2024 Preseason Preview: California High
January 31, 2024
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The 2024 California high school baseball season is quickly approaching and, as usual, excitement is abound throughout the state. Players and coaches have been working in preparation for the upcoming season and, as is the case each year, there are some very talented players and teams across California.
Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in their respective CIF Section Championship Game, but there is plenty of work to be done before that becomes reality. We hope to familiarize our readers with many of the teams across the state as we preview individual teams across California. We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews, eventually releasing our Preseason Power 25 rankings that’ll carry us into the opening week of action and the Third Annual Prep Baseball California Spring Invitational.
Please keep checking back throughout the season as we will be your one-stop shop for everything related to high school baseball across California. Each week we will be releasing our Power 25, Players of the Week, Diamond Notes, Podcasts and much more.
Our 2024 preseason coverage continues today.
High School: California High Condors
Head Coach: Kyle Pine
CIF Section: CIF-SS, Division 4
Conference League: Del Rio
2023 Record: 12-16
Team X Handle: @condor_baseball
Team Strengths: Pitching
No. of Returning Starters: 5
No. of Returning Pitchers: 1
Areas of Improvement: Offense
TOP UNCOMMITTED SENIORS
+ ‘24 C Enrique Matchan - 6'0 175 lbs.
TOP UNCOMMITTED JUNIORS
+ ‘25 OF/RHP Josh Ibarra - 5'9 165 lbs.
+ ‘25 RHP Brandon Leiva - 6'1 175 lbs.
TOP UNDERCLASS FOLLOWS
Class of 2026
+ ‘26 RHP/OF Jacob Wagg - 6'0 150 lbs.
Class of 2027
+ ‘27 OF/1B Luke Martinez - 5'8 160 lbs.
TEAM OUTLOOK
In 2023 the Condors experienced an up-and-down season, ultimately resulting in a 12-16 record but after a successful offseason, they see themselves as contenders in the Del Rio League. Dealing with duties behind the plate will be ‘24 Enrique Matchan who totaled a .254 batting average in 2023 and will look to raise that number come this season. ‘25 Josh Ibarra will make some two-way contributions for the Condors according to Coach Pine, and he returns a team high 16 runs scored from last year. Rounding out the offense will be ‘27 Luke Martinez, who will look to make an impact right away on the varsity level. As for pitchers, ‘25 Brandon Leiva is an upperclassman arm to note. ‘26 Jacob Wagg is an underclassman that is expected to see his workload increase from last year, too.
Coach Kyle Pine’s Expectations: “League has graduated a lot of key players across the board so it is wide open this year to take it. We are not a very physical team, but we make up for it by being a cerebral team. Our anticipations, reads, understanding of the game has improved drastically and hopefully gives us an edge to be better than 12-16 last year.”