2024 Preseason Preview: El Modena
February 29, 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: El Modena Vanguards
Head Coach: Josh Kliner
CIF Section: CIF-SS, Division 2
Conference League: Century/ Crestview
2023 Record: 14-12-1
Team X Handle: @elmobaseball
Team Strengths: Top of the rotation, offense has potential to be good
No. of Returning Starters: 4
No. of Returning Pitchers: 3
Areas of Improvement: Pitching depth
COMMITTED PLAYERS
+ ‘24 RHP/3B Nick Santivanez - Cal State Northridge - 6’2 185 lbs. L/R 4 year varsity player
TOP UNCOMMITTED SENIORS
+ ‘24 RHP/OF Travis Collins - 6’1 215 lbs.
+ ‘24 OF Greg Koutures - 5’9 175 lbs.
TOP UNCOMMITTED JUNIORS
+ ‘25 OF Lukas Alvarado - 5’11 185 lbs.
+ ‘25 OF/1B Christian Tafua - 5’10 190 lbs.
TOP UNDERCLASS FOLLOWS
Class of 2026
+ ‘26 SS Logan Honikel - 6’0 165 lbs.
Class of 2027
+ ‘27 RHP Cash Ferinac - 5’11 185 lbs.
TEAM OUTLOOK
El Modena is prepped for another season in the Century Conference with a plethora of prospects who look to improve off of a 14-12-1 record from last year. Led by the likes of Cal State Northridge signee ‘24 Nick Santivanez—a four-year varsity player for head coach Josh Kliner—the Vanguards have a healthy mix of upperclassmen and underclassmen.
‘24 Travis Collins and ‘24 Greg Koutures are a pair of seniors who will look to lead this group to victory. Each is physical in their frame and on the diamond—using their strength and competitiveness to elevate their team’s level of play.
With a strong junior class, El Modena features a couple of impact underclassmen in ‘26 Logan Honikel and ‘27 Cash Ferniac who look to contribute right away in 2024. Honikel was the starting shortstop for the Vanguards as a freshman, and hit .366 as their leadoff hitter. Ferniac is a newcomer who will have an immediate impact with the pitching staff—gaining experience at the varsity stage on a consistent basis.
The team projects to be near the top of the conference with this core of prospects, and Kliner has high hopes for the pitching staff and the offense.
Coach Josh Kliner’s Expectations: “We will be a competetive team with a chance to be good ”