 MPH C arm velocity while posting 1.97-2.1 pop times with accuracy to the bag. His receiving/blocking ability is solid and he profiles to stick behind the plate defensive with potential above average impact. Using his lower ½ and quick hands (73.5 MPH bat speed/24.7 MPH hand speed) with good balance during batting practice, Enoch had one of the most consistent rounds highlighted by peaking at 97.3 MPH max exit velocity and averaging 91.1 MPH. A potential impact defender who has a good offensive profile to go with it the uncommitted Enoch should be garnering plenty of attention as he goes through the Trinity League this spring and will be a good land for a college program.

Daniel Troncale C / RHP / Servite , CA / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 323 / POS: 35 The Servite HS catcher has been trending up very well this fall and his performance as the Preseason All State event evidenced the development in his game and the bright future ahead for this backstop. One of the better throwers in the defensive workout from behind the plate with 77 MPH C arm velocity and a clean quick transfer into 1.94 sec top pop time and ranged to 2.12 secs with accuracy to his throws. Handled pitchers very well in game with a smooth glove and presented pitches well. There is real potential behind the plate with Troncale to be an above average defender who can impact the game at a premium position. But, don’t chalk Troncale up as a glove only backstop there is real ability for him offensively. During batting practice he flashed an aggressive swing (25.2 MPH hand speed with 30.7 MPH rot. acceleration). Using a hand pump to start his load and feel for lifting the baseball with carry to the middle of the field. There is strength through contact with a max. exit velocity of 93.1 MPH while averaging 87.1 MPH on his exit velocities. During the game it’s an aggressive approach where he looks to drive the baseball on each swing and hammered a loud line drive out to CF in his first at bat, drew a walk in another and finished his day with a hard 6-3 out. An uncommitted ‘25 at a premium spot who with a good season in the Trinity League could find himself in strong demand by college programs.

Noah Haros SS / 3B / Martin Luther King Riverside, CA / 2025 Rankings  StateRank: 137 / POS: 30 The LH hitting INF out of Martin Luther King HS in Riverside collected the loudest hit of the day when drilled a line drive HR to straight away RF that exited the field in under 4.5 seconds. His blast was not the only highlight of his day as he showed off the potential in his bat during a strong round of batting practice. Using a leg lift to get himself ready to hit Haros gets to a balanced position at land and goes into a explosive turn with his lower ½ (24.2 MPH rot. acceleration) allowing his whippy quick hands (23.3 MPH hand speed) and impressive bat speed at 77.9 MPH to play in a pull side approach. The ball carries well off the bat after contact with a max distance at 363’ to the deepest part of the park with max exit velocity at 96.6 MPH and consistent hard contact with an avg. exit velocity of 92.4 MPH. The actions on the INF show potential to stick on the left side with good feet/hands, but with fringey arm strength at 80 MPH from the INF a move to 2B/1B is possible. But, either way the potential in his LH bat should make him one college coaches are paying attention to.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

MORE PREP BASEBALL NEWS